Chapter Text
The salty air of the ocean whipped at my face as I walked down the beach, enjoying the way my bare feet sunk into the soft damp sand. It was quiet, the sun had barely risen and there was no one around. The only living things around were the seagulls swooping above me. It was as if the beach belonged to me.
In a way it felt like it. I had found this little hidden patch of the beach a couple years ago. It was a little hard to get to and not the prettiest which meant that other summer residents had yet to discover it or simply ignored it for the much prettier beaches nearby.
It was the first day of my summer vacation. Grandma didn’t really like me walking around on my own due to my heart condition so I had taken to sneaking out as early as I could so I could enjoy the quiet of the beach on my own.
I frowned as I heard the distant sounds of someone crying. I sighed, displeased that someone else had discovered that beach and that I wasn’t alone after all. I was about the turn and walk home when I heard the cry again. Whoever, they were they sounded like they were in distress and it tugged at my heart strings so I walked towards the sound instead.
“Are you alright?” I asked in concern as I approached the sobbing boy. As I drew closer, I stopped in my tracks. He wasn’t a boy not really. He had a beautiful shimmering tail with scales in shades of turquoise blue and pink. He was lying down on his side facing away from me, with his shoulders shaking from the strength of his sobs.
When he heard my voice, he stiffened immediately. “Go away. Don’t come any closer.” he said fiercely.
“Are you alright? Do you need some help?” I repeated as I ignored his pointed request. He turned to face me with a glare. “No, I don’t need your help.”
I was taken aback as I finally saw his face for the first time. He had blue scales around his face and neck that seemed to shine like diamonds under the early morning sun but I could see that something was wrong. He looked close to death with his face pale and his lips dry. “You need help! You look like you’re dying.” I exclaimed as I observed him. “No, I don’t. Just go and leave me alone.” he said sullenly.
I studied him for a moment. “Are you dehydrated?” I asked as I looked at him thoughtfully. “No.” he said, his voice was rough and hoarse as if he hadn’t had a drop of water in months. Yup, definitely dehydrated. I opened my pack to fish out a water bottle. He watched me warily as I unscrewed the cap.
“Erm, do you drink freshwater?” I asked as the thought occurred to me. He gave me a look as if to imply I was an idiot causing me to purse my lips in annoyance. Here I was trying to help him and he was giving me dirty looks. I should leave him behind but grandma would never approve of me leaving someone in need and besides, I didn’t know why but I felt drawn to him.
I chugged as much of the water down as possible before walking to the ocean to pour out the rest and refill it. When I returned, I floundered around him as I wondered what I should do with the seawater.
“Give me that.” he said rolling his eyes as he snatched it out of my hands, I watched slightly miffed by his rudeness as he poured it over himself. The effect was instantaneous as the colour returned to his skin and his lips became plump and moist again.
“You’re a mermaid!” I blurted out. The mermaid put the emptied water bottle down on the sand and scowled up at me. “I’m not a mermaid. I’m a Lemurian.” he said as he crossed his arms to glare at me.
“Sorry, I didn’t know there was a difference.” I apologised sheepishly. “That’s because you’re a human and humans are stupid.” he scoffed, causing me to narrow my eyes in annoyance.
“Humph, I’m not the one lying on the beach crying!” I retorted, the Lemurian’s cheeks and ears turned red and he looked away from me.
“I wasn’t crying! Some sand got in my eye.” he muttered under his breath. “Yeah right. You were crying. I heard you from miles away!” I said.
He suddenly grew pale again and looked frightened. “You heard me from that far away? Did anyone else hear me?”
I cocked my head in confusion at his sudden anxiety. “Huh? No, it’s just me. I like walking on the beach alone and no one ever comes here.”
“Okay, keep walking then.” he said dismissively, relaxing slightly at my response.
“You’re very rude! Are all Lemurians this rude?” I asked with a frown.
“Are all humans this annoying? Leave me alone.” he retorted. I ignored his words and watched as he struggled to pull himself back into the ocean.
“How did you get this far from the ocean?” I asked. “It’s none of your business.” he replied sharply as he attempted to drag himself with his hands slowly. I noticed a bit of red on his hands which looked raw as if he had scraped them against the rough sand in his efforts to get back to the ocean. Blood. He was bleeding from shallow cuts in his hands.
