you love nature
Yes I really do, I tried to convince myself as I sat next to the window who didn't seem to mind my company. The bus had left the takeoff point few hours after the stipulated time and it had done well to heighten the fear growing inside of me.
You don't have to swim
The silent voice inside me spoke reassuringly. I grunted, knowing fully well that had been a lie. How could I travel miles to get to the beach and still not go near water. I am a bad swimmer but to add to that, I have breathing problems, so every now and then you find me struggling to take in as much air as possible, certainly wouldn't be possible underwater.
I kept battling with myself wondering why it was unnatural for us to learn to swim when fishes couldn't walk.
fishes are fishes, humans are....
"Are you alright?", a soft voice interrupted my thinking, bringing me back to reality. I looked up and found a concerned eye starring back at me. "You're sweating profusely", she said again and I noticed her well carved out eyebrow.
"Oh, don't mind that, I overfed myself, now I'm suffering the consequences". She laughed, and I immediately realized that I hadn't been good company to this young lady. I didn't even realize when she held my hand and told me I'll be alright and I immediately believed her.
She then invited me to come join the Korean drama she was seeing on her phone as she offered me the other side of her earpiece. I accepted, moved closer to her and then we started seeing it together. It was a funny movie and I started to calm down, everything started to lighten up.
I looked through the window again and noticed how beautiful the green scenery was. Uyo, Akwa Ibom state is well known for their amazing trees, and beautiful green grasses, they had good land and natural environment. I could feel the breeze stroke my face gently, giving me more assurance.
Jane and I spoke and laughed like we'd known each other for years. The others in the bus must have felt that warmth as they began to make little jokes and we all started to relate heartily, singing along to the music that filled the air and being happy.
We finally reached the beach, everyone stepped out of the bus excited, including me. Another breeze greeted me as I stepped out, a more different kind, the kind that came with the waves of the ocean. It filled my nostrils and my lungs and I felt brand new again. I can't explain the feeling but it felt like all the stress I'd been felt had been blown away.
I looked around to find Jane already getting into her swim suit. I looked at the water and looked at her again, was she really serious!
That girl is gon kill herself
But I was wrong, I started to see tons of people jump into the water laughing happily. The waves were strong, soft, soothing at the same time and it went back and forth playing and laughing too.
"Don't just stand there!, C'mon!". Jane said as she dragged me to go with her. Fear gripped me but I couldn't let go of her hand. The sand under my feet was milky and the sun smiled directly at me bearing it's rays on me, and striking a balance. Jane entered the water and swam off leaving me at the edge of the water.
I stood there smiling, the water was indeed beautiful. But what was more beautiful was watching how happy people were. I closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. I stood like that for minutes until something lifted me so fast. No it wasn't something it was someone!, No someones!
I'd almost forgotten that Nelson, Treasure and Victor had been part of this trip (ps: they're my friends). As I opened my eyes I discovered that I was heading straight for the water and before I could say Jack, they threw me in. I entered with a thud, water didn't seize the opportunity to raid my nostrils, my eyes and my mouth. The water was salty and I couldn't breathe, I immediately started to panic. Was this how I was going to die?
But I didn't die, instead I became one with the water. It felt like a nerve in my brain had been calmed, I just laid there as the water did it’s thing with my body. It felt good, it was amazing even and it certainly was the best encounter with nature I've ever had.
[Nelson, Treasure and The non swimmer]
[Can you guess which girl is Jane?]
[We're happy with Nature]
Ps: All images are mine and intellectual property, shouldn't be used without proper notice
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