Saturday, September 30, 2006

SLEEPS WITH THE FISHIES

Leaving Paradise

I became slightly depressed knowing that the holiday was about to end. The familiar yet mundane life I left behind called me home. The creeping acceptance of the inevitable. The bittersweet. The realization that I actually did leave all my cares behind. For seven blissful days not once did I think about work nor my daughters situation! And on the evening of the last day aboard ship, I sat on the deck on the 11th floor,  the weight of what I left behind settled on my shoulder and watched the sunset in the stormy sky leaning on me.

On a ship, you are never alone for long. Behind me I heard the shrill and bossy voice of an eight year old girl. That tone is known to mothers all over the world. This bossy woman-child sashayed to the rail and looked towards the setting sun. She turned and ignoring me, concentrated her remark behind me, "No! No! You stay right there!"

Around the corner of the laid out sun chairs, with a the canister of soda pressed to her tiny breast, came the two year old. She wore a simple pink empire line dress with a ruffle on the hem and around the sleeveless arm holes. Her hair was so short, and so wispy, the fairy hair of the very young. On the island , she must have had beads braided along the top. On her tiny feet were girly-girl pink sandals.

She stumbled and staggered in that run/walk normally associated with drunks and two year olds.

She stood along side her sister and got tippy toed.

She pointed!

"I see a dolphin", she cried out.

Her older and much more sophisticated sister rolled her eyes and informed her..."You can't see a dolphin! It's too dark"

Her mother appeared from the right and in a soft murmur told her youngest daughter that the dolphins were sleeping.

Little Pink handed her mom the soda container. Turning towards the sea and grabbing the rail she puffed out her chest and began calling loudly, at the top of her lungs.......

"DOLPHINS!! DOLPHINS WAKE UP!!"

It was my very favorite moment of the trip.

Sadness took a dive. He sleeps with the dolphins.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hello friend!

The time has come
It's here at last!
Click the link
And do it fast!
Prepare yourself, oh
You must be brave!
For Halloween is
out from it's grave.

Anonymous said...

Welcome home if you are home all ready!!  What a lovely entry!!!!!  I can just almost see it like I was there.  Moments like that are worth remembering forever!  Hugs,
Lisa

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful story; and experience!  Glad you had a great time!
Lori

Anonymous said...

Your writer's eye on the world always amazes me.  There's a lot of good writers in j-land, but in my humble opinion you're really one of the best.  You take this commonplace incident and turn it into a mini-masterpiece.  And then there's your photos, too!   The ghostly shots in the last entry, plus I saw the thumbnail sidebar shots from Flickr of your trip on Hippie Gypsy--fantastic.  I'm so envious.  You say you're a terrible speller, so I can take small comfort in knowing that you're not completely perfect....
*debbi*

Anonymous said...

I love it! - K.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like you had a wonderful absence of reality.  I need so desparately to take a vacation somewhere, anywhere!  Great entry.
http://boiseladie.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

    What a sweet story, and a wonderful memory.
Jude
http://journals.aol.com/jmorancoyle/MyWay

Anonymous said...

     Love the dolphin story ... I have one of my own from a recent trip to Sanibel Island, just have not had time to write it yet.
    Home is where the heart is, really! Welcome home.
                     *** Coy ***

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed your wonderful narrative and if anyone could wake up the dolphin's she could.    The sunset photo is breathtaking!     mark

Anonymous said...

Yep. I loves me some "out of the mouths of babes" entries. Good stuff. :-)

Anonymous said...

wonderful story.

Anonymous said...

Mary, you become a totally different writier when you are "on safari..."  

Absolutely beautiful.  Lisa  :-]