Somewhere along the Mediterranean coast
Somewhere along the Mediterranean coast, a pair of legs dangled from the top of a square boulder that was large
enough to cast a shadow on a cross-legged girl.
With only a pair
of swimming shorts on, Violetta
interrupted ‘Swann’s Way’ for the spectacle that was a small, white yacht
crawling towards the shore.
“Hey Katya,
check it out, they’re here.”
“Huh-huh, oh
yuh, I basically forgot about them. Well… I guess we should at least pretend like
we’re happy to see them,” Katya craned her neck towards the distance.
“C’mon, I know
the way you look at Robbie,” Violetta said with a smirk, “Don’t tell me you
weren’t looking forward to seeing them again.”
“I don’t know
what you’re talking about,” Katya lightly chuckled, “Anyway, do you think we
should err at least put a top on?”
“Yeah, I guess
we should be civilised in this instance.”
Katya put out
the joint and walked to the pebbles below. The way she swam reminded
Violetta of a leaking tap, dripping one drop at a time—barely a ripple made.
Violetta’s legs were still stinging from the nettles she fought as the girls
walked through the overgrown path to get to their secluded spot.
She barely
shifted her position as she slid on a loose, DayGLo tank top. She was
beginning to grasp the importance of decisions—of why most people get a job,
find a life partner and so on. She was on the cusp of feeling the weight of phrases
like ‘I feel lost’ and ‘it’s always so difficult for me’.
It was a weight
she welcomed—a weight which made her feel as if she was like everyone
else—that she was human. It was like how she would cry during a film when
someone displays compassion or kindness. It felt
uplifting but, at the same
time, it was difficult to take in emotionally and certainly impossible to make sense
of intellectually.
Katya pulled
herself on board. Despite her nimble frame, she could easily carry her own
weight. She practised capoeira and although she wasn’t as confident, she was
far better than Violetta. Her abdominal muscles peeked through and glistened as the salt water fell onto the deck.
Violetta made her
way to the edge of the water and gave a wave. When the crew smiled at her, she
blew them a kiss and went back up to gather the pinot grigio, still sweating in
the comfort of a soft, red blanket.
They landed ashore and bellowed out Violetta‘s name. She felt embraced in a series of
hugs, ending with an unnecessary meeting of bodies between her and Katya.