The Perfect Pebble
Sarah lay back against the bank of the lake – hands cupped behind her head. She slid her right foot, heel first into the water. A small wave washed over her leg – she relaxed a bit; extended her other leg into the water.
A few moments passed – she drifted a bit – with each wave that washed over her legs she drifted further. Looking up at the sky, she didn’t focus on anything in particular – yet, she felt she saw something. She puzzled a bit – what was it that caught her attention? Just clouds flowing by overhead – yet something…
Her gaze was drawn to the horizon – what was it? – a steady flow of clouds – a rhythm – a breath – another wave. Weird – the clouds seemed to move in rhythm with the waves that hit her legs – was she imagining things? – drifting…
A chirping sound behind her seemed to accentuate the synchronous rhythm of the cloud movements and waves breaking against her legs…
“Sarah, Sarah, look at this peeble – it is perfect.” Alex squealed.
The connection broke…
“Peeble? Oh, you mean pebble.” Sarah smiled. “That’s nice, Lexu” Sarah floated out. “No! No!, really look” Alex pleaded. “See how smooth and flat the surface is – and it’s almost perfectly round” Alex beamed. “I can get 5 skips across the lake for sure – Tati said 5 perfect skips would wake the lady of the lake” Alex smiled.
Her thoughts momentarily diverted, Sarah inspected the pebble more thoroughly this time. She gave her younger brother an approving smile with her eyes – he was grinning ear to ear.
Now watch me skip it – I bet we see the lady of the lake for sure. Alex ran a finger around the pebble’s circular edge – and with the suddenness of youth, he flipped the pebble in his hand and darted further down the shore to his special spot.
Alex came to an abrupt stop – just out of the reach of the breaking waves on the shore – he turned and smiled at Sarah. Once sure of her attention, he faced the lake – he carefully took one step forward with his right foot just so…
He pulled his right arm back parallel to the ground – elbow bent at his waist – using his right foot to launch his left side forward – his arm pulled further back behind his body.
Sarah watched his fluid motion forward – he seemed to release the pebble at the last possible moment…
Alex never took his eyes off the pebble as his fingers reluctantly released it – spinning and gliding perfectly parallel to the horizon. The first brush with the lake was twenty feet out – he could see ripples in the water as the pebble returned to flight. The pebble glided a little to the left and brushed against the water another 20 feet out – Alex was transfixed.
As the pebble continued with its third and fourth dance with the surface, the lake seemed to calm a bit. Alex kept his focus on counting the skips, but Sarah began to sense a dance – the fifth skip was almost an embrace with the water.
With a final kiss on the surface, the lake accepted her gift – the pebble slowly receded from sight…
Artist: Joseph Pearce; Author: Mike Evans
