Joan of (Sh)ark

The wilted paperback book was on it’s last leg. Gabriella held it tightly to her chest. Her older brother, Javier gently placed the palm of his hand on Gabbi’s back. “It won’t be much longer.” Gabriella glanced down at the line of visitors. She whispered to her brother. “Great white sharks are the largest predatory fish on Earth.”

Javier nodded. “You’ve told me.”

“Great whites are known for their strong tails and torpedo-like shape, which propels them through the water.” Gabbi felt the edges of the book cover press into the sensitive flesh behind her knuckles. “They have a maximum speed of 35 miles per hour.”

“I wish this line was goin’ 35 miles per hour,” Javi mumbled. He looked down at Gabbi. He detected a hint of happiness. He gently elbowed Gabbi and said “I think we’re in the wrong line. This is the snail line, not the shark line!” Gabbi giggled and looked down at the ground as she loosened her grip on the book. She noticed a weed growing from a crack in the concrete between her feet, which reminded her of seaweed. She rocked her body back and forth imagining herself in a kelp forest. She let go of the book, it floated above her. A sea turtle snatched the book up into its beak-like mouth. It ripped page thirty-four out and gobbled it down.

“You dropped your book,” Javi said. “Today is not the day to lose your special book. Mom’ll freak.”

“Sharks have something called an ear-stone, which responds to gravity and helps the shark know where they are in the water.”

“Just please don’t drop the book.”

A loud voice yelled, “Next!”

“Finally,” said Javi. He put his palm on Gabbi’s back and led her toward the ticket-taker.

“Two for the great white exhibit.” The man printed out tickets as he eyed Gabbi’s hat.

“Cool shark hat. Think she’ll notice it?” He pointed to the poster of the great white and smiled warmly.

Gabbi’s hat was a knitted version of a shark complete with several triangular teeth that wrapped around the crown of her head. Her hazelnut curls cascaded out of the shark’s mouth. Her mom made this hat for her. Gabbi wore it everyday.

When the ticket-taker realized Gabbi wasn’t going to respond, he kept talking. “You made it just in time. Exhibit is ending tomorrow. White shark is goin’ back to the ocean.”

“Is that why it’s so busy?” Javi asked.

“The most visitors we’ve had all month. They come to bid farewell to Joan.`` He handed Gabbi a great white sticker. ‘Joan of (Sh)ark’ was written on it in a gothic font. “What’s that book ya got there?” he asked, examining the paperback Gabbi was practically strangling. He adjusted his glasses. The cover of this book showed a shadowy figure, slinking through the dark blue. The man switched his gaze to Gabbi’s face. “You’re gonna love this exhibit.”

He waved them into the aquarium.

Javi mumbled to himself, “Busiest day of the month. I wish mom came. Dad’s gonna be no help.” Gabbi looked up at him. “I mean, Dad’s great. He just doesn’t know...much about you.” Gabbi squeezed her book and rocked her body back and forth wishing she really was seaweed. Javi took a knee beside her and spoke clearly. “I know this is only the third time you’ve met him, but I’m gonna stay with you the whole time. AND we get to see the GREATEST animal on Earth!”

Javi put his hand on Gabbi’s back and led her through the horde of shark enthusiasts wearing shark hats, shark t-shirts; some store-bought, some homemade. One man donned a full shark costume. Gabbi looked around with wide-eyes as she shimmied her way through the school of weirdos. Her brother whispered, “I guess should have borrowed some of your shark swag.”

They followed the signs to Joan, hung a left at the seahorses and a right at the local rivers exhibit which was hauntingly empty. “Dad said he was gonna meet us there.”

This comment stopped Gabbi in her tracks. She didn’t want to share her special moment with a stranger. “White sharks do not care for their offspring. They must fend for themselves.” Javier tried to get Gabbi moving. She continued pleading with Javi as best as she could. “A newborn pup’s instincts instructs them to swim away from their progenitor, because it is likely that the adult will consume their young, if given the chance.”

Javi bent down and looked right into his sister’s eyes. “I know you’re nervous, so am I. I know you don’t trust him, neither do I...yet. But we gotta give him a chance.”

Gabbi started walking heavily and spoke with some fuel in her voice, “Some sharks eat their siblings in the womb if they need extra nutrients.”

Javi walked clumsily as he laughed. “You been savin’ that one, haven’t you?”

They turned the corner to find a tank of monstrous proportions. Several smaller sharks and rays swam in large oval-like patterns as if they were incapable of straying from their path. Other fish swam in schools and occasionally a rogue fish would dart in and out of the preordained pathways. Joan was nowhere to be seen.

Javi led Gabbi closer to the exhibit. The sound of human chatter floated freely around the room and bounced off the thick glass. Gabbi would normally not enjoy being around so many people, but she was determined to meet Joan.

They finally got to the front and waited. The immense tank looked like a miniature ocean. It was difficult to tell where the water stopped and the walls began. Gabbi felt a tinge of excitement and nervousness in her chest as her eyes scanned the tank looking for Joan of (Sh)ark.

