Orange and Blue (Summer P1)

#1

1. Quietly floating on the  surface of Harvey’s Lake on an inter-tube at sunset. Orange and blue sky stretching out into the horizon. Dragonflies chasing each other over the water, glancing off the surface in perfect unison. Distant sounds of family – the buzz of  faraway voices engaging in many conversations. The smell of fresh water, accentuated by the taste of clean, crisp air.

Cool winds pushing clouds across the horizon, the first hint of darkness threatening to engulfing the orange and blue streaks that colour the sky. Eyes closing. Breathing in from the mouth, exhaling from the nose. Feelings of content slowly overtaking the feelings of loss.  Memories in my head forming a slide show of that weekend:

The rush of tubing.

The smell of fireworks.

The flashes of sparklers spelling out names in the dark.

The feeling of the wick burning itself across my thumb.

The pride in having a scar to brag about.

The pain of having my eyebrows pulled out by the root.

The joy of an inside joke that will last for years.

The agony of watching your loved ones mourn a heavy, heavy loss.

Strong waves from the jet-boat pushing the inter-tube back to the shore, the murmurings of good stories and the promise of laughter. Shadows casting into the grass. Life returning to normal in the face of the unthinkable.

-E

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