“You’re bleeding!” I exclaimed in concern. “So what if I am? I need to get back.” he mumbled as he continued to move himself as a snail pace. “Grandma says that when you bleed, you need to be treated.” I said as I approached him.
“Don’t touch me!” he snarled and I put my hands up in surrender and approached him slowly. “I just want to help. I’m not going to hurt you.” I said as I walked towards him. Eventually he seemed to realise that I wasn’t going to give up and he wouldn’t be able to get away from me quickly enough so he sighed and lifted his hands for me to inspect.
I took the water bottle that he discarded on the sand and refilled it before pouring it on his hands to wash the sand away. He hissed in pain as the saltwater seeped into his wounds and I gave him an apologetic look.
Then I tried my best to bandage the shallow cuts with some seashell themed plasters. “There! All better.” I said proudly as the boy pulled his hand back to inspect it.
“What is this?” he murmured as he studied the plasters. “They’re plasters! They help stop you from bleeding too much.” I replied.
“Uh, thanks. I guess.” the merman said once he was done looking at it. “What’s your name?” I asked when I realised that I didn’t know his name.
“Why do you need to know?” he asked suspiciously. “Grandma, said to always introduce yourself when you meet new people.” I said with a shrug.
“Rafayel.” he mumbled finally. “Nice to meet you Rafayel.” I said as I sat on the sand next to him and held out a hand.
“What is this?” he asked crossing his arms as he looked at me puzzled. “It’s a handshake. It’s a polite thing people do.” I explained as I took his hand to shake it. He looked even more confused but allowed me to shake his hand.
Up close, I could see how cute he was. He had eyes that could take your breath away. A mesmerising mix of blueish-pink. I couldn’t help but squeeze his face with one hand.
His eyes widened as surprise as he blushed. “Do that again and I’ll spit bubbles at you.” he said as he leaned away from me, rubbing his face as he did.
“Sorry, you’re just really cute.” I said with a grin. “I’m not cute.” he scoffed but I could see his ears turn even more red.
“So why are you out here instead of back in the ocean?” I asked and he looked embarrassed as he looked down.
“I got bored of Lemuria, I wanted to see what the surface was like. But it was just as boring and I was tired from the journey so I fell asleep and when I woke up I was stranded.” he mumbled.
“Lemuria? It’s real?” I asked stupidly.
“Of course, it’s real! Where else did you think I came from?” he said irritably. I gave him a sheepish smile as I realised I asked a very dumb question. “I read about it in books. I used to dream about visiting it. It sounds beautiful.” I said wistfully, he seemed to perk up at that.
“Lemuria, is the most gorgeous place in the world. It’s filled amazing technology, art and culture that you humans could never even dream of. It’s a magnificent city with built with white marble that gleams under the sun. And the crown jewel of it all is the palace with grand columns and intricate blue and gold detailing. Colourful fishes and jellyfish swim past the columns.” he said proudly.
“It sounds amazing!” I said entranced by his description. He seemed pleased by my reaction. “Maybe, I could bring you to see it one day.” he offered.
“That would be amazing!” I said excitedly before I realised something. “But, I can’t breathe underwater.”
“Oh, that. It’s okay. A kiss from a Lemurian can grant humans the ability to breathe underwater for an hour.” he said offhandedly before he noticed the way my cheeks had turned red. “A kiss?” I said as I touched my fingers to my lips.
“Uh- yeah.” he said just as flustered before he cleared his throat. “But it doesn’t matter if I can’t get back.” he said as he looked to the ocean longingly.
“It’s okay, I’ll just help you get back.” I said as I got to my feet, brushing the sand off my dress. “How are you going to do that?” he asked as he eyed my skinny frame skeptically.
“I’m stronger than I look!” I said defensively but he was right. He was at least my size or bigger and with his tail, this could be difficult.
“Oh I know! I have an old wagon at home. I could put you in it and wheel you back to the sea.” I said as I turned to run home.
“Wait! Don’t leave me here.” he said suddenly scared again.
“Why not?” I asked in confusion. “Humans. Not all of them are nice like you.” he muttered as his eyes darted around nervously.
