My soul was dry and my heart a wisp. I
was on empty, craving refilling. The wind, waves, and water were very healing. The sun warmed my bones and cooked my brains. The quiet was bliss, away from the drone,
where I could soothe my jagged emotions and where the great mother sea and
earth held me in grand orchestration.
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| Seals sunning themselves. |
Days pass. My lips are swollen from the sun. I swim. I find an oyster for my supper. Wildlife visit me at night, a family of otters and then a deer came right to me where I lay trying to sleep. During the day the steady rhythm of paddling takes hold
of me absorbing me into a trance-like peace. I paddle companionably by seals sunning themselves. My eyes drink in the shapely Arbutus and
Gary Oak as I pass small islands and watch the shore with curiosity. It was
a whole new experience to see the wildness of where I lived from this
perspective. I was entranced. A dank bay offered me silty reprieve from the
surf and gave me pause to take stock of the supplies, a very odd assortment of food and limited water. Clicking my tongue in
alarm, I chastised myself for giving my power over to my friend who assured me
there was ample. I would have to restock. I would try and make contact with my
daughter, probably from Ganges . One day melted into the next. My
arms gained muscle tone and my mind relaxed more deeply than it had in recent
memory. I settled into the glaring sun, negotiating the surf taking my time
around the bays and inlets, cursing my inadequate eye wear.
I found myself heading down Ganges Harbour Ganges assailed me,
an insult to the senses. The streets teamed with summer tourists and the heat
came off the pavement in waves. Normally, 12,000 people live on the island, but
in the summer, the town swells with visitors. I located my daughter working at
her summer job. She agreed to meet me later, with the food that I needed at a
nearby beach. I waited. She greeted me with pizza and supplies and we fell into
each others arms. Restocked with hugs and food, and reassured all was well with her, I launched once again.
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| I wait for my daughter at Churchill Beach in Ganges Harbour. |