The Sea Salt Blue Day

Sand tickles my feet. A cool breeze carries the scent of sea-salt. Waves hit the shore, and back. They hit the shore, and back again.

The ocean is deep blue. Like the sky with stringy white clouds. But when I look up, the sky is filled with cotton clouds. Cotton clouds with baby blue spread underneath.

Shells scatter the beach, sparkling and dazzling. My short, wavering hair stops sunlight from hitting my eyes. Though with this advantage, my black hair heats up. This leaves my face warmer than before. I step towards the glittering sea.

As dry sand turns wet, sea-salt breeze lets my short, wavering hair float behind me. With no more hair to cover me, I now see through narrowed eyes.

Grains of sand shift under me. I near the waves. I reach them just as they pull back again. Again. The first wave to touch me leaped. It leaped like a ballerina. Then it pulled back, as if to aim. The second time the waves came to me, they slid. They slid like a baseball player.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw a dazzling shell move. The sparkling shell skitters around, stopping here and there. As it does its skittering dance, I follow.

Just as the sun was reaching high, and I was about to go, it stopped. The shell turned towards me. It was a hermit crab!

Bright red and bumpy, it cocks its head. “Hey, little gal.” I coo.

It jumped and made a motion. As if to say, “Come!” Then it squeaked.

Just after that, it literally, actually said, “Didn’t I already say come?” it asked, jumping once more.

Really is a jumpy one, I think.

“Are you really talking, or are you just my imagination, little fella?” I ask.

“First you call me a gal. Next, you call me a fella. Make up your mind!” it continued. “Also, my name is Gale, and I am a gal. Now, come along. No time to waste.” ‘Gale’ said rudely.

Just then, Ma called, “Asha! Come and try some cheesecake!” “It’s really good!” Baba pitched in.

“Coming!” I shout back. When I look again, ‘Gale’ is gone.

So, I leave the cool breeze that carries the scent of sea-salt. So, I leave the waves hitting the shore, and back. Hitting the shore, and back again. And so, I leave the deep blue ocean. Like the sky with stringy white clouds. But when I look up, the sky is filled with cotton clouds. Cotton clouds with baby blue spread underneath. And finally, I left shells that scatter the beach. Sparkling, dazzling. The shells that hide ‘Gale’. My imagination or not.

I never really found out what happened to ‘Gale’. My parents thought I was crazy. And I guess that I will never know. That I will never know what happened that sea-salty, that sea salt blue day.