It had changed our last back the tears stinging my eyes. visit. The Oceanic Institute was The woman ate as if every meal comprised of buildings now, not were her last, yet she looked so the temporary trailers as I frail and thin. In my mind, she had remembered. The harbor at the always been robust, athletic, and jetty was landscaped. It looked strong. Had I also been so blind nice, but it had become just as these past few years? sterile as the city itself. The "Thank you for this," she towering cliffs had eroded quite a said, patting my hand. bit, leaving the cresting homes "I should be thanking you." I sitting precariously on stilts and could not hide the smile from my crumbling foundations—apropos voice, and she sensed it. for how fragile life was, even for "Life is meant to be lived, my million-dollar homes. dear. Do not allow your career to I grabbed a thick blanket and let you forget that." Her voice was helped my mum out of the rig. frail, but very clear." She was too weak to walk, but Are you enjoying our trip?" I walk she did. Her muscles asked, not ready to face my trembled under my supporting shortcomings. hands and her flesh felt spongy She chuckled. "Oh my, yes. and cool. She had to have been in Although, I could have gone terrible pain, but her face without the shark swimming resembled a child's in a place between my legs." filled with magic. I nodded. "Yes, that was "Brings back memories, quite an experience. I did enjoy it, yes?" I asked, guiding her to the though, when you tried to teach bench overlooking the jetty. I the fish manners when they came moved around and sat beside the to steal your bread." woman I had truly grown to love She glanced down at the still over the past seventy-five days. swollen mark on her hand where Wrapping my arm around her, I the fish had bitten her. "A lot of pulled her against me, gripping good it did me."
It had changed our last visit. The Oceanic Institute was comprised of buildings now, not the temporary trailers as I remembered. The harbor at the jetty was landscaped. It looked nice, but it had become just as sterile as the city itself. The towering cliffs had eroded quite a bit, leaving the cresting homes sitting precariously on stilts and crumbling foundations—apropos for how fragile life was, even for million-dollar homes. I grabbed a thick blanket and helped my mum out of the rig. She was too weak to walk, but walk she did. Her muscles trembled under my supporting hands and her flesh felt spongy and cool. She had to have been in terrible pain, but her face resembled a child's in a place filled with magic. "Brings back memories, yes?" I asked, guiding her to the bench overlooking the jetty. I moved around and sat beside the woman I had truly grown to love over the past seventy-five days. Wrapping my arm around her, I pulled her against me, gripping back the tears stinging my eyes. The woman ate as if every meal were her last, yet she looked so frail and thin. In my mind, she had always been robust, athletic, and strong. Had I also been so blind these past few years? "Thank you for this," she said, patting my hand. "I should be thanking you." I could not hide the smile from my voice, and she sensed it. "Life is meant to be lived, my dear. Do not allow your career to let you forget that." Her voice was frail, but very clear." Are you enjoying our trip?" I asked, not ready to face my shortcomings. She chuckled. "Oh my, yes. Although, I could have gone without the shark swimming between my legs." I nodded. "Yes, that was quite an experience. I did enjoy it, though, when you tried to teach the fish manners when they came to steal your bread." She glanced down at the still swollen mark on her hand where the fish had bitten her. "A lot of good it did me."
2015%20Autumn%20S&S.docx