A Merman's Tale

Seirra: Chapter Seventeen

     Goodbyes weren’t painful because someone important was leaving. It was the idea of never being able to see each other again that made farewells worse than an open flesh wound.

     The day we found Marina on her way out of the bookstore, I felt as if a huge rock had been lifted off my back but left an even bigger, aching hole inside of me. The entire four days that I had to wait before it was time to go was filled with forced smiles and depressed eyes.

     It was terrifying.

     I began to stare into space as I recalled what happened four days ago.

     “Well, isn’t this cozy,” Marina commented upon seeing Margaret and I teasing each other.

     “Marina!” Margaret exclaimed, delight reflected in her smile.

     “What are you doing here?” I asked suspiciously. It was hard to believe she had finally agreed to go back and save Aquania.

     “Your girlfriend told me to come,” she replied. Her eyes diverted from mine as she added, “When I change my mind.”

     “Care to tell us why?” I couldn’t hide my sarcasm.

     “Seirra, no need to act like a pig,” Margaret scolded.

     I merely shrugged and stared at the princess, waiting for her to answer.

     “I’m not going back to save Aquania or anything,” she began with a hint of hesitation. “I just want to find out the truth about my father.”

     Her eyes told me that the fist part of that statement wasn’t true. Somehow, I saw a glimpse of a real princess when she said she wasn’t trying to be heroic. There was a spark that told me how much she actually wanted to be of help. How she managed to come up with that decision, however, was not something I was interested in.

     “That will do,” I told her with finality.

     “Great!” Margaret declared excitedly, complete with a clap. “Now it’s time to celebrate!” She turned towards Marina and then she said, “Why don’t you come in and have dinner with us?”

     “No, thanks.” She sighed loudly as she prepared to leave. “I’ll see you in four days.”

     She had already taken a few steps when Margaret told her, “I’m sure you’re going to be a fantastic princess!”

     Marina didn’t bother to turn back nor say thank you but instead, she merely gave us a wave. A few seconds of silence passed before I heard Margaret’s sharp intake of breath.

     “Problem solved! Now all we need to do is prepare for your impending departure.” The last few words were spoken more softly than the ones before them and I couldn’t help but notice how sadness suddenly filled Margaret’s eyes. An equally heartbreaking smile materialized from her lips. “I guess your time on land is over.”  

     We had now been together merely 25 days—not even a month yet—but it felt as if the moment I go back to Aquania, several years of my own life would be left behind. She had seen me differently from everyone else; and for some reason, I had allowed her to know more about me than a human should. It was comforting. She had accepted me and allowed me to be myself. She gave me encouragements, scolded me and kept my feet on the ground. But more than anything else, she had treated me like a real friend; despite knowing how different we were.

     I knew too that she had trusted me enough to allow herself to act freely. She trusted me not to judge and I didn’t. Right now, I was quite sure that I was the only one who had ever seen how passionate she was as an artist. She was sometimes too uptight but I knew that her art was her way to let herself abandon her worries and simply draw.