Rejuvenated

The warm sea water soothes every bit of my pale skin revitalizing my entire being. I can feel my organs rejoice every second I spend below the warm, salty, sea water. There's no one close to me to ruin the serenity of this heavenly place.

It's just the sea currents and the birds that fly above it, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. I lazily move my hands and turn to face upwards. As if on impulse, the sea effortlessly pushes me to the surface.

A cold breeze brushes past my face as if to tell me I can stop holding my breath and open my eyes now. I release the breath I had been holding for about two minutes and turn again. Looking around, my siblings are still partying at a distance on the shore missing all the wonders the sea has to offer.

I look up at the birds flying around fearlessly. The orange light from the setting sun gives their feathers an astounding shine which the birds probably don't even realize.

This is how I have always wanted my life to be, so peaceful that there's nothing else to think about. The sea had washed away my tears but more continues to flow since I emerged. I have been strong for too long and I think it's time to let it all out.

I don't want to leave the sea ever. I want to make the sea my new home and forget the rest of the world. Nothing has ever made me feel this invigorated and the more I think about it, the more I want to forget my past. 

I am tired of hearing my boss yelling at me, my neighbors fighting each and every day like they cannot live without fighting, my parents always seeing me as a disappointment because I chose not to go to college and work instead, and my friends, well, I don't have those.

But this could be it, I can be listening to the birds all day and enjoy the quiet nights but that will be just a wish or a dream, one I know will undoubtedly never come to pass.

I move my body around and rotate with ripples constantly hitting my back. It feels like the sea's acceptance to my will and more tears flow at the thought-this time, they are tears of joy.

As I swim around, I am lucky to see a bird swiftly descend and emerge with a fish in its long beak. Everything happens so fast and at a distance I can't tell what the type of bird it was or the type of fish it caught. It was a small fish though but enough for two mature birds.

It's amazing how the rest of the birds didn't seem to care. They probably understood it was that bird's turn or it just has good luck. Either way, I am convinced that everything-birds, animals, plants, and the sea live harmoniously with each other.

It is getting dark but I don't want to leave yet. The water will be warmer anyway so I guess I don't have to leave after all. I didn't notice my two siblings leave the shore and start a fire close to our cabin. I love how they understand I want to be alone and they always do. They never really bother me and I love them more for that.

I could be with them roasting marshmallows but nothing surpasses this feeling. The sky is cloudless and there are visible countable stars but they are not very bright.

I can see two white stars and one orange star so far. The sea is exceptionally calm and so is everything else. If only I could see what lies beyond both the sea and sky.

This unexpected vacation came to be when my father learnt he was being transferred hundreds of miles from home. He tried to talk his superiors out of it but their decision was firm.

We were sad when he broke the news to us but mum was overwhelmed. She couldn't hold the tears and ended up crying on my dad's chest.

None of us however knew how badly we wanted this vacation. Our lives were kind of messed up. Terry, the second born, (I am the first born) just joined college and things weren't as smooth as she had hoped. She wasn't there when dad told us about the transfer but dad later called and informed her.

She barely gets enough sleep and free time during the day because of how much her discipline requires her to study. I was there when dad made the second call to her. I could tell she was still sad and very tired. She literally screamed when dad broke the news of the vacation to her. She expressed gratitude which left all of us smiling after dad hang up.

Leo, our little brother, on the other hand comes home from school every day and so do I from work. He is in high school and always complaining about bullies. We couldn't hide our excitement when dad told us before calling Terry. It was like we were Kids again.

A week later and here we are. We each have three days and it is more than enough.

I swim towards the shore feeling more relaxed than I had gone in. I am not ready to leave this place so when my feet land on dry ground, I decide to stay out here a while longer and delight in my surrounding.

I stand a few feet from the sea and feel all the frustration and anger being washed out of me as the water drips from my moisturized body.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath with my head slightly lifted. When I open them, there are more bright stars than I can count. I find myself smiling in admiration of the spectacular view above me.

I lie on the slightly warm sand without peeling my eyes from the sky. A feeling of serenity overwhelms me as I keep my eyes glued on the twinkling stars and my ears attentive but there's nothing to hear.

As I lie on my back unmoving, I feel revived and more energetic than I ever have been. I chuckle involuntarily in disbelief as I feel ready to do and achieve anything. May this feeling never fade.