The night sky suddenly had less light, in the blink of an eye it takes for a billboard sign to disappear as it shuts off. And then, just as quickly as the billboard in the sky shut off, another light appeared. Lower on the horizon. On the water. A boat light that seemed to be headed directly for the island.
Ed stood up and put his hand to his forehead to wipe a ocean-wind blown strand of hair from his eyes. His feet sunk deep into the sand as his toes stretched to lift himself up as high as he could go to see what he could of the boat the light was coming from.
Then, without explanation, the light started going to the right instead of getting brighter as it headed straight towards the spot on the beach Ed stood. His heart pounding, his mind racing, and his blood flowing quickly to the point he could feel the liquid of it through his veins in swelled gushes and pulsating frenzy, he started to yell at the top of his lungs.
"HERE HERE HERE HERE HERE!"
Finally finding the strength to lift his arms above his head, he did a dance he'd once seen in a car commercial as a little kid, watching old cartoons on the computer.
"HERE HERE HERE HERE! HERE I AM! I AM HERE! HERE!" Ed yelled as the large light went out and smaller lights on the boat became visible. Further and further away it went, oblivious. Ed felt the anger he'd felt when he'd come to the conclusion his father would never be the kind of father he should be. That feeling you get when love and rescue are circling your circumfrence, you see it all around you, yet... there it goes. Not for you. Not for you. Should have, but no. So close, almost. But, no.
"HERE!" Ed yelled. That last gasp of hope you get even when you already know the final outcome. "HERE HERE!"
The little boat lights were somewhat blending in with the tiny reflections on the wave tops, created from the glow of the tiny sliver of moon above.
Posted by nft at August 22, 2004 08:55 PM