Us, Colliding

CHAPTER SEVEN

After half an hour or so of walking the beach, waiting for my stomach to stop feeling like a clenched fist, I head home.

The coolness of the house is a relief, and I sigh as I step over the threshold.

"Myra?" My dad calls from the bathroom and I wonder why on Earth he would do that if he's on the toilet.

"Yes?" I call.

"Come see!" He calls and I slowly follow the sound of his voice.

Upon entering the main bathroom the first thing I see is my dad kneeling over the bath gently splashing at the water, he looks up at me, his grey eyes sparkle and he looks like Christmas came early.

My eyes are drawn to the toilet and there, sat sheepishly on the closed lid, head bowed and hair falling into her face, sits Neri who glances up at me and then quickly away, I scowl.

"This is Nerida," my dad says, "and she brought me this little fella just now," he's evidently oblivious to the tension that I can feel building in the room like an electrical storm.

I ignore Neri and peer into the bath, there, clumsily swimming in odd little circles is a baby turtle.

I cannot hide my smile, he is tiny with big black eyes and a speckled head. He doesn't look real.

"What's wrong with him?" I ask, I want to touch him and reach forward but dad stops me.

"We can't handle him," dad says, he holds up his hands which are gloved, "we don't want to pass on any bacteria - he's very susceptible to disease right now. Even being in this bath isn't great, but he has salt water and he's safe which is better than where he was before."

"So why is he here?" I ask.

"Nerida found him caught up in a plastic beer can ring, seeing as the little ones usually hatch late at night or early morning, I'd say he's been out in the sun a long time - too long for a turtle hatchling - he should be in the sea with his brothers and sisters."

"So what do we do?" my eyes dart over to Neri who is peering back at me, I look away.

"Well, we give him a couple of hours and then once it gets dark we release him into the sea. He was drying out but he had something to eat now and he's not hurt otherwise. You girls wanna come with me to release him?"

"I would love that!" Neri says suddenly with all her usual enthusiasm and she looks at me, "that's if... um, Myra doesn't mind?"

"You two have met?" Dad looks from me to Neri and back again.

"Yeah," I say, "I don't mind if you want to come, Neri."

Neri's entire face lights up when she smiles and I feel a strange rush of affection for her - and guilt.

"So we'll need to be on the beach for around 11pm. Late enough so there's less people around but early enough so I can get my beauty sleep," dad wiggles his brows and I roll my eyes.

"ok," I say.

I think of the cookout Hanu invited me to, I hope he won't mind me leaving at 11, but I think things will be wrapping up by then.

"11pm it is," Neri smiles, "see you later little guy," she waves at the baby turtle, "see you later Myra," she brushes past me leaving the scent of the sea and watermelon in her wake.