“What do you mean?” I asked a little offended. He rolled his eyes at me as if I was being naive. “Why do you think Lemurians prefer to be hidden? Humans, hunt us. They take us and do horrible things. Don’t leave me here alone, please.”
“But if I don’t go and get the wagon, I wouldn’t be able to help you get back. Don’t worry, nobody ever comes here.” I said as I turned to leave again. To my surprise, he grabs my hand and holds it tightly. I turned to see him giving me a pitiful expression and I hesitated as I tried to think of a solution.
“I know!” I said as I attempted to pull my hand back down I could reach into my pack. It was a little difficult as Rafayel’s grip was surprisingly strong for someone who was close to death just minutes again but eventually he relented and I was able to put my pack down on the sand to dig into it. I pulled out a picnic mat and laid it on Rafayel over his tail.
“There! If anyone sees you, they won’t know you’re a Lemurian.” I said proudly as Rafayel picks at the picnic mat gingerly. “Purple and pink? Really?” he said wrinkling his nose at the design.
“Would you rather get kidnapped by humans?” I asked irritably as I reached for the picnic mat. “No! It’s fine. I’ll just lie here I guess.” he said his shoulder slumping.
“Okay, I’m going to go get the wagon.” I said as I got up again. “Just be quick, please.” he said reluctantly his eyes meeting mine. I was taken aback by his beauty and my breath caught in my throat. He gave me a curious look and I averted my eyes embarrassed by my reaction.
“I’ll be back before you know it.” I said reassuringly before turning to leave again. The house wasn’t too far away but I was slightly winded as I ran home. I held my breath as I opened the door, praying that grandma wasn’t up yet. Much to my relief, it was still early enough and I was able to grab the wagon and make it back without any further incidents.
“What took you so long?” Rafayel whined as he crossed his arms with the picnic mat still covering his tail. I was huffing slightly out of breath from running back and forth while dragging the wagon with me. “Hey, I went as fast as I could.” I panted as I gave him an annoyed look. This guy, seriously. He was so demanding even though he initially kept insisting that he didn’t need any help.
“Did anyone follow you? I thought you left me behind.” Rafayel said nervously as his eyes darted around behind me. I let out of breath and calmed myself down when I realised the reason behind his testiness and impatience. He seemed really petrified at the thought of being kidnapped by a human.
“No one followed me. Don’t worry.” I said soothingly. He seemed relieved at this as he looked slightly more relaxed. I didn’t realised how tense he was. I walked closer to him with the wagon in tow as I wondered how I was going to get him in.
“Can you lift yourself into it?” I asked him, he seemed to be wondering the same thing as he contemplated the wagon.
“I can try.” he said after a while. It was a struggle trying to keep the wagon still while pulling the merman into the wagon but eventually we managed it and he landed in the wagon with an oof.
“Comfy?” I teased as I looked down at him. It was a rather comical sight, seeing the teenaged looking merman in my small childhood wagon with his long tail hanging over the end. “Ha ha, laugh it up.” he grumbled, crossing his arms and glaring at me.
“Okay, let’s get you back in the ocean.” I said unable to hide my amused smile anymore as I dragged the wagon to the ocean. The cold saltwater lapping at my feet was a comforting feeling as I walked as far as I could without wetting my cotton summer dress.
Rafayel immediately pulled himself off the wagon and into the water the moment we were deep enough. I expected him to swim off immediately but to my surprise, his head of purple locks resurfaced after a while as he swam towards me.
“Thank you.” he said as he held out one hand. I was confused for a moment until, I realised he was holding it out for a handshake. I couldn’t help but laugh at his accidental formality.
“What’s so funny?” he asked as his brows furrowed. “You don’t have to shake hands when you say thank you.” I replied once I managed to get my laugher under control. He looked embarrassed and annoyed as he dropped his hand down. “Don’t be mad, I think it’s cute.” I teased as I reached into the water to grasp his hand and shake it. “You’re welcome good sir.” I said graciously.
