Above the waves

14

The next day, Mom brings me to Malibu Wildlife to visit Hope. My dad and siblings went back to the city and my friends are at school.

We left Rose and Oak to guard the house.

"I haven't been here in so long." Mom says as she parks the car.

"You've been here before?"

She smiles and nods as the back door slowly opens and the ramp extends. Mom helps me off the ramp and presses a button to close the door. She locks the car and pushes me to the building.

The woman who showed us in last time, Mandy, is here and smiles as we approach.

"Really glad you could come. Hope's missed you and Gail. She seems attached to you both even if you can't be as close as Gail." She gives me a soft smile and I know she's not offending me.

"Yeah. She's amazing. I'm glad I get to study oceanography because I'd love to work with sea animals and learn more about the ocean." I say.

Mandy replies, "I'm glad you're taking it up too. You could work with us and intern here. I think your mom did."

I turn to look at mom with wide eyes. "You interned here?"

She shrugs like it's not big deal. "I helped out for three months and worked with sea lions."

We continue through the building and to the elevator which brings us up to the highest floor. The dolphin pools are here as well as well as the seals and sea lions. The performance building is in the other building and this one is just for care and healing.

I hear the squeaks and clicks before we step out of the elevator and I'm greeted by warm sunlight as we walk to the covered pools.

Hope swims towards us and clicks.

I wave my good hand. "Hey, there Hope. How are you?"

She clicks again and swims in a circle.

"She wants you to join her." Mandy says softly.

I look at the hopeful dolphin and see her playful eyes.

Mom pushes me closer so I'm already as far as I can go. I put my hand over the wall and say. "Hope, I can't swim. Not anymore."

She clicks again but isn't as forceful as earlier.

Her trainer whistles and she swims over to the board. There's a diving board like board that's sort of like a chair or bed for both the person and the dolphin. The dolphin can lie there for the human to hold while the human can sit there, body half in the water and half out.

"Would you like to sit on the board, Savannah?" Mandy asks.

The last time Gail and I were here, Gail sat on the board and even swam with Hope. They played for a while while I sat here watching.

I smile at Mandy. "It's okay. I'll stay and watch."

She squints her eyes at me as if sensing my hidden desire to be in the water but she looks away.

"Well, stay as long as you like. Karen is training her to follow commands and whistles. The other dolphins here, Chloe and Tanger are in the other aquarium already. They'll be putting on a show in an hour." Mandy says, as we watch Hope play with Karen.

"The sea lions are all in the aquarium building but we have a seal who's under observation due to her accident last week." Mandy continues, getting mom's attention.

"Where would she be?" Mom asks.

"It's actually a he. Manuel is over at the other pool. Beside the elevator." Mandy replies with a knowing smile. She seems to be around mom's age.