Bits of life

A-4 Words-925

responsible for this unusual step on the part of the bank.

The next day being a Saturday, I thought I would relax with Ashley picnicking by the beach. I needed a break like the next man after a busy week. I called her told her of my plans. She agreed without a murmur. She said she would be happy to join me for she too was in need some diversion. We packed our luncheon of turkey sandwiches, fruits and soda, chocolate and crunchies, besides a thermos containing tea for the afternoon. I threw in a Frisbee and throw ball into the trunk, besides a latest best seller. Books were like friends to me and not a day passed for me without reading something.

We set off by nine in the morning and reached the golden beach area by ten. The surf was white as snow; the sea looked calm and glistened on the waves like diamond chips in the bright sunlight. I felt happy that no jetsam and flotsam surfaced on our beaches. The government came heavily down on those who tried to pollute it by any means. I thought the rigorous punishment decided by the government was a good measure to check the menace of littering our clean beaches and the sea waters. One of the greatest of these pollution menaces was oil spill by the passing ships or those vessels anchored at sea. The government came down with charging a heavy fine on those shipping companies to which that particular ship that emptied its oil or any other garbage into the sea. They should know that by polluting the sea, they were putting the sea life in jeopardy as well as human life. I feel proud of our vigilance department for being alert and thus being able to check any pollution completely.

In the distance we could see some anchored ships with their names flashing white in the blazing sunlight. A few people were playing ball by the beach. Their shouts muted and returned by the changing direction of a strong wind.
Ashley looked fetching in her lavender colored tank top and white shorts. The moment I had a chance, I took her in my arms and started kissing like a starved lover. She kissed me back with equal ardor. A little later, we came back to the world around us and went towards the beach hand in hand. A few wisps of clouds shadowed the sun and there was a cool breeze blowing from the south. Far off I could see the lighthouse, its tall whiteness stood stark in the bright sun. Everything looked lovely and seemed to lend meaning to life. My life was going to change soon and more dramatically than I had ever imagined. It was getting exciting and exhilarating by the day. Many things were happening simultaneously. I should admit however, that right at the moment, it was uncle John’s story that was assuming more importance than those of others, like me, Oliver or Jonathan.

Soon it was lunch time and Ashley and I shared our appetizing lunch and relaxed on the mat. After clearing away, she fell to a light nap and I got immersed in a book, named “Silence of the trees” by Valya Dudycz Lupescu, a Ukrainian author. There was a lot of interesting and fascinating material in this book. The power of memories, especially those of the central character, Nadya, was transparent and reached out to the reader effortlessly through a telling style and language. As the seventy-year- old Nadya narrated the story of her childhood, youth and old age, one listened with a fascinated affection. A whole lot of Ukrainian traditions, customs, family relations, bonds, emotions, feelings and thoughts unfolded in Nadya’s story. Her war experience, philosophy and the way she appreciated little common pleasures of everyday life came to me like a soothing rain after a parching day. In a simple language and style she showed some profound facts of life. That was why the book read like mirror reflecting truth of her time and age. It was true that the saying fact is stranger than fiction applied in full measure to this lovely book. I was so lost in its pages of pain and pleasure that I was unaware of the passing time till seagull decided to bring me back to immediate reality.

It was three in the afternoon. I got up from the light rug that we lay and strolled on the beach absorbing the silence occasionally punctured by the seagulls and the children screaming joyfully in the distance. Ashley joined me soon after that and we played Frisbee for a while. It was fun enjoying and soaking in every moment of love and happiness. We melded and matched naturally. Our marriage must have been made in heaven. She was the oxygen I breathed and the steady beat in my heart. We had our tea and snacks. We played throw- ball on the beach where a few youngsters joined us and we had great fun till it was time to leave for home.
We didn’t feel like leaving the pleasant and peaceful scenario and reenter the busy everyday schedule. But life was never one-sided. We needed to take both the likable and not so likable facets of life with equal attention.

We picked up dinner from a drive-in restaurant and started on our return journey.

I thought it was a good time for Ashley to fill me in with the rest of her therapist story, as we had plenty of