“Humans are weird.” he muttered with a flush on his cheeks as I let go of his hand. “I should get going now, grandma will probably be up soon.” I said regretfully as I picked up the handle of the wagon. “Goodbye, Rafayel. Try not to get yourself stranded again.” I said wryly. “Never going to let me forget that are you?” he said crossing his arms again causing me to laugh at his petulant expression. His lips quirked into a smile as if he was pleased at making me laugh. For a moment we just looked at each other, the salty sea breeze causing some of my hair to fly in my face. He reached out and brushed the hair from my face as I met his eyes. My heart rate quickened at his innocent and sweet gesture. For some reason he looked as reluctant to leave as I was. I gave him a shy smile which he returned hesitantly, his cheeks and ears turning red as he averted his eyes. He gave me one final look with an inscrutable expression before he dove back into the ocean.
The next day, I snuck out of the house again but this time I didn’t forget to bring my paintbrushes, palette and a bucket for seawater so I could wash the brushes. I laid out the picnic mat and picked up my paintbrushes but all I could think about was Rafayel. Without thinking, I had started to paint him from his eyes to the shining scales on his face and neck. I started to work on the beginnings of his tail but the specific blend of blue with the hint of pink where the light hit it was difficult to pull off and I gave a frustrated huff as I dipped the paintbrush back into the bucket of seawater.
Eventually, I had to admit defeat and went to change the water in the ocean. “Must you humans pollute everything?” a voice said suddenly and I jumped causing the water in the bucket to splash on me. I turned to the direction of the voice and saw Rafayel looking at me with a mixture of annoyance and amusement. “Rafayel! You scared me!” I exclaimed as I looked down as my drenched dress with a sigh.
“What are you doing? Why was the water so brown.” he asked as he swam closer to me. “Oh, I was painting. Sorry. Don’t worry though, I made sure the paints were toxic free. They shouldn’t pollute the water.” I reassured him as he peered into the bucket. He gave me a bewildered look. “Painting?” he asked with a frown. “Don’t you have paint in Lemuria?” I asked in surprise and he snorted sounding offended. “Of course, we do! The art in Lemuria is beyond compare. I’m just wondering how you humans make paint without the seashells and corals that can only be found in the depths of Lemuria.”
“Oh, I think we use pigments made from various minerals.” I said uncertainly, truth be told I wasn’t all that sure. “You’re not sure are you?” he said pointedly and I smiled sheepishly. “Can I see?” he asked eagerly and I shrugged and picked up some of the paints on the palette to show it to him. He had settled himself on the shore with the waves gently splashing at his tail. The tail, I had spent the past hour trying to recreate to no avail.
He inspected the colours for a while curiously. “Hmm, the paints are fine but Lemurian paint is so much better. What are you painting?” he asked as he noticed the colours I had mixed. “Uh, nothing.” I said awkwardly as I thought of his half finished portrait on my sketchbook. He studied my embarrassed expression for a moment and looked at blue and pink paint mixture on my palette before his lips slowly curled into a smirk.
“Are you painting me? Am I your muse?” he asked cheekily. “What! No way. You’re so narcissistic.” I said quickly mortified that he was spot on. He looked unconvinced as his gaze drifted to my picnic mat that wasn’t too far away from where we were. Where my sketchbook was. I scrambled to cover the sketchbook from him and he merely laughed at me as my actions only proved him right.
“Come on, show it to me. Don’t I deserve to see the painting of myself?” he teased with a sly smile. “No way.” I said as I covered the sketchbook with my hands. “I promise, I won’t laugh anymore. I just want to see it. Please?” he asked with a pout. I took one look at him and knew I would cave immediately.
“Fine, here you go.” I said as I walked to where he was seated as handed it to him reluctantly. He was quiet as he took in the painting careful not to smudge the still drying paint. “Is that how you see me?” he asked slightly speechless. “I’m not the best at painting, I know.” I cringed as I watched him.
“There’s a lot of room for improvement but it’s not too bad. Pass me the paints.” he said as he held out his hand. I handed him the paints and paintbrushes and watched in astonishment as he expertly mixed the perfect shade of blue that I had been trying to achieve. I watched enraptured as he turned my mediocre rendition of him into a true work of art with every brush stroke.
