Literary: Tides on the Shore
The shore is where the land meets the sea, and on it, the tides of fate brought a girl who lived in the town nearby and a boy who came from afar together for the very first time.
The girl was running some errands by the sea, one summer afternoon, when a boy who wore a troubled look approached her and meekly asked for directions. The girl quickly noted that the boy was holding a suitcase and wearing unfamiliar clothes before answering in a friendly manner.
“Oh, I know how to get there! Just walk straight ahead and take a left turn at the third corner. You’re looking for the third building on the left side of that street. You know, I can take you there if you want! I need to finish running this errand first, though. Is that okay with you?”
“Sure. If you don’t mind, I can also tag along and help you with whatever it is you need to do. It’s the least I can do to pay you back for your assistance,” the boy replied with a smile.
The girl took the boy up on his offer, and they began walking together by the sea. At first, they did not even know each other’s names. By the time they had accomplished the girl’s errands, they were telling each other things about themselves and where they were from. Before long, they reached the boy’s destination and reluctantly said goodbye to each other. This was their first time meeting each other, but it would be far from the last.
Each day after their first encounter, they’d “accidentally” meet in the late hours of the afternoon at the place where they first met. How they spent these hours varied day to day, with the only constant being each other’s presence. On some days, they’d chase each other around the beach, not minding the sand that entered their shoes. On others, they would lie down together on the sand, laughing as they told each other stories, with one often laughing at the tales of the other. They would also make a canvas out of the sand and draw illustrations to accompany their voices. From time to time, the boy would bring his guitar and sing songs that soothed the girl’s ear. Occasionally, a large boat would pass by and they would drop whatever they were doing to allow the boy to marvel at the majesty of the vessel. At times, the girl would feel down, and without fail, the boy would stretch out his arms and bring her into his warm embrace. No matter how they chose to spend the afternoon, the hours would pass them by and they would find that the sun was about to sink into the sea. They would spend a few more minutes together, admiring the scenery—and each other—as the sky blushed and the sun gently kissed the sea.
II. Low Tides
The shore is where the land meets the sea, and on it, the tides of fate are watching—and perhaps mocking—a girl walking by her lonesome.
This time, she has no errands to run. She feels troubled and lost, but no one can give her either help or direction. She longs for someone to talk to, but there is no one around her. She stops to sigh and stare at the horizon where the sky touches the endless sea as her mind takes her on a cruise through time.
On some days, we would run around on these beaches and I would often leave him behind, not realizing that it would eventually be my turn to get left behind. On others, we would tell each other stories. I would only laugh and pretend to listen at times, not knowing that I would soon lose the chance to hear his voice. We would even draw pictures in the sand, forgetting that whatever we made would just get washed away by the unfeeling waves. From time to time, he would bring his ever-so-slightly out-of-tune guitar and sing songs that fill me with melancholy as I recall them. Occasionally, a large boat would pass by, and he would get excited without fail. I would have made fun of him if he hadn’t whispered to me a promise to take me on a cruise through all the seven seas. However, his promise will remain just that—a promise.
By the time she has finished reminiscing, the horizon she was staring at has already turned an orange hue that is painfully familiar to her. A part of her wants to look away, but she can’t. She knows that she has to take in every moment of the sunset, not for herself, but for the one who can no longer enjoy the luxury of doing so. She silently wishes that she can be forever stuck in that moment, that she can cling on to the last vestiges of the twilight she once shared with another. Alas, her wishes are in vain, and the setting sun soon ushers in the cold night. She falls into despondence, and there is no warm embrace that can comfort her. Not anymore.
I have to get going; I still have a eulogy to prepare.
