Reminiscent

The fading of the day from the warm, now cooling landscape was a watercolour of oranges, yellows, faded blues and violets, the crash of the occasional wave on the white sandy shore, the oldest music known to man, and a faint scent of sea salt and fish and chips assaulting ones senses pleasantly.1

Cars rolled down the road, past the near empty car park and around the curve to the right, alternately parking on the sloping bitumen to walk down to the beach or along the old wooden jetty. Others continued on up the step path leading into the sky. 2

When one came to the beach from the inland an abandoned café could be seen to over look Port Noarlunga beach on the left corner; below that, out of sight, the Surf Life Saving station sat companionably watching the sunset on the endless mirror that was the ocean. 3

Waves rolled onto the reef at the end of the jetty and fishermen spaced along the sides; cast their lines hoping for a catch.4

On this particular late Wednesday afternoon though, a small Geared ’85 Ford Lazer rolled into the car park across from a dive shop.5

The silver door swung open and a young blonde woman stepped out of the car, daggy, faded jeans loosely hugged her legs and a blue tank top covered with a dark denim jacket covered most of her body. Flip flops adorned her feet.6

Swinging around, she locked and closed the car door with a sharp snap before continuing on across the car park and down to the grassy area leading to the car park and the curve of the road. 7

With a quick glance around she slipped her hand into her pocket pulling out a small compact black mobile which she slipped open to glance at before tapping away at the keys.8

Her feet carried her down the path to the jetty, cool air caressing her checks and whipping at the hair which was bound back in a high pony tail.9

With a sigh, she slipped the phone into her bag, meandering down between the grey mesh fences around the entrance to the jetty and down onto the old brown wood, faded with age, sunlight and salt.10

She watched the water as she wondered, her eyes fixed on some infinitesimal point, no one else could see, her expression and eyes sombre… almost sad.11

A man walked with his young daughter before her, the child’s laughter clear on the ocean air, a slight smile twitched at the corners of her lips as she watched the two of them, the father and the daughter take an evening stroll in the twilight.12

With a carefree laugh the child was sung into her fathers arms and perched upon his shoulder as the girl followed them down the jetty.13

It was getting colder now – the wind seeping into people’s clothes, and she shivered, wrapping thin arms around a narrow waist as if to protect her from the cold.14

They approached the end of the jetty, passing a group of four scantily clad teens, two boys and two girls, on their way back.15

The father took his daughter to the railing, holding her close, protected in his stronger, warmer arms as he pointed.16

“Look at the waves, their crashing on the reef-” the rest of his words were lost as a particularly strong wind whipped them out of ear shot.17

The sun had set by now, the sky still fading from sandy gold to paper grey as the father and daughter turned to head back down the jetty, toward, warmth and home.18

With a sigh, almost of relief, the girl slipped down to the wooden boards of the jetty and slipped her flip flops off, reaching up to let loose her hair. 19

Sitting on the edge of the jetty she swung her legs over the side, to swing them in the breeze, and then rested her chin on folded arms on the iron bar before her.20

Her eyes slid closed and she seemed to savour the peaceful wash of waves on the rocky reef only meters away below her.21

It was then, in the fading twilight, as the light faded further from the sky that the shimmer of a tear, fled down her cheek, quickly followed by another, before she buried her face in the crook of her arms.22

A harsh sob rose from deep within her chest causing her body to shudder with undeniable grief.23

Shifting slightly she lifted her head to look toward where the sun had set and watched as the ocean preceded before her. A natural mirror, filled with ripples, seeming imperfections on an otherwise perfectly dangerous body of liquid.24

“Life is given, as it is taken…” the soft murmur left her lips as yet more tears tracked her cheeks and she continued to watch the ocean.25

Some unknown amount of time passed and the next time she glanced toward shore, the land looked dark where the lights did not shine, startled she glanced at the clock on her phone to find it reading 8.00.26

With a sigh, a soft, shaky inhalation of the soft salty air, she rose to her feet and made her way down the jetty.27

Her thoughts and memories, her grief, once again gathered together, packaged neatly in her mind as she studied the comforting roughness of the jetty beneath her bare feet and the cold blue ocean below. 28