“There, I tried my best but-“ he began as he presented me the finished artwork. “It’s amazing!” I exclaimed, cutting him off and startling him. “Rafayel, you have a real talent.” I said with shining eyes and I was taken off guard by his reaction. Was Rafayel shy?
“It’s nothing impressive. You should see the art back in Lemuria.” he mumbled as he ran his hand through his hair with his eyes averted before looking at me again. “I hope I can see it one day then.” I said wistfully. “Maybe one day you will.” he said in response.
It became a routine of sorts, I would show up at the beach with my paints in the tow and paint for a while before Rafayel would inevitably show up to critic and sometimes help me paint. Other times, I would just watch as he painted and today was one of those days. He didn’t seem to mind me watching him paint and in fact he seemed to like and appreciate my attention even though he would sure deny it if I were to ever bring it up.
“Rafayel, is it true what they say about Lemurians?” I asked as I watched Rafayel paint.
“Is what true?” he mumbled, distracted as he focused on mixing the colours together to get the perfect shade of turquoise. Or at least I think it’s supposed to be turquoise, Rafayel with his Lumerian vision seemed to be able to differentiate much more colours than I ever could and had a million different names for each colour too. He would sometimes name the colours in Lemurian and I would try to copy his words but the foreign language felt clumsy on my tongue and he would end up howling in laughter at my bad pronunciation. I would then shove him and he would shove me back until I ran too high up the shore for him to reach.
“That when you cry, your tears turn into pearls. You can kill anyone with just one song and your scales are the sharpest weapons in the world?” I asked as he stopped painting and made a strange face as if he was struggling not to laugh. “Oh yeah, all that is true. We especially love to drown annoying humans who like to force their help on others without asking.” he said as he nodded very seriously.
I scowled and smacked him on his arm. “Ouch! No need to get violent.” he said rubbing his arm but he wasn’t hiding his amusement anymore. “Okay, fineee. It’s not true. Where did you hear that?” he asked.
“I read up on Lemurians.” I admitted feeling foolish and he snorted at my response. “Why would you do that? What do books written by humans know about Lemurians? You should just ask me instead.”
“Oh, I didn’t think you would want to tell me.” I said and he seemed to think about something before he snapped his fingers as if he had just come up with a brilliant idea. “How about this? You ask me one question about Lemurians and I’ll ask you one question about humans. Deal?” he said as he held out his hand for a handshake. “Deal.” I said shaking his hand.
“You know, you really don’t have to shake hands for everything.” I teased and he rolled his eyes at me. “Okay, you already asked one question about Lemurians earlier so now it’s my turn. When do humans shake hands then?” he asked slightly exasperated. “Hmm, they do it when they first meet someone for the first time and when they make business deals I guess.” I said slowly, honestly it’s not something I ever thought about. It was just a social nicety that people picked up as an unspoken rule.
“So, I was right in shaking your hand for this deal!” he said triumphantly. “Welll, yes and no. Friend don’t usually do that unless it’s a joke.” I said wryly without thinking. “Why are you staring at me?” I asked bewildered as I noticed his stare. He seemed to shake off whatever it was and he smirked at me. “Are we friends?” he asked. I was taken aback by his question. In all honestly with the amount of time I had to spend at the hospital, I didn’t have many if any friends at all. Was it weird to become friends with someone after a few weeks?
“Do you want to be?” I asked uncertainly and he shrugged. “I guess so. You’re not too bad for a human.” I rolled my eyes at him. Him and his Lemurian superiority. I smiled slyly to myself and reached up to mess up his perfect hair. “Hey! What was that for?” he asked as he grabbed my wrists.
“This is what friends do.” I said before sprinting off. “That’s not fair! You know I can’t chase after you. Come back! Hey!” he called after me furiously as I waved at him.
I met Rafayel everyday that summer but on the last day of my summer break he didn’t show up. I swallowed down my disappointment. What did I expect anyway? Of course, he wouldn’t be interested in meeting up with me. He must have gotten bored.
No sense in wasting a beautiful day I guess. I laid out the pink and purple picnic mat that Rafayel made fun of every chance he had before pulling out the book from my mother. I was so engrossed in the book, I didn’t notice the dripping salt water from his hair until it splashed onto one of my pages. “Hey! This is special, don’t wet it.” I exclaimed as I hurriedly dabbed at the page to dry it with the skirt of my dress.
