The wake-up call from the front desk came at 7:00a.m. sharp the next morning, as requested. Mom and Ms. Costa worked out at the fitness center. Jasmine and I stopped by the hotel gift shop and bought a red Frisbee before we went to the beach.
The sand was white and warm under our feet. We wanted to collect seashells, but the sand didn’t hide any treasures. It was as if someone had run the soft granules through a sifter, removing foreign objects, leaving only soft mounds behind.
The early morning walkers and joggers were out in full force. The lifeguard set up his station as he waved to everyone who passed.
“Look at the surfer dude,” Jasmine said. “I didn’t know people could still surf when they’re that old.”
The man with flowing white hair rode the small waves into the shoreline. “He makes it look so easy,” I answered. A woman standing on the beach waved to him. “I wonder if that’s his wife.”
“Who? You mean the hoochie mama?”
“What’s that?”
“You know. A woman who should be a lot more covered up than she is. She thinks she looks hot in that polka-dot bikini.”
“You’re hard on people.”
“On myself, too,” Jasmine said.
“Maybe you should stop doing that.”
“Yeah, you’re right. But not today.”
We kept walking. The only sounds were the gentle breaking of the waves and the screech of the seabirds as they swooped down to catch their morning meals.
“It’s hard to believe this is the same Atlantic Ocean we have in New York.
The water is so green and clear,” Jasmine commented.
“And calm. It looks like rippled glass.”
“I can’t believe we’re doing this in the middle of winter. I wonder what the temperature is in New York,” Jasmine said.
“Who cares? I’ll race you into the water.” I took off running.
“No fair. You ran before you told me.”
“Come on in. It feels like bathwater,” I yelled over my shoulder.
“I’m only going in up to my knees. Just remember.”
“Fine.”
We splashed each other and had a running race to the imaginary finish line. Jasmine won. I swam underwater, trying to steal the Frisbee from her. We laughed so hard we almost couldn’t hear my mom calling to us.
“Girls, sorry to interrupt all your fun, but we have to get ready to go to the seaquarium. We need to be there when they open. We don’t want to be late.”
Time passed quickly that morning. I loved my little bit of paradise.
“Isn’t it amazing that this ocean is teeming with life, but we don’t see any of it? It’s an underwater world that few humans get to experience,” I said.
“That’s OK with me.”
I ignored Jasmine. “Don’t you feel small next to it? I love that if you’re really still, the sound of the ocean is the loudest thing you hear.”
“Yeah.”
“We’d better go in. Maybe I can come back some day. By myself.” My imagination was working overtime.
I touched my silver dolphin pendant.