Mer-Made Life

To Island from Mainland

A moving company came and emptied the house, but they couldn't take the friends or memories formed while the family was there. Pearl and Christie took many fun photos for memories before the family got in the cab and drove away. Even their car had to be shipped overseas to the island, so it was a hug, many waves goodbye, some happy tears, and the road to the airport.

The dog went to Christie as a promise to come to the island. The transition would be easier without a pet, and the dog seemed to like Christie the most. It was a convenience that everyone was happy to take advantage of.

Besides the twins being their natural pills, the flight was boring. They were all soon asleep during that long flight to their new home. Pearl curled up with a scarf Christie gave her, a pillow, and a smile. She fell asleep and found herself once again walking along the shoreline. Waves lapped at her ankles, and the water sparkled as she splashed gently with each footfall.

"Pearl," the voice called. She turned and saw his form for the first time. A boy, young and robust, was calling her. She turned fully to look at him and saw feet at the water's edge. His legs were strong but thin. His waist was firm, and his abs were cute. His arms and chest were muscled but not bulky, and his neck - there was something there. Something different. There were gills!

Pearl woke suddenly to the screech of the jet tires hitting the runway. The whole plane shuddered at the sudden burden of gravity, and they were at their new home. There was nothing to see out the windows yet. The sun was still below the horizon, but the sky was beginning to get light in the east. They were soon driving toward their beach house via an airport rental car.

Dosina smiled at her husband in the front seat. "It's been a long time since we've been under this sky. Do you remember ..." She smiled lovingly at him. Her voice trailed off as she touched Cerith's hand while remembering her impassioned youth.

He looked at her, smiled, and replied to the whole family, "We're going to be home again, at long last. This move will be the last time I relocate us. Once I complete this last assignment, I'm retiring. We will be here from now on. I hope you kids are okay with that. I'm tired of moving us around, and it's good to be heading back home at last."

Pearl needed clarification. This home thing was new information. "Uhm. Home again? I don't remember living in Hawaii before, so - what's with all the 'home again' stuff?"

Dosina replied, "Your father and I lived here long ago. This place is where we met. He was the, well, an important man in his family. I was just this innocent little thing that caught his eye, and then he caught me. It changed our lives forever. We married, though his family disapproved of me at first. Since his work meant traveling worldwide, we never did find an opportunity to set that right. Now, we can. Any way you look at it, I love your father with all my heart. You, kids, are the real proof of that."

The twins started gagging and making kissy noises, but Pearl saw the 'something special' between her parents and wanted that in her life, too. She thought of a boy, a friend, a companion, and a love for her life. She wasn't ready yet, but her mother often told her something to help her seek herself.

"If you wait until you're ready to do things, you'll never do anything," Pearl said aloud for her mother to hear, and Dosina smiled back at those words returning finally to her ears from her daughter.

"Yes, dear. Yes. So, you understand. We are one, and we are one family." Dosina answered.

That moment of exchanging personal thoughts during a car ride with noisy twins on a Hawaiian island drive to their home would change Pearl forever. She saw herself as her mother was, young, naive, and alone. Long ago, her mother chose to dive into life, and she found happiness. No words could fully convey that message from mother to daughter. It took a heart song, and both women sang a chorus.

The twins started mocking them, chanting, "We are one! We are one! We are one!" like robots in a zombie movie.

Everyone started laughing in the car at their antics. The ride to their seaside house couldn't have been more fun. The beach appeared in the oncoming daylight, and they pulled into the driveway of a simple but wonderful home. The twins jumped out, calling dibs on the first bathroom use, running to the front door only to wait impatiently for their father to unlock it.

"Bladders before what matters! That's my twins!" Dosina giggled as she walked toward the house.

"I'm going to go look at the shore, if that's okay, Mom. I need to stretch my legs out. I need to breathe." Pearl smiled and, with a nod from her mother, off she headed for the sands. When she reached the water, she looked back to the house. She wanted to memorize the new home's location and take in its beauty.

"Why did it have to be perfect?" she said again. She sighed extra-deeply and looked westward up the beach. Then she took a few steps to gauge the terrain under her feet. She chose a track where the sand was wet but not in the water. The sand felt terrific to her feet, more than she expected it might. Somehow it felt familiar. It was firm and held her stride, and she ran like the wind.