“What’s so special about the book?” he asked curiously as he watched me inspect it to make sure I had dried it enough before closing it and tucking it into my bag.
“It’s the only thing I have left of her.” I said quietly.
“Who?”
I hesitated before answering. “My mother. She died a couple years ago.”
“I’m sorry.” Rafayel said softly. I shrugged unable to say anymore with my throat choked with emotion. Since she died, I’ve never actually spoken to anyone about her.
Rafayel was quiet for a moment as he seemed to search for what to say. “What was she like?” he asked finally.
“She… was an adventurer, an author, and an artist. She loved to see the world.” I said as I pulled out the book again to show him the title. “1001 stories about distant lands.”
“Before I was born, she used to visit the most exotic places with my father. She wrote this book.” I continued not sure why I was handing the book over to him. Rafayel looked just as surprised but he dried his hands as much as he could on the picnic mat before taking it gingerly.
“I wish I could see the world too.” I said softly as he leafed through the book. His fingers ran down the pages with illustrations of a desert landscape.
“So why don’t you?” he asked as he brought his eyes back to me. “Reasons.” I said curtly and he raised an eyebrow at my answer. The truth was, my heart condition meant that I couldn’t travel too much. That our summer home here was as far as I could go. I didn’t want to talk about my heart issues with Rafayel. It’s all anyone would ever talk about. If I brought it up, it would taint the only thing that my condition hadn’t been able to destroy yet.
I gave him a pleading look to drop it and to my relief he did. Perhaps, he didn’t care enough or maybe he had a bit of tact in him after all.
“I want to see the world too. Everything is so boring.” he complained changing the topic. I gave him a wry smile. “Is that why you stranded yourself on the beach?”
“That was one timeee.” he pouted crossing his arms. “And it wasn’t even worth it. The surface is just as boring. All you have is sand and trees.” he said as he scooped up the damp sand in his hands.
“That’s not true! We have far more interesting things.” I said defensively.
“Oh yeah? Like what?”
“Like….” I trailed off as I thought of something that would impress the Lemurian. An idea came to me and I took out my sketchbook and a piece of charcoal to start sketching out the famous art museum where I usually lived. It was a place my parents used to take me but I haven’t gone there since they died. I know it was silly but I was afraid the new memories I would make there would overwrite the memories I had with them. He watched me curiously.
“This art museum.” I said as I turned the sketchbook around to face him. “It’s filled with the most amazing works of art from around the world. It’s like you travelled to a hundred different places through different periods of time. All under one roof.”
His eyes seem to light at up that thought. “From all over the world?”he asked reluctantly impressed. “Yup.”
“The art museums in Lemuria are nice but we only ever have Lemurian art. It gets boring. Everyone just draws and paints the same ugly fishes.” he murmurs as he picks up the sketchbook to look at it.
“I’ll take you there! I mean uh-.” I cut myself off when I realised the ridiculousness of my offer. There was no way I could lug Rafayel on my old wagon all the way to the art museum and besides I can’t believe I would offer to take him there when I refused my grandma’s attempts to bring me there for years.
“Great! I’ll just need to make some preparations.” Rafayel said excitedly as he started to trail off clearly listing the things he had to do in Lemurian. I didn’t have the heart to burst his bubble so I just smiled and listened to the soothing melodic sounds of his mother tongue.
“But you promise right? You promise you’ll take me there?” he asked uncertainly switching back to English when he realised I had been quiet for a while.
“I promise.” I said as I held out my pinky. He made a sound of confusion as he looked at my pinky but he didn’t stop me as I hooked my pinky with his. “It’s a pinky promise. It’s what humans do to prove we won’t break a promise.”
“Nah you humans can’t be trusted. We’ll do it my way.” he said after a while as he took my hand and placed it on top of his with the palms facing one another.
“Repeat after me. I will bring Rafayel to the art museum.”
I repeated his words and when I moved my hand away I was amazed to see a blue fish appear. “It’s the ceremonial vow of my people. The fish means the your vow is blessed by the ocean.” he explains.
