The Taste of Clouds

XIV

How did you know?

"It gave me clues."

What clues?

"The time when you accidentally broke a glass, when your brother told me you aren't in a good condition, and when you act to jump off the bridge."

Have you found out what my disorder is?

"Not yet."

You don't need to know.

...

"Do you know how to do stone skipping?" I love how he is making the atmosphere light. He must be bored with quiet things. If only I can talk with him, so he won't be bored.

Stone skipping? Is it the art of throwing a flat stone across the water in such a way (usually sidearm) that it bounces off the surface?

I shake my head as a response.

"I'll teach you. Let's find a flat stone first." He lends me a hand for me to stand up.

"Don't bring that." He's talking about paper and pen.

How can I respond to him then?

We left our place and separate ways for us to find it easier.

"I found one!" I shouted as I pick up the rock and walk straight in Sib's direction.

"Have you found a stone?"

No response.

Did he hear me? Maybe he's too focused on looking for a stone.

I am facing his back again, so I decided to face his front. I thought he was looking for a stone but he was doing something else.

He formed a big heart shape that is made out of stones.

Lovely.

He put the last stone and look at me with surprise. He doesn't know I'm here before he put the last three pieces?

"Have you found a flat stone?" I repeated my question.

He shakes his head.

"Here, take mine instead." I gave him a soft smile.

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Is he trying to say "you can have that"?

"We can search a lot of rocks here but flat rocks are rarely be seen since it's shady. I found this under the tree." I pointed him where I picked up a rock earlier.

We went near the river carrying at least 10 stones with our bare hands and put them in front of our feet.

I pick up a stone and tosses it into the water. As the stone skips across the still water it causes to radiate ripples catching the moonlight.

After three skips the stone sinks; then once again the lake looks like glass, making you picture gliding on the cold surface in your socks.

"That's how you do it, simple, right?"

I saw Nubsib had a hard time tossing the rocks.

"That's not how you do it. The first step is to hold the rock with your thumb on top and middle finger on the bottom. Then, wrap your index finger along the edge."

I assist his fingers on how to properly hold the flat stone. A flat stone is the best one to toss when you do stone skipping.

"Next, face the water at a slight angle, knees bent, with your throwing hand behind you, palm up and elbow in at your side. Like this..." I show him the position.

"With the rock parallel to the water, bend your wrist back, but try to keep your chest facing the water."

He was getting onto it.

"Whip your arm forward, releasing the rock when it comes across your body so it's parallel to the water. Try to flick your wrist at the end and spin the rock so it bounces off the surface."

He tosses it and had skipped 2.

"Try again."

Now he skipped 4. I saw how he is enjoying it. He toss and toss until he skips 6, the farthest throw he ever did.