Drown- part iii

I woke next morning to the sound of banging. Startled, i looked around.
He was gone.
I realised that the ship had stopped moving because the to-and-fro motion that i'd gotten used to in the past 24 hrs had stopped.
Someone pounded on the door again.
God help me. We'd been discovered. No. He'd lose his job. His chance. All cause of me. He'd be in trouble. No, i won't let it happen. I won't blame him.
I clutched my blanket to my chest and pushed myself into a corner as i waited for the person to enter. I blinked against the dazzling light as the door swung open and banged into the wall next to it, making me.
A figure of a man stepped in. Then he jumped back, suprised. "who are you? What are you doing here?"
"I..." i gulped. "i am trying to get to Puerto." He looked bewildered. I continued, "Please, i want a new beginning... in a new land... I want to start over again. Please let me travel with you... I just wanted to go somewhere far from here..."
i stopped when the man started laughing. "This ship aint going nowhere, miss. This is the Sheldon ferry." My jaw fell slack. "We just ship stuff across the banks. We aren't going to any 'far off lands'. Sorry." he tried to hide his grin.
My mind when numb. I didn't want to think.
I clutched the blanket tighter around me and stepped into the brilliant light outside. I was right. We were back at the port- the same place where i started.
I felt nauseated.
I wanted to throw up.
I walked on.
Something told me that i wouldn't see him again, but i tried not to think about it as i stumbled off the ship.
I walked slowly, with measured steps, as the tears fell in a continuous stream across my cheeks.
I tasted their saltiness when i licked my lips.

I thought i had nothing to lose.
I guess i was wrong.

This time i jumped into the sparkling water without hesitation.


THE END


YAY! My 107th post! And boo to anyone who actually thought i'd write cheesy horrible cliched love stories, which honestly make me want to puke. Life isn't perfect. Prince charming won't pop out from behind the boxes at your time of need to rescue you. Deal with it. P.S. Don't get raped either.

Drown- part ii

He sneaked me onto the ship that night. He got me food, water and a blanket and i stumbled after him in the dark as he led me to the ship. It was pitch black, i could hardly see even the ship. He took me to a tiny room, which was almost bare, save a few boxes. There was a little bulb on one wall, but there were no windows. Maybe it was a store room. I didn't ask. I was far too grateful.
He smiled at me before he left, locking the door from the outside, so as to not arouse suspicion-he said.

I felt the boat move a few hours later, i tried to sleep, but spent most of the time thinking instead.
I wondered what would have happened if he hadn't chanced upon me tonight. I would have probably been floating in the sea, bloated up like a balloon.
He saved me.
He was my saviour.
This could be out of some movie. I wondered why he'd stopped. He could have gone on, ignoring the girl with a wild look in her eye and the dirty white cotton dress.
Did he do it because he was kind or because he saw something else in me? Was it fate that we met? Were we destined to meet? Would we have a happy ending like in movies?
Maybe i would fall in love with him.
Maybe i was already in love.
I smiled as i thought about him. His kindly eyes, his eyebrows furrowed with worry. For me. Is it possible that anyone can worry about me?
And he also gave me a chance when no one else did. Maybe i was worth the chance.
I was deeply grateful to him. I clutched the worn blanket to my chest as the ship swayed a bit. I wish i could say him back somehow.

****************************

I love him, i decided later, as i nibbled at a piece of bread.
I love him, but am i worthy of being loved by someone so amazing? Could he love me?
Yes, maybe he could. Maybe it was destiny. Maybe we were soul mates. Maybe we'd get married and live together in Puerto. We'd have 2 kids- a boy and a girl. We'd be hopelessly in love. We'd grow old together and smile at the memory of me, who once, in a white cotton dress was going to jump off a bridge. We'd smile at his courageously sneaking me onto- which ship is this? Onto this ship to Puerto. We'd live together happily.
Forever.

**************************

He came again that night. He got a quilt and some more food with him. He grinned at me as we shared the food under the dim light of the bulb. His grey eyes seemed to sparkle.
After we ate, we set up the quilt on the floor and then lay on it, flat on our backs, looking up at the ceiling. Our arms were almost touching.
I smiled.

"We'll get there in 8 days time." he said, "try and not make a lot of noise... I'm sorry i couldn't make good enough arrangements for you..."
"No, no... Its more than enough. I just want to tell you how grateful i am to you..." i turned my head to look at him "Thank you..." i whispered.
He slowly turned his head to look at me too. My heart skipped a beat. Our faces were so close, i could feel his breath on my face.
I closed the distance.
I kissed him.
And he kissed back.

As he slid the cotton dress off, all i could think of was how maybe we all DID live in fairy tales with happy endings, and how maybe, just maybe, i'd found mine...

Drown- part i

The wind was cool. It brushed part me and made my limp hair come to life and dance with it. I pushed it off my face and blinked rapidly to clear the tears blurring my vision.
I took a few deep breaths to try and calm myself.

Calm myself.

What a joke. Being calm, standing here, 20 feet above the water. I gripped the railing and stared at the dark black water below me.
Why am i gripping the railing?
I laughed through my tears. I should be letting go, not holding on.
I laughed again,a choked maniacal laugh. I'm talking as if i have a lot to hold onto.
My loose cotton dress whipped around my legs, and i shuffled my feet, as to stand a bit more comfortably on the edge of the outer side of this bridge.
I came here to drown. Not myself. I just wanted to drown the pain stabbing me from the inside. If i had to drown myself too to kill it, then so be it.

But why are you still standing? Jump!
You had made up your mind, hadn't you? Jump now!
I taunted myself as i gave another choked sob.

Jump.

Jump.

Jump.

"Don't jump." i heard someone behind me. It was a man. He had a calm, raspy voice. I liked it.

"why?" i whispered. "why shouldn't i?"
"why should you?"
i laughed hysterically. Suicidal tendencies sure screw up your sense of humour.
"he left me." i took a deep breath, "i left everything for him. My parents. My home. My country. I came here after him." i stared at the liberating water through blurry eyes. "And still he left me. I don't have anything. No money, no job, no home... Nothing. Why should i live?"

He went silent. Did he agree? Don't tell me you agree... Please...

"i also once had nothing." he suddenly spoke. "i was ready to give up too. But then, someone gave me a chance, a man i didnt even know. He gave me a job on his ship. I learnt, i worked, i travelled. I saw and experienced new things. Slowly, i grew back." he paused. "you need to give yourself a chance too."
i blinked back my tears. A chance? I tightened my grip on the railing.
"My ship is leaving for Puerto tomorrow morning, a place far from here. If you are willing to take the chance, i can sneak you onto my ship. You can start over again, in a new country, with a new name. A new beginning."
i turned around carefully, placing my feet carefully on the ledge.
I turned to a young man, about my age, with brown hair and a round face. And grey pools for eyes, slightly similar to the dark water i could fall into if i let go now. But his grey eyes were warm, his eyebrows furrowed with concern. The water was cold and still, with no marks on its perfect surface.

I climbed over to railing to him.