Waves

The waves splashed onto my naked feet, cold as ice. But the warmth of the sun hugged the rest of my body. I forgot to put on sunscreen, but that was fine, it was the last time I came to the beach, the last time my eyes would get to gaze at its endless blue. How mysterious it is, the sea and the sky. I thought about how vast the space is, and about the depth of the ocean. Oh lord, how could anyone leave this beauty behind?

Just as my thoughts started to could my vision in the form of tears, someone squaled. It was a girl, a little one, she had fell on a rock as she was swimming and hurt her hands. Drool and snot came from her mouth and nose as her eyes gushed tears, and all the crying she made wasn't worth these little cuts on her hands. Still, her mother and father rushed towards her, leaving the comfort of their mats on the warm sand under the shade of their giant umbrella. I watched as they comforted her and overreacted the way their daughter was overreacting. I giggled at the readiness of humans to mourn anything the moment they get the chance, but I'm one to talk.

Here I was, mourning the last day of my life. I looked down at my feet, then at my hands, since when were they that wrinkly? And it was only yesterday when my hair was thick and brown. It was only yesterday had I left home for work and then had a nice, warm dinner with my friends. It was only yesterday when I left home with my school bag, kissing my mother goodbye. It was only yesterday when I was born. Where did time go?

I envied that little girl that still had her life ahead of her, I envied her for this joy and innocence, and I envied those children who get to cry aloud while we have to keep it in. I envied them for their joy, and cursed my ending life.

I wrapped my worn out jacket closer to my body, hand in pocket, and started to leave. My feet relieved to finally meet dry sand and warm up, my heart grieving the departure of the scenery---

Someone grabbed my hands with their tiny ones. I looked down and adjusted my hearing aids, my ears stopped picking up high pitches well enough recently, and the little girl had a very squeaky voice. It was the same girl who fell.

"----toy!"

"what?" I couldn't pick up the beginning of her sentence.

"Sir, your crane broke my toy," the girl sniffed, ready to cry again.

I looked at my right hand and remembered I'm holding a crane. It's like that thing and I have become one body that I forgot I even use it. Crushed under this crane of mine was a little Barbie doll with a plastic little shovel and bucket that were millimeters away from being crushed as well, saved by the girl that was now crying. I wasn't a fond of children, but I was once a toymaker. I bend downwards towards the barbie doll as it got clearer and clearer. It wasn't crushed, the hand simply came off. I giggled at the little girl and sat down on the sand next to her.

"Broken things don't always deserve your tears, not when you can fix them," and with a little effort, I popped the arm of the barbie doll back inside it's socket, "see?"

The girl took it, but she wasn't smiling. "But what if you can't fix the broken parts?" she held up the barbie doll's little plastic hand and it was broken in half.

I looked at it. It was true I couldn't fix it. "Well," I began, "there are things no one can fix, things that just happen, things that you...loose forever," my voice quivered, I wasn't making the kid feel better, and I wasn't doing a favor for myself either. But the sound of the waves came back to my ears. I looked towards the sea once more, and I smiled. "But you might as well enjoy what you have, even if it looks like you've lost everything."

The little girl tilted her head, but I grabbed her hand and stood up. And we walked back towards the sea and I took off my jacket and dropped my crane. "Let's play a little before I leave," I said to her smiling, but she already began splashing me with water, giggling as she held her broken but smily barbie doll with her scratched hands. I looked behind for her parents, and they seemed to be fine with me giving their kid a little company. I sat in the water, despite the cold and my shallow breaths. My body was old, but I played like a child.

"Will you come again next weekend?" asked the girl as I started to leave. "Me and mommy and daddy come here on weekends." I smiled at her despite knowing that I won't live to see the run rise again. This time, I didn't cry, I didn't frown, I didn't mourn. But I celebrated the live I've lived. And I knew that even if i never lived a good day, this moment was worth celebrating.

"We'll meet again someday, kid."