life behind a lens

chapter four

September 19, 2015 - Portsmouth Beach

The white and green pastel coloured train screeches to a halt at the tiny land train hut that's supposed to be a station. There are only two people seated behind the cheery old train driver; an old lady enjoying a ride to her bungalow filled with maroon sofas and sweet buttery shortbread (probably). Another is a older teenager about seventeen years old, wearing black and silver headphones and eating a KFC chicken burger meal. He's obviously just looking for a cheap ride home so he can have a house party.

Becky and I step up the tiny steps up to the train compartment, and pay five pounds for two tickets. The train driver looks suspicious that we aren't at school, but we tell him that we are meeting another group for a photography trip, going along with my plan.

As we pass the little old lady, she smiles at us and offers us the two seats behind her. The train journey is wonderful. The glass free windows show a clear view of the beautiful countryside, and a small breeze that suddenly springs up and whistles through the tiny toy train, is cool and refreshing against our faces. Endless green meadows that surround us are like patchwork quilts, dotted with sheep, cows and different livestock.

As we head towards the coast, the breeze gets stronger, and we pull to a slow halt, about half a mile away from the beach. We thank the train driver, and start the short walk to the sea. The breeze is blowing towards us, bringing with it the salty scent of the sea, and smells of sandy rocks. Thousands of memories start to come back to my brain, and I feel like this is the place where I belong.

***

When I was younger, my family used to take long journeys in the car down to the beach, and bought fish and chips, to eat by the waters edge. I was able to see the deep blue waves rolling into the sand, and hear the cries of hundreds of gulls somewhere above me.

Later on, when everyone was sunbathing, my brother and sister and I would jump into the cool water, and play games, or splash each other with foaming waves of salty sea water. I will never be able to relive those precious moments spent with my family in the same way.

***

I cast a glance at Becky, and I can see she is thinking the same thing. But I know better. I smile a mischievous grin, and my blue eyes sparkle with happiness.

"Three, two, one!" I yell joyfully, whilst starting to leg it down to the beach. Becky is taken by surprise, however she sprints after me, yelling rude phrases at my retreating back since I got an unfair headstart.

As we reach the calm waters, laughing once more, a solitary leaf twirls and spins from the sky, performing acrobatics until it reaches the rippling surface of the waves. As it silently floats towards the sandy rocks, I am reminded of how beautiful nature can be.