My eyes watched as the fish slowly disappeared. He was about to pull his hand away when I stopped it with my other hand. He gave me a quizzical look and I blushed.
“What if you get bored of me and stop looking for me? How will I keep my vow?” I mumbled insecurely as I thought of my disappointment earlier when I thought he wasn’t going to show up. He looked surprised for a moment before he smirked at me.
“Afraid to lose the pleasure of my company? I understand, I am charming and good looking after all.” he said smugly causing me to roll my eyes and drop his hand. “Ugh, go away.” I said in annoyance and I was about to move away when he grabbed my hand.
“I didn’t say I wasn’t going to do it.” he said earnestly before he gave me a serious look. “Just so you know... making that vow is different for me and you. When Lemurians make it, they’re bound to it forever.”
“Maybe, you shouldn’t make it then.” I said taken aback by the weight of it. “It’s fineee. I intend to keep it anyway. You’re the only interesting person I’ve met so far. I’m not going to forget you.” he said with a wink as he took my hand in his.
My heart rate picked up as I sensed that this moment was much more serious than just a silly vow made between teenagers.
“I will never forget or leave you no matter what.” he said closing his eyes. As he pulled his hand back, I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding when I saw that same blue fish appear.
“There! Now we both have our vows to one another.” he said nonchalantly. “Now tell me more about that art museum.” he said and I laughed and shook my head at the casual way he treated such a serious vow before I began.
After spending the rest of the morning with Rafayel telling him stories of the art museum and my memories with my parents. I got home with a smile on my face. I didn’t realise how freeing it would feel to finally talk about them. To his credit, he never once looked at me with pity and I greatly appreciated that. Instead, he would tell me stories of his life in Lemuria in exchange.
I was so preoccupied by my thoughts that I accidentally bumped into my grandma in the kitchen. “And just where have you been, young lady?” she asked as she looked at my sandy feet and my guilty expression.
“Grandma! I didn’t think you would be up this early.” I said sheepishly as I hid my bag behind me. I was worried, would she stop me from going out? Would I be able to see Rafayel again?
To my relief and surprise, she just smiled. “Have you been meeting someone special?” she asked. I felt my face grow hot at her implication. “No! He’s just a friend.”
“So it’s a he, is it?” she teased. I looked at the floor resolutely. When she pulled me into a warm hug.
“It’s okay. I’m just happy to see you smile again.” she said reassuringly as I breathed in her comforting scent of vanilla. “I’m sorry I’ve been so closed off grandma.” I muttered guiltily when I realised that what she said was true. That I haven’t smiled in years despite her attempts to cheer me up.
“It’s alright, love.” she said stroking my hair. “Now, let me get us some tea and you can tell me all about this mystery boy.”
“Grandma! There’s nothing to tell.” I protested and she gave me a knowing look as she pulled away from the embrace to pull some cups out of the cabinet and boil the water for the tea.
I sighed and took a seat at the kitchen table. “He’s an artist like mama was. He’s the most talented person I’ve ever seen. His painting seems to come to life.” I said as I recalled the expert way he recreated Lemuria on my sketchbook. When I looked at it, it felt like I was there myself. Grandma hummed approvingly as she waited for the water to boil.
“And is he cute?” she asked causing me to grow embarrassed again. “Grandma!” I cried out before I shyly added. “Yes. He has the most amazing eye colour I’ve ever seen and his -“ I stopped myself before I could mention his tail. Grandma raised an eyebrow at me.
“He’s not just cute. He’s really annoying actually. He likes to tease me and make fun of me and he has the most annoying superiority complex!”
“And?” Grandma prompted when she sensed there must be more to him that I was telling her. “And he can be sweet. He loves to talk a lot but when I talk he listen to me without judgement. He doesn’t pity me like everyone else.” I added softly.
“He sounds like a catch.” Grandma said as she brought two cups of tea to the table. My lips quirked into a smile at her choice of phrase.
“You have no idea.” I said secretively as I thought of his beautiful tail.
Years passed and every summer, I would come back to the same spot and at the same time to meet Rafayel. We shared our secrets and fears with one another. While I had found him cute before, he was starting to grow into a handsome man and I found myself blushing more often lately. Much to my delight, he was the same. Sometimes he would grab the paintbrush from my hand we would both end up dropping it as his hands brushed against mine, leaving the two of us in a stuttering mess. I had more than a sneaking feeling he felt the same about me but both of us danced around it not wanting to admit our feelings to one another.