Then as if it had been her curtain call, she arrived; snaking her way out of the darkness. There was an audible gasp among the chatter. Joan crept her way stealthily between the schools. She was smaller than Gabbi imagined. She had a curved scar on her back that indicated a past battle with a larger great white.

Gabbi was feeling delighted and morose at the same time. She could tell her brother was waiting for a reaction, but she never seemed to have the right words to convey how she felt. This moment was no exception, so she settled for another fact.

“Great whites don't do well in captivity. They usually die.”

Javi looked up at the shark solemnly. “But Joan looks like a survivor.”

Gabbi nodded her head. “Sharks have been around for 450 million years.”

Joan hooked a slow left and took a path that led right towards them. Gabbi took her right hand off of the book and put it on the cold glass. She imagined herself swimming alongside Joan. Suddenly the glass felt like a squishy bubble. She pushed it and it rippled. She pushed harder and her hand broke through the jello-like barrier. Gabbi dropped her book, took a deep breath and pushed her way into the mini seascape.

She became the rogue fish that zig zags between the schools. The tuna encircled her and the rays swam in a figure eight below her feet. They all rose to the top as Joan joined her in the middle of the formation. Gabbi held Joan’s fins as they spun around. For their big finale, they both breached out of the water. Gabbi let the weight of her body pull her down. She heard a familiar voice behind her as she sunk to the bottom.

“Gabriella. It’s Daddy.” Gabbi woke from her daydream and quickly took her hand off of the solid glass. Her father put his arms out preparing for a hug.

Javi whispered, “Give her some time.”

Their dad put his hands back in his pockets. “Sorry.” He took a tiny step closer to Gabbi who had yet to turn toward him. “I got you this.” He held out a bag, but Gabbi kept her gaze on Joan.

Javi reached out and pulled a shark stuffed animal out of the bag. “Isn’t that nice Gabbi?”

“Despite the fact that the great white has 300 sharp teeth, they do not chew their food. They rip their prey into pieces and then swallow those pieces whole.” She sensed her father’s uneasiness and continued. “A bite from a shark can exert about 40,000 pounds per square inch of pressure.”

“Okay, Gabbi.” Javi stepped in. “Why don’t you get a closer look?” Gabbi walked up to the tank and pressed her face against it.

“She doesn’t like me,” their dad said.

“Can you blame her?”

“No.” He looked down at his feet pensively. “Maybe I should just go. I think she can sense my fear.”

Javi sighed. “You can’t give up that easily. She’s warming up.”

“You call that warming up?”

“Normally, she doesn’t say a word to strangers, but she talked to you. It’s not perfect, but it’s progress.”

“I didn’t realize...”

“There’s a lot you didn’t realize. If you want her to like you, you gotta find a way to gain her trust. Sometimes carefully placing your palm on her back helps her to stay calm. Also, she likes jokes. When she laughs it lightens her mood.”

“I don’t know any jokes.”

Suddenly Gabbi grabbed Javier by his sleeve and stuttered “It is estimated that 100 million sharks a year are killed to make shark fin soup.”

“Oh no. Where’s your book?” Javi started searching the ground.

“What’s happening?” their dad asked.

“Gabbi has this book about sharks that she carries with her everywhere. It calms her down and helps her avoid meltdowns.”

“How can I help?”

Javi stood up and looked his father directly in the eyes. “You’re going to sit with Gabbi on the bench while I quickly run to the gift shop to see if they have a copy of that book. Can you handle this?”

His dad hesitantly bobbed his head yes.

Javi led them to the bench, his right palm on Gabbi’s back, his left palm on his dad’s. “I’ll be right back.” He darted through the crowd.

Gabbi was holding an imaginary book, but it was not helping. She pretended like she was seaweed, but that didn’t work either.

“It’s gonna be okay.” Her dad tried placing his palm on her back and she flinched.

She started rapidly firing off facts. “There are some habitats where the great white population has fallen by 70%. They’re considered a vulnerable species.”

“Maybe a shark joke would be good…”

“The white shark is publicly feared and at one point in history, mercilessly hunted. They are vilified for doing what comes natural to them. They’re the most misunderstood animal.”

“They do seem misunderstood,” her dad agreed. “There are a lot of people out there who’ll dismiss Joan and won’t even try to understand her,” he slid an inch closer to Gabbi, “but there are others who will try to understand.”

Just then the man in the shark costume walked by and her dad looked him up and down. “Excuse me, Sir,” he said. “Could I ask you for a huge favor?”

Javier had no luck at the gift shop. He bought three replacement books that he thought she might tolerate. He walked swiftly. He pulled out his phone and muttered to himself, “I’d better call mom. She’s gonna…” Javi stopped short and took in the scene that was unfolding in front of him.

Gabbi was sitting on the bench calmly hugging her shark stuffed animal. Her dad sat next to her wearing a shark costume with his fin on her back. They both sat silently and watched Joan rule the waters of the mini-seascape. Javi put his phone away. He stood behind the bench and watched Joan, too. She swam smoothly through the water, being nothing more and nothing less than what she was, revealing what it means to be great.