The Day the Dolphins Came

(excerpts)

Myra sat on a mat under the talisay, fanning herself. She appeared to look at the tanned, chubby boy who was sitting quietly, making no fuss as he dug the sand, so she let her mind drift as the clouds were doing that April morning.
It was a perfect day to spend at their beach house. The infinite sky was the playground of cotton clouds that played tag with each other. What little breeze there was was warm but the water--cool, deep, and green--was gently ruffled by the scanty air movements. The white sand served as the sparse boundary between the ocean and the greenery of the island. Ants, crabs, and small invertebrates could be seen scuttling between leaves of the creeping sand vines. Coconuts stood tall and willowy among the oaks and gemelinas, treacherous with their loose branches and heavy fruit. A couple of years back, Myra considered having them cut down but her husband, Mike, said the beach wouldn't be the same without them, so she let them be.
She remembers well the first time she set eyes on this island. She was with her husband-to-be though they both didn't know it at that time. They were on an island hopping trip sponsored by Creative Ink, the advertising company Mike still works for, and where she was a client. Myra had a steady boyfriend then, going on four years, and Mike was a happy bachelor. When she found out her fiancé had been cheating on her, one thing led to another and eight months later she was triumpahntly exchanging vows with Mike. They have been married for five years now. Sometimes she missed him, but she wouldn't admit it; he said, more than once, that he's had enough of a rich-kid for a wife.

--


The rain has stopped completely and the clouds were slowly making way for the sun. A faint shaft of light, which broke through the clouds, appeared like a rainbow and ended on the family of dolphins.
A pot of gold, Mike thought. Tears began to sting his eyes and silently, silently they slid down his cold cheeks.
The dolphins' bodies glistened in the feeble light, huddled as though they were cold. Or feeling sorrow. A few clicks and cries could be heard from them, but nothing else disturbed the sound of crashing waves except the child's sobs.

DMMVerdote
Sept11'03
0205a