“Hey cutie.” he greeted me with a smile on the summer of my 18th year. “Hello Rafayel.” I said shyly, still embarrassed by his nickname he had given me recently as I settled next to him on the sandy beach. He appeared to be slightly nervous and brimming with excitement today.
“Something wrong?” I asked worriedly. He shook his head and seemed to hesitate before speaking up again. “I uh have a surprise for you.” My eyes widened as I looked him over, wondering where the surprise could be. But he looked the same as ever, with his bare muscular chest and tail.
“It’s not with me now, you impatient girl.” he teased as he crossed his arms over his chest and I felt embarrassed when I realised I had been caught roving my eyes over his body.
“Sorry.” I muttered. He looked even more flustered, his cheeks tinged red but he managed to gather himself. “Come see me again tomorrow.” he said.
“Tomorrow?”
“Yes, I can’t hang out today so I can prepare the surprise for you but you’ll see it tomorrow. I promise.” he said with an apologetic smile. I felt a little disappointed that he wouldn’t be able to spend time with me today but the curiosity about what the surprise was won out and I gave a shrug.
“It’s okay. I’ll see you tomorrow then.” I said as I stretched out my hand for our usual joking parting handshake but this time he did something different. He laced his fingers with mine and brought my hand to his lips to drop a gentle kiss. My heart was pounding in my chest as I watched him let go of my hand with a soft smile. “Rafayel.” I said quietly stunned.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, cutie.” he said with a wink before he turned around to dive back into the ocean, leaving me with a euphoric high.
I felt like I could float as I sped home. A special gift for me. What could it be? I honestly didn’t care. Just spending time with him was enough but his excitement was infectious and I couldn’t help but daydream about what it could be.
“Why are you running?” Grandma scolded as I burst through the doors. “Grandma, I think he-“ I suddenly felt an immense pain in my heart causing me to fall to my knees. Grandma immediately reached for me.
“What happened? Is it your heart?” she asked urgently as she inspected me. “It hurts.” I managed to gasp out as I clutched my chest. No! It couldn’t be. Not today. Not when I was so close to happiness. Not when I could sense that Rafayel was about to confess. I could feel myself start to lose consciousness as Grandma rushed to call for help.
I didn’t remember what happened next but when I woke up, I was in bed at home.
“What happened?” I asked blearily as I came to be. “You had a heart attack. Don’t get up.” Grandma said in concern and she came to my side. I noticed that it was bright. I must have passed out an entire day. Rafayel would be waiting for me at our usual spot at the beach.
“I have to go grandma! Please! He’s waiting for me.” I pleaded as grandma shook her head. “You’re too weak, you can barely walk. Please, be a good girl for me and just lie down alright.” Grandma said, her voice choked with emotion as she looked at me.
Tears were streaming down my face as I thought of Rafayel, my sweet merman who was waiting for me. He looked so excited the day before. He told me he had a special gift for me. I struggled to get up from the bed but grandma gently pushed me back down.
“Rest now, grandma is here for you.” she said as gently as she could. “He’s waiting for me. Rafayel, he….” I trailed off as I could barely muster the energy to speak. All I could think of before I felt myself slip into darkness was. Sorry Rafayel. I hope we meet again.
Rafayel waited nervously, with his new feet buried in the soft warm sand. It was difficult figuring out to walk on two legs and he fell a couple times but he managed to get as far on land as he ever did. He brushed the sand off the cloth of his loose white pants with the flowy blue and white material on the sides. The intricate design giving him an almost godly appearance. The gold belt at his waist clinked against bangles around his wrist as tried his best to get as much of the sand off his outfit. He would probably need her help to get more normal looking clothes so he wouldn't stand out too much.
It wasn't easy getting the ingredients for the potion but he managed it somehow. It was worth it for her. He was going to take her on a date on land. He would finally get to see the art museum, she told him about. And then when the date was over, he would tell her he loved her and give her a kiss so she could finally see Lemuria.
He waited and waited.