Un-Beam My Heart!

3. So much has changed!

       A pale foot approached the water slowly, before retreating immediately in panic.

       “Trust me”, the man said interlacing their fingers together.

      “But it’s cold”, the boy whined.

      “It will be cold only for the first few seconds, then you will feel only the warmth”, the man assured with a soft smile.

       The boy pouted a little before extending his right leg towards the water again. But before his toes could touch the water, a strong tide hit the rocks they were sitting on and drenched his legs till his knees.

      “Aish…”, the boy yelped pulling his legs back while the man laughed aloud.

       The boy hit the man’s arm playfully before giggling along with him.

       “I have always found the sea to be refreshing”, the man said some time later.

        “Hmmm?”, the boy raised his eyebrows.

      The man smiled and ruffled the boy’s hair, “She is the mother of serenity”, he said pointing to the ocean, “Despite all the agitation and turbulence she shows us from the outside, she is calm, quiet and beautiful inside”

       The boy frowned batting his eyelids innocently.

      “I feel at peace whenever I come close to her. She talks to me, listens to me, yells at me, plays with me, sings for me and then calms me down”, the man said caressing the pale fingers that were intertwined with his fingers, “Just like you…”, he whispered.

      “Me?”, the boy asked pointing to himself.

      The man nodded, “We are tied to these waters, baby, you and me”, he paused and pulled the boy closer.

      “Often she gives us a choice, whether to sit and look at her from afar.. or to approach her and touch her… or to sail over her and feel her… or to dive into her, learn about her and become one with her”, the man said cupping the boy’s soft cheeks, “The fears, the sadness, the loneliness… all those rushing emotions that you show in these beautiful eyes, makes me want to choose what I want from you. And after listening to myself all these days, I have decided to dive deeper and learn about you. I want to know you, baby. I want to loose myself in you. Will you allow me to find you?”

       The bright eyes fluttered nervously followed by tiny droplets of tears accumulating in them. The man pressed his thumbs under his eyes, gathering the tears before they could fall.

     “It is said that ‘The heart of man is very much like the sea, it has its storms, it has its tides and in its depths, it has its pearls too’ ”, the man said with a soft smile.
      [AN: Quoted by – Vincent van Gogh, famous Dutch painter]

      “You are the most beautiful pearl I would ever find in this life, baby, priceless and precious, and I will protect you and love you forever”, the man kissed the bangs that fell messily on the forehead due to the wind at the shore.

       The boy bit his lower lip struggling to keep his sobs at bay and hugged the man tightly. For the man, it might be the sea that brought him peace. But for the boy, it was the man himself and it will be him forever too.

*****

       “P'Tee wake up... quick… we are here…”, Copter’s impatient voice jolted Tee awake, “We are in Phuket… yaayyyy…”, he giggled happily.