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It wasn’t supposed to be that complicated right? Growing up, chasing the bag, getting it, falling in love, and getting married to be in it forever not halfway. But what happens when it turns out to be the opposite? Not the growing up part but the getting the bag part and falling in love, sighing deeply, Rita looked at the sky as she felt the wave of the sea sinking into her skin.
Cleaning off her teary eyes, she stares ahead to see some boat far away moving against the tide of the sea and succeeding at every attempt the tide brings in.
Smiling at the night which had just set in, she palmed her face with her palms while holding on to her new black sandals which complimented her sunny black and white dotted dress even when it isn’t sunny anymore, and then her brown backpack which contained food and drinks she had almost finished since she arrived at the sea before the sun rose.
She walked around the sea with her legs sinking deep into the sand and her eyes illuminating the color of the sea as the moon guided her path, the giggling of some children was heard as they held onto their parents and she smiled more, how she wished life was that fair to her.
Rita never had the best family, her parents got divorced before she could even graduate high school and that shattered her world, she had looked up to them and imagined herself getting married in years to come but when they divorced, it shattered every dream she has, turning her into an ambitious less soul. Her dreams of becoming a great mother, wife, and friend to the family she will cater to went running down the drain.
It saddens her and hurts her so badly she made a promise to herself to never get married but instead work hard to get rich so that she could adopt a kid or two and live her life loving and caring for them.
But who doesn’t like things good? They are times she has doubts and wished she never made that promise but then the divorce rate in the world reminded her the word love is just a mere fantasy that can never be fulfilled forever, it may work out now, and in some years it still may stand but they will come a time it will come crashing down and never does she want to bring a child into the world to make him or her go through the pain she felt when her parents divorced. No child deserves to go through that pain and she couldn’t bare to let herself be hurt again hence the promise made.
Love is kind, caring, and patient and she understands that, which is why she made it a tradition to visit the sea every 23rd of June to cry out the pain she felt when her parent divorced, she was 10 years old when they did though now 28, she still cried like she had that day.
She had never missed this day, anyone who knew her would think it was a family tradition and it is in some ways only that she was the only family who got the pain in multiple folds when her parents divorced leaving her to stay with her mom and then go to her dad's other times which did play with her sanity.
Her mother had married her business while her dad was all around every young maiden who is ready to be his and their lifestyle disgusts her which prompted her into leaving home after college to stay alone which was okay by them and she finished college, attended a university and now working in a restaurant as a chef.
Her life has been good so far, not that good as she has to pay up for house rent, transport fare, and all the bills that come with adult life using the money her parent gave her for charity and living her life with no connection to them which not surprisingly they didn’t care for, it was like they don’t remember having a kid on earth.
She has to admit it hurts staying off her parents still she was thankful she was off their air.
It also hurts that she will never feel that love and affection from a strange man who would love her unconditionally like prince charming, as she would care and love him unconditionally and care for their offspring, but then again, she’s grateful she made the decision and nothing and absolutely nothing is going to drive her off that path.
Stopping in her step, she turned and face the sky, no one can have it all, one needs to sacrifice one thing for the other and she had made her sacrifice and though it hurts sometimes, she is happy and working toward saving up and having her own house and restaurants before embarking on the journey toward adopting a kid and then she knows she will get this one right, being 28 isn’t going to stop her from achieving her dreams and unlike the one she has years back of getting married, this one will work out, it will because she will continue working toward it and living the best of her life while at it.
A new light surged within her soul and she felt her heart somersault a million times in happiness. Smiling deeply in gratitude, she ran giggling freely as the air wheezed behind her.
Stopping herself from running further, she heaved out and unzip her bag to bring out water as she turned around toward home, a place she feels welcome and loved by her bed and dog Danny.