Faded Petal

Chapter 2 - George - The Lake

DAY THREE

The air fills with cries and whoops of joy as the glistening lake comes into view. The sun is slowly falling from the sky, and its rays bounce off the water's surface and into my eyes, which I shield with my hand.

Beth and Akiki are already sprinting down the hill as fast as their legs will take them, closely followed by Charlie who has already torn his shirt off.

I glance to my left, and only Edith remains by my side, gazing down at the water with a peaceful smile on her face. Her eyes drift their way over to mine and we share a smile.

"Come on," I whisper and grab her small, cold hand. We tear after the others, only stopping so that I can pick up Charlie's abandoned shirt. The lake grows larger and more tempting as our feet repeatedly thump against the soft grass.

Once our feet have hit the pebbled bank, Charlie is already swimming laps, his trousers and shoes strewn carelessly on the bank. The girls are peeling their socks off and gingerly pulling their dresses above their heads, taking care that the hems don't touch the wet ground. I look away.

I notice that my clammy hand still rests loosely in Edith's. As I look down, my face flushing at the sight of our intertwined fingers, she squeezed my hand and lets go, stepping away from me and towards the water.

Slipping off her black shoes and pretty white ankle socks, she tests the water with one toe. Seeming happy with the temperature, she steps both feet in.

By the time I have removed my shoes and rolled up my trousers, Edith is wading thigh-deep in the water. Her long white dress is bunched in her hands, holding it around her hips. Just past her, Beth and Akiki are splashing each other and giggling, wearing nothing but their undergarments.

Charlie is still swimming laps, occasionally thrashing up to the surface to breathe. I admire Charlie for this, I really do. After all he's been through. Even the loss of his arm does not stop him from doing what he wants to do.

I step into the water and it is cold- but a refreshing cold. We have walked a great deal today. I stand for a while and soak up the squeals and general happiness radiating from my friends. We've been needing this for a while. I return back to the bank, and take a seat on my suitcase, enjoying the view.

After a few moments have passed, I hear a delighted gasp. My head snaps to the source of the noise. A fluffy little beaver is slowly approaching Edith, cutting a path through the still water. A smile lights up her face; mine too when I notice that the beaver has three babies cradled in its tiny brown paws.

Edith doesn't move, not wanting to startle the animals. The mother beaver swims right up to her and does a few laps round her, before releasing her babies into the water.

This moment is perfect. Edith's head is tilted towards the babies, strands of her mousey brown hair falling from behind her ears, and settling in front of her sunkissed face. Her hands which still grip bunches of her dress shake slightly, and I can see that her eyes are completely lit up with happiness. The sun which has dropped even lower now sits patiently behind her, making her look angelic. This whole scene is angelic.

Even Charlie has noticed and stopped determinedly swimming so that he does not startle the beavers. All 5 of us stay still and watch this peaceful moment unfold.

After a few minutes the beaver gathers up her young and carries them away to the shore, and out of sight. My eyes land on Charlie, noticing that he is distracted

He's rummaging around behind a tree, and eventually with a triumphant "HA!" he stands up straight and holds a thick brown rope above his head.

"What's that you've got, Charlie?" calls Beth.

"A rope!"

"What are you going to do with it?"

"You'll see!"

The rope has been roughly tied in knots, and we all watch him as he slowly but determinedly unravels it. Once he's satisfied, he leans towards a branch which is hanging a few meters above the water's edge, and he loops the top of the rope around the branch and ties a double knot. I see what he's doing now.

Akiki and Beth squeal with excitement and begin running towards the shore as fast as the water will let them. They're coming towards me, and I respectfully avert my eyes. Their feet reach the bank, and they plod all the way round the perimeter of the lake, ending up on the opposite side where Charlie has now completed his rope swing. They shiver in their underwear, dripping wet.

Edith has now come out of the water too, but she walks towards me and takes a seat in the smooth, grey pebbles next to me.

We sit in comfortable silence and laugh as Charlie yells and beats his chest awkwardly like a one-armed Tarzan, before throwing himself at the rope. He swiftly zooms through the air before letting go and crashing down into the water like a bomb. Beth and Akiki jump up and down, clapping and cheering.

Charlie's head breaks the surface. "Come on, girls! Your go!"

Akiki pushes Beth in the back, and she stumbles forward to the swinging rope. Beth snatches hold of it and stands to take a moment to gather her thoughts, before jumping up in the air and letting gravity sweep her downwards and across the lake. Her piercing scream of joy rings through the air, then she lets go and almost lands on top of Charlie. Edith chuckles beside me and I find myself grinning harder than I have grinned in a while.

Soon, Akiki is in the water too, and all three of them are pushing and splashing each other as if they are five years old again. A few minutes later they are emerging from the lake in front of us and running around the edge back to the swing like three little ducklings all in a row.

Me and Edith sit for twenty minutes and simply enjoy the swaying of the grass around the stony bank, the buzzing of crickets in the air accompanied by the shouts of our friends, and the sun which is glowing more and more golden by the second.

Once Charlie, Beth and Edith decide they are tired of throwing themselves around like a trio of baby monkeys, they plod towards us, exhausted and out of breath. Charlie sits next to me on my right, and Akiki and Beth take a seat the other side of Edith.

Akiki puts her arm around Beth and Edith, so I follow suit and embrace Edith and Charlie. Soon all five of us are hugging, squished together, and soaking up the euphoria and freedom that swirls around us in the air. I think about how grateful I am to have this group- I am only happy when I'm with them.

Swirls of pink, purple, orange and yellow now overwhelm the sky. It looks like a painting. It is the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen.

"It's gorgeous," breathes Beth, mirroring my thoughts. Akiki removes her arm from Beth's shoulders so that she can rest her head on her shoulder.

The sun has completely gone by the time we decide to move on. Charlie, Beth and Akiki have completely dried off, their skin warm and glowing. They put their clothes back on, we all grab our suitcases, and we leave the lake behind forever.