All rivers flow to the sea…
Waves crashed against the cliff side as if to attack the
lighthouse, who stood watching over the sea like a guardian doing its duty to
protect. The seagulls glared at the waves. Siting silently on a nearby rock
separated from the land by the cruel, cold sea. The strong sea air whistling
through them as they stare blankly and patiently. Just as I did. The lighthouse
stood tall and proud behind me. Strong against the sea. Still the waves crashed
against the cliff side, sinister and unforgiving.
Looking out at the sea, its breeze hitting my face and
tangling itself through my hair. Standing where she had once stood. The smell
of the strong sea air filled my lungs. I cringed. The smell that I had grown so
accustom to I suddenly loathed.
Escape. “I want to
escape.” She had said. Four words. Four words I would never forget. All rivers
flow to the sea…
How beautiful it must be, to everyone… everyone but me. I
cannot see that beauty anymore. The
beauty of the old lighthouse. The wonder of the sea. They were taken from me
all too quickly and had been replaced with hostility and guilt. I closed my eyes trying to remember being
here before. Before everything. The blue skies above me, the soft grass under
my feet with the warm breeze gently hitting my face. Slowly I opened my eyes
hoping to see that once more.
I was filled with disappointment. The soft sounds of music
present in my ears as I listened to the silence of the world in between the
crashes of the sea. Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it
is impossible to be silent.
Escape. “I want to
escape.” She had said, her face was so bright as she ran with the wind against
her. Her feet softly hitting the ground with each step. Four words. Four words
I would never forget. All rivers flow to the sea… eventually.
“Don’t be scared of what you cannot see, your only fear is
possibility. Never wonder what the hell went wrong your second chance may never
come along. Hold on now your exit’s here its waiting just for you…” the lyrics played
in my ears. These words, I thought, explained her so well, what she must have
felt. I know this now. Because I can feel it to.
Rain started falling. Hitting me so gently and soon covering
my glasses. I pulled them off my face and dried them with my scarf.
Escape. “I want to
escape.” She had said, her face was so bright as she ran with the wind against
her. Her dress flowing through the air. Her feet softly hitting the ground with
each step. Four words. Four words I would never forget but never wanted to
remember. As she came close to the edge of the cliff she turned, still slowly
moving and said with her little smile but eyes so sad “Thank you. Thank you for
our little infinity”
…
All rivers flow to the sea in the end. Her
exit had come.
I turned to face the light house. The waves crashed, the
lighthouse stood tall and proud just like a guardian, but not mine. Not hers.
The seagulls watched patiently on the rock. Waiting. I felt the tears forcing
their way out. I closed my eyes coursing a single tear to escape from the
corner of my eye. All rivers flow to the
sea. This is the story of Charlie Roth Spiegelman, and this is how it ends.
