The story of the groom on the coast
The peace that was over my home became a mystery. The sea breeze hit the outside of my house, it brought me freshness when I opened the windows, and in one of its caresses I felt happy and safe.
Although my mother was very strict and always demanded me in my studies, I was very happy there, walking on the shore imagining stories of the sea. Getting to know other places, other people, other situations and conflicts.
In my imagination I was an adventurer seeking journeys in other spaces, fighting against pirates or thieves, I always thought it was my duty to keep everything in order, and I was paid for it as a mercenary.
I found myself dancing on the soft sand of the shore, until, I collided again with reality. I was no longer a tall, strapping adventurer, for I was that small, skinny boy again.
I looked to the side and found my uncle, staring out to sea, as he usually does every day.
"Mirian! Mirian...!" He repeated over and over again. It was like a daily routine. Several months ago he became demented, evoking the name of a woman in front of the sea. I asked my mother about her, but she didn't know how to answer me. Maybe it was a secret love of my uncle's that no one knew about, I liked to think that she will come back and my uncle will be cured, returning to his old self.
My mother waved me to bring my uncle back to the house, as it was already lunch time.
"Come, uncle, let's eat." I said as I guided him by taking him by the hand. He repeated Mirian's name several more times until we were inside the house.
As I said before, my mother was very strict. I was only ten years old, I just wanted to go out and play around on the sand on the shore, imagining fights against corsairs or fighting creatures on deserted islands, but she hardly let me have fun, and instead wanted me to be more focused on my studies.
With my uncle it was different, for I pitied his mental state, however, he was not completely useless, for he could dress and bathe himself, and sometimes did housework, until he disappeared and began to rave in front of the sea.
One night he gave us a good scare, I was in my bed reading a book, when I felt the floor creaking because of some footsteps, I thought that everyone was already asleep, so I decided to take a look.
When I looked out of my room, I found my uncle coming out of the front door of the house, whispering almost imperceptible words.
I went after him, I was afraid something might happen to him, I had to be stealthy as I didn't want him to detect me. He stood on the shore looking at the sea, as always, evoking that name repeatedly.
I slowly moved closer to him, as I feared something bad would happen. Suddenly, a white light emerged from the sea approaching rapidly towards where my uncle was standing. I was perplexed, my legs did not react and my eyes were fixed on that spectral manifestation.
I saw how it took the form of a beautiful woman, her hair was straight and shiny. The rest of her body also glowed and her luminescent costume looked like a dress made of waves and foam. Her face came up to my uncle's forehead and bestowed a kiss, then she slid back as she slowly faded away.
I took control of my legs again. I walked slowly towards my uncle looking at his face with wild eyes. He kept repeating Mirian's name over and over again, I took him by the hand to come back to the house with me, as I turned around, I saw my mother's face full of anguish and rage in the distance.
She could no longer stand it, because for her my uncle was getting worse and worse, but her assumptions were wrong. I explained to my mother what I had seen and why my uncle was getting like that. She didn't believe me, thought it was just another one of my fantasies and sent me angrily to my room to sleep. Frustrated, I obeyed, but with the fear that something bad might happen to my uncle.
The next morning, I overheard my mother talking on the phone to a relative about the possibility of committing my uncle to a mental institution, the idea fell flat on my face and I impulsively showed up to tell her I disagreed. She hung up the phone, glared at me and pointed her finger at me.
"Don't contradict me! Your most important duty now is to study, so you can get ahead away from this place! I am an adult and he is my brother, so according to his condition, I can decide what is best for him!"
"That's not what's best for my uncle, it will only make him sadder!" I retorted.
"You don't know anything..." He mused. "You're just a kid. Your uncle needs special attention, so they're coming this afternoon to take him away."
"But...!" I tried to object, but my mother stopped me.
"Stop it, it's best for him, and please stop judging and finish your homework. You have a lot of studying to do this summer." That was the last thing she said before she walked away leaving the room cold.
I went to my uncle, who was sitting in his rocking chair. I hugged him, shed some tears on him, I really wanted to help him. After a few minutes, he began to repeat Mirian's name again, but this time with more intensity, he had never done it inside the house.
The evening was beginning to fall and dawn was breaking over the horizon. I accompanied my uncle to the shore for the last time, for I knew he would be taken away at any moment. We watched the sunrise together, while he mentioned Mirian. We stayed like that for a while, until some men in white suits appeared to try to take him away.
"No! Leave him alone!" I shouted angrily, as my mother grabbed me by one arm pulling me aside. I looked at her face and it was as cold as ever, it was obvious she didn't care if he was taken away.
My uncle began to shout Mirian's name louder and louder, until, a flash that landed on the shore blinded us all. The same white apparition of that night manifested itself, extending its arms as a shelter.
We were paralyzed, even my mother's face changed. The men from the mental hospital released my uncle and fled in terror. He, now free, smilingly approached that entity, brought his face close to hers and they kissed.
A brighter and blinding light began to envelop them both. The wind and the waves began to stir strongly, until a sound louder than a buzzing, manifested itself in the environment and instantly everything disappeared. After that day, we never heard from my uncle again.
THE END
Written by @universoperdido. November 2, 2022