AFTER DARK

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Watching the constant ebb of the waves, I immersed myself in the immensity of the moment. By now, the sun, a fiery orb, was gradually receding below the waters.

But then, as I thought nothing could snatch the splendor of this moment, something caught me. It was something that Rehan had said that sent me tumbling down a memory lane -- a dark lane.

"The weight of the past," I mumbled, repeating his words traumatically.

And as I said it, the weight of my past drained any sense of joy in me. I was once more, trapped in the tortures of my mind, believing I was weak and worthless.

It was a moment before I realised it wasn't the wetness of the sand rather there were tears streaming down my face.

Wiping the side of my face, I slowly turned my head to face him, knowing that in that moment he saw another side of me: the side that was weak and undoubtedly vulnerable .

He was indeed watching me but not with pity in his eyes, rather it was something else. He held an odd sense of reassurance in his eyes that was in that moment enough to make me believe that I wasn't alone after all.

To my relief he didn't probe and I didn't volunteer to explain the reason of my tears. Instead, he stated his understanding of it.

"Everybody carries the burden of their past before they set off on a new path," said Rehan, blankly staring at the sea. "It took me a fairly long time to come to terms with my own life. I wasn't like this, I was weak; helpless against the curve balls life threw at me. I've had this limp since I was small: to have a proper normal gait is a blessing we humans don't really seem to value much but for me it was the mere cause of my distress. It's not only how you have trouble walking (and it's painful sometimes); or how people make fun of you ... you stumble, you fall and that's not the end ... the worst part is that it's easy for people to leave you behind and it takes you ages before you catch up with them."

As he spoke, the wind whipped my face, blowing my hair back. The salty air made my eyes watery and my feet tingly. I didn't intend to cry, but I fear I just let my emotions appear on my face a little too much.