"Lila, come on! It's fun!"
Lila sat resolutely on the sand
"I don't want to." she said trying to smile.
The waves reached the shore, and lapped at her feet.
Katie sighed. Lila could be really impossible.
"Come on. You deserve to be having fun with us, instead of brooding by yourself over here."
"I don't feel like it, Katie. You go ahead." Lila answered quietly. Katie guessed what was on her mind. She saw the effort Lila was putting into the smile.
The other girls screamed in joy as the waves went over them. They hollered again for Katie and Lila to join them.
"I'll be there, in a minute!" called out Katie. She turned to Lila, who was lost in her reveries again.
She sat down next to Lila, and for a while there was a silence except for the crashing of the waves, and the faraway sounds of laughter.
"How long do you want to be like this?" Katie said, finally breaking the silence.
"You go have fun, please Katie. I don't want to ruin to your day. I'm just a little tired today, I suppose." said Lila manufacturing a smile.
"You were tired yesterday as well, which was you didn't come for May's birthday...you were tired day before and didn't come with us for the film. How long do you want to remain tired?" Katie said gently.
"I don't know...I just don't feel like doing anything anymore." Lila said swallowing hard.
The waves crashed against the shore and tickled the feet.
Katie stayed silent.
"I know that. Makes sense to lose sense of yourself after a bad phase."
"Katie please."
"I am not used to seeing you like this. Where is that optimism and strong faith you always held on to?"
Lila didn't say anything.
A breeze blew gently.
Just then a big wave came and drenched them both. Lila got up and sputtered, as there was salt water in her eyes. Katie couldn't help in doubling up in laughter.
Lila couldn't help it, she laughed too.
It felt so wonderful to laugh again. Had she forgotten to laugh? How could she, with such a wonderful friend beside her, who was spending every day trying to cheer her up in different ways? The best part was that there was no compulsion to laugh this time. There was so much joy in the little things. She wanted to tell Katie what her friendship meant to her. She looked around at Katie, and tried to speak. Then she realized she didn't have to. She knew her expression said it all.
There was that safe feeling of love and security again which had vanished in the gloom of the recent events. The world which had looked so dark and morbid before, suddenly seemed radiant and beautiful, like a rose slipping out of a sheath.
Lila walked towards the water, enjoying the cool water beneath her feet. She picked up a brightly coloured seashell and threw it to Katie, to catch. "That will complete the anklet you were making!" she said cheerily.
The wind blew her hair on her face, and she didn't bother arranging it. She suddenly picked up speed and rushed in, almost tripping and falling.
"Katie! Join me!" She shouted back to Katie who was watching amused.
"You're a real baffling child, you know that right?" Katie said laughing. She ran in as well. She almost fell, and Lila held her hand so she wouldn't fall.
"I think the waves will knock us both down together." Lila said as she saw a big wave coming.
Katie smiled.
"Let the waves try. We'll be standing again, anyway."
Lila sat resolutely on the sand
"I don't want to." she said trying to smile.
The waves reached the shore, and lapped at her feet.
Katie sighed. Lila could be really impossible.
"Come on. You deserve to be having fun with us, instead of brooding by yourself over here."
"I don't feel like it, Katie. You go ahead." Lila answered quietly. Katie guessed what was on her mind. She saw the effort Lila was putting into the smile.
The other girls screamed in joy as the waves went over them. They hollered again for Katie and Lila to join them.
"I'll be there, in a minute!" called out Katie. She turned to Lila, who was lost in her reveries again.
She sat down next to Lila, and for a while there was a silence except for the crashing of the waves, and the faraway sounds of laughter.
"How long do you want to be like this?" Katie said, finally breaking the silence.
"You go have fun, please Katie. I don't want to ruin to your day. I'm just a little tired today, I suppose." said Lila manufacturing a smile.
"You were tired yesterday as well, which was you didn't come for May's birthday...you were tired day before and didn't come with us for the film. How long do you want to remain tired?" Katie said gently.
"I don't know...I just don't feel like doing anything anymore." Lila said swallowing hard.
The waves crashed against the shore and tickled the feet.
Katie stayed silent.
"I know that. Makes sense to lose sense of yourself after a bad phase."
"Katie please."
"I am not used to seeing you like this. Where is that optimism and strong faith you always held on to?"
Lila didn't say anything.
A breeze blew gently.
Just then a big wave came and drenched them both. Lila got up and sputtered, as there was salt water in her eyes. Katie couldn't help in doubling up in laughter.
Lila couldn't help it, she laughed too.
It felt so wonderful to laugh again. Had she forgotten to laugh? How could she, with such a wonderful friend beside her, who was spending every day trying to cheer her up in different ways? The best part was that there was no compulsion to laugh this time. There was so much joy in the little things. She wanted to tell Katie what her friendship meant to her. She looked around at Katie, and tried to speak. Then she realized she didn't have to. She knew her expression said it all.
There was that safe feeling of love and security again which had vanished in the gloom of the recent events. The world which had looked so dark and morbid before, suddenly seemed radiant and beautiful, like a rose slipping out of a sheath.
Lila walked towards the water, enjoying the cool water beneath her feet. She picked up a brightly coloured seashell and threw it to Katie, to catch. "That will complete the anklet you were making!" she said cheerily.
The wind blew her hair on her face, and she didn't bother arranging it. She suddenly picked up speed and rushed in, almost tripping and falling.
"Katie! Join me!" She shouted back to Katie who was watching amused.
"You're a real baffling child, you know that right?" Katie said laughing. She ran in as well. She almost fell, and Lila held her hand so she wouldn't fall.
"I think the waves will knock us both down together." Lila said as she saw a big wave coming.
Katie smiled.
"Let the waves try. We'll be standing again, anyway."
No comments:
Post a Comment