Humans are species that we know the most about, but also the least about. Everyone goes through different experiences, none of which we truly would know about unless we experience it ourselves. Human lives pass through like a riverbank, and it is difficult to learn about everyone’s life.

The Everlasting Sea

Image by Kara Nghiem

Last summer was one I would never forget. I went to the festival, played carnival games, tanned at the beach, and ate tons of exotic foods. I made several memories last summer, and I plan to treasure them forever. However, these were not the memories that made my summer unforgettable. Whenever I close my eyes to imagine my summer, all I can picture are the glowing sunlight, my mother’s cool face, the glistening sea of green within her pupils, and the warmth of my mother’s heart . . . until it had stopped beating. In between these lines, I also remember the beams from the cold moon, my mother’s lost laughter, the blank stare of her face at her funeral, and my frigid tears. It has been 8 months since I last saw my mother.

“How are you feeling?” my therapist reluctantly asked.

“Guilty.” I stated.

“Why is that?” she replied

“I feel like everything I do connects me to my mother. I don’t understand why I think of her so much. Sometimes I feel as if I am just using her as an excuse to get out of things. I feel like I should be over this by now.”

“Sometimes it takes years to truly accept something that happens. It’s best to take it one step at a time.”

“Everytime I go to the beach, I can’t help but hear her laughter lingering as the waves crash.”

“And that’s okay. Here, everytime you go to the beach, I want you to tread the ocean waves and soak up your mother’s energy.”

Soon enough, I went back to the beach during the weekend. The sun was just barely peeking from the ocean, and the sand glittered. I allowed myself to take a deep breath, and a faint, familiar face appeared in my head. Per usual, I cried, but this time they were not tears of sorrow. They were tears of joy.

A Soulful Dream

The melodies of soul have always caught Alfred’s attention. Any passionate or harmonical tunes attracted Alfred no matter where he went. It’s been this way ever since he was a young musician. At a young age, he picked up several instruments, such as the saxophone, trumpet, trombone, piano, and banjo. Alfred, as a child prodigy, grew in an environment of poster worthy children and perfect melodies. However, he has always loved the expressive, flexible types of music. It was what he was best at. He planned on creating a career based off of this passion. Although, his peers did not seem to agree with his ideas.

“Jazz is an unreliable genre. Play pop music instead.”

“I have only ever heard my colored neighbors play that kind of music. Let’s just say that they aren’t very popular.”

Hearing these negative inputs, Alfred had been discouraged and let-down for almost his entire musical career. He even began to believe that his goal of opening a grand jazz bar was completely out-of-reach and would never be hip enough to be well-known.

As he reached the daunting age of 20, he knew that it was time to finally decide what he would like to do with his life. Alfred learned an exercise in highschool demonstrating that drawing out a plan would allow the brain to visualize great ideas. He took out a notebook and thought very hard. As his heart drew, he began to transform his blank page into a beautiful sketch of a golden restaurant, where people of all races came together in order to enjoy the beautiful tunes of jazz. People would dance and sing and ultimately have a good time. Alfred glanced at his instruments. He turned back to his notebook and decided to put his plan into action.

Several years later, he stepped into a reformed retro diner. It was now a gorgeous jazz bar that emitted warm colors everywhere. Several expressive bands played on the small stage in the middle, as several people jammed to the melodic tunes. Alfred was able to share his love for jazz to many others, all while reaching his dreams.

A Little Bit of Light

Esmerelda heard the thumping pitter-patters of the pouring rain above her. She carefully lifted her blanket and, simultaneously, cold air entered her lungs. The floorboards creaked as she tip-toed outside of her room. The walls were painted white and there was zero color inside of her home. Everytime she looked down the hallway, she was chilled.

“Not again.” she stated.

She would go to bed day after day, only waking up to the same routine over and over again. There was nothing in her life to look forward to. She opened the living room curtains, as usual. After opening the curtains, Esmerelda would usually make breakfast for herself. An egg sandwich with extra toasted bread. However, out of exhaustion of repeating the same schedule, she decided to sit in front of the window, on the window sill. Just to let time pass. The gray clouds were overcast, once again, and there was a blanket of fog covering the dead grass. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. They were closed for a long time before Esmerelda felt a strange warmth on her body. She slowly opened her eyes when she felt this peculiar sensation. Esmerelda saw the clouds opening a tiny hole, only large enough to allow a queer ray of light through. Dazed, Esmerelda stared at the gleaming light.

“What is this?”

She was not quite sure what to make of this situation, but she decided that it was a good one. She sat at the quiet window sill for a longer time, making the best of her quiet morning.

The Ruby in the Rough

This is going to take longer than I expected. My goat gracefully glided across the river as I trudged through the thick streams. There was nothing but trees surrounding me, and it was beginning to feel lonely. Finding the Rebel Ruby was not going to be a breeze. The artifact was named this way because it was stolen from Royal Security by the rebels of the throne. It was said that anyone who possessed this gem would be granted eternal wealth. If you could not tell by just me treading through a river with just a goat, I am desperate to find the Rebel Ruby. Only one other person has ever been known to find this jewel. This person died shortly after her trip. No one knows about her adventures or where the gem was hidden. Lifting myself out of the river, I followed my goat into a jungle of vines. My vision was constantly blocked, but that did not stop me from finding the ruby- wherever it was. Eventually, my goat’s ears perked up and she began to run. Sent into a panic, I ran after Daisy. The scenery around me passed by in a blur, but then everything around me stopped and just spun in circles. My vision needed a second, but once it was unclouded, there was a dainty cottage right in front of me. It was orange with golden outlines. It was so bright to the point where I had to squint my eyes. It was almost as if it had just appeared in front of me because there was no way I could have missed this building from miles away. I reluctantly opened the golden door and was greeted by a cluttered room. Soon after, I realized that there was a woman standing 7 feet away from me, as if she were expecting me. She had luscious red hair and hazel eyes. She was not smiling, but even so, she radiated beauty.

“Hi.” I said, waiting for a response.

She said not a single thing.

“Do you happen to know where the Rebel Ruby is?”

“Yes.”

“Where?”

“Oftentimes the things you seek the most are right in front of you.”

I raised my eyebrows in confusion. I looked at her shiny, red hair. Her hazel eyes had a tint of orange in the center, where the pupil was. Her skin was pale, but it still gleamed, similar to how a gem would.

“Oh.”

Switching Channels

Wake up. Watch TV. Repeat. Wake up, watch TV, repeat. My daily routine is simple and concise. I like it this way. I don’t need to think, and I don’t really need to take care of myself. The TV is just enough for me. Watching TV has always been my one and only comfort in life. There are several people I can talk to on different channels. My favorite is Gordon Ramsey on Hell’s Kitchen. We get into fights a lot though since he is constantly screaming. I also like talking to Adrian Agreste from Miraculous Ladybug whenever it’s streaming on the Disney Channel. Nothing has ever been there for me more than this large flat screen. I love him, and I’m sure he loves me as well. I honestly feel as if people are way too complicated. Screaming, fighting, talking. Hitting, punching, kicking. That’s just a lot of work, when in reality, all you really need in your life is a working TV. My TV would never hurt me the way other humans would. My TV provides me with everything that I would ever need. Plus, I never have to worry about bruises and cuts with my TV. I love him, and he loves me.