Keep Talking: #81 The Thing About It Is

Keep Talking: #81 The Thing About It Is: Essie is about 4 standing on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. The brink, the edge and her toes are sinking into the sand and the water splas...

#81 The Thing About It Is

Essie is about 4 standing at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. The brink, the edge and her toes are sinking into the sand and the water splashes over her feet and she has a terrible feeling that she is sinking deeper but really her feet are making more of an impression. She is wearing what can only be described as a salmony pink and white horizontal pin-stripe tank suit which feels like it is a wool blend because it is scratchy. It must have been a hand-me-down from a friend who purchased the odd blend at Macy’s (and quickly discovered its intrinsic impracticality, therefore discarded it immediately) or it was pulled out of a drawer from the Paramus NJ Alexander’s- the one with the massive tile sky streaked with lots of cobalt blue and red screeching across the white façade.

The wave, which was probably no taller than mid-calf, took her down and for the first time ever she discovered that wet sand on wet legs cannot be easily brushed off. It sticks and feels like unwanted wool stockings. She falls on the sand and cries embarrassed, helpless and very uncomfortably lifts herself up and wipes the mess off her legs. Sea foam turns into quicksand sinking her little feet deeper and sending her deeper into hysterics. 

Silly tears!

The tears turn to laughter and she is suddenly taller and all grown up. The beach is gone, replaced by a steering wheel and she is driving upstate past farms and eighteen-wheelers. The music is on the radio and it is chattering away. Gradually, her car lifts up and floats toward the clouds. It is a beautiful day and she has a great view from the air. She isn’t sure where she is headed next, but there isn’t anything she can do about it but wait and see.