Trip to the Beach

‘A Trip to the Beach’

By: Meko Kaprelian

The sun was warm, and the wind whipped up just enough to make it difficult to hear the ocean waves cresting onto the sandy shoreline. All though it was winter in Southern California, it still was a beautiful day to be at the beach. Only a few souls littered the tan strip of sand that was situated between a row of magnificent homes and the sapphire Pacific Ocean. A man fishing from the shore could faintly be seen as What looked like a young family entered the beach along a walkway that was guarded by a high wall covered in beautiful murals of random street art and graffiti. When the man and woman verified the coast was clear they untethered their white Labrador retriever and released hands with the young boy encouraging him to follow the dog down to the small breaking waves in the ocean.

“What do you want to do?” the man asked. “It makes me so sad”, replied the woman.

“I know it’s sad, but we can’t keep doing this”, taking the woman’s hand, “We have to be all in or nothing I’m afraid”.

“I didn’t plan on raising a kid again.”

“Be careful what you wish for, remember you dreamed of having a blue-eyed little boy.

when we first married”

“I know, but not like this, I don’t know if I can do it full time anymore, it’s a lot of work,

I’ll need your help”.

“I said from the beginning that I figured we’d end up like this and I’m prepared to do this, and more than capable of it.”

“Take my hand, take my hand” the little boy yells running towards the man with the crazy wet dog jumping jubilantly around the boy as if it were his first-time experiencing the water. The man and boy hand-in-hand race towards the water to play chicken with the waves, as the woman chases after the dog down the wet strip of sand towards a rip-rap wall of boulders. The man and woman switch activities, only to be broken up by a woman passing by with her dog; to which they enlist her to take their photo while posing on a long piece of drift-wood. Their white dog is excited and wants to follow the woman and her dog, but the man holds a steady grip on their rowdy four-legged companion.

“I meant what I said” the man resuming their conversation. “I just want to know what

you want to do.”

“It breaks my heart to see this happening to him”

“It breaks mine too, I love him, but I love you too, and your health and happiness

is what’s most important”.

“I know, I know, but I feel so guilty”

“If you want to do this, I’ll support you, but I just want to know it’s what you

absolutely want to do”.

“I think it is”.

“Then that’s what we’re going to do and like I said all along I thought we’d have him”

The man fishing had slowly been moving his way down the beach to where the young family had been playing only to catch the playful eye of the big white dog, who with tail wagging, ran to the fisherman to enquire. “Hey”, “Come”, “Here” could faintly be heard from the man as the ocean waves and wind drowned out his long-distance yells. Once the dog was satisfied, he returned to the couple and the young boy.

“Watching them run makes me feel happy and this is therapy for me” The woman’s eyes

filled with joy.

“Yes, they are best buddies, and he loves that dog”

“I want to try; we write the letter, so it can be read while we are away on our trip”

“Then that’s what we’ll do”

“We’ll try it the nice way at first, but if that doesn’t work, then we’ll report it”

“I agree, this is your call and I’ll do what you think is best, but we need to do something”

“I’m hungry”, “I want to go home” the little boy now content with his late morning excursion, and with tired eyes and sandy wet clothes cry’s out to the couple.

“Are you ready”

“Yes, the dog needs water, he’s been biting and waves, and needs a bath”

“First I want to take a picture along the murals”

“Of course you do, you love pictures”

“Take my picture next to this one” “Come here” she yells to the boy, “Take our picture

now”

“1-2-3”

“Did you get it”

“Yes”,

“Let me see, ok that looks good”

“Always the photo Nazi”

The young couple gather their belongings that they scattered around the beach and just as they entered along the mural covered wall-path with a now tired toddler and dog they slowly faded down the sand dusted walk-way and from the beach.