The Misblown Wind

CHAPTER 25 - A letter that never made it to you

It was a long night, and we didn't speak a word as we headed to the parking lot. Like a storm's aftermath, calmness gradually swept through the area.

The view of the golden gate bridge sparkling in lights at this hour was eye candy. Those lights reflected on the water, making the entire place magical. It somehow lightened up my desolated spirit.

It suddenly occurred to me that, if not for the darkness, this spectacular show of light might have gone unseen.

"You're headed home, right?" Henry asked me as I walked towards my car.

"No, um, actually, I thought of going for a drive," I said, as I didn't feel like going home. I felt suffocated and thought a night drive would help me get things off my chest.

"At this hour?" he asked.

"Yeah, I need to get some air."

"I'll come with you." He said as he stood beside me.

"You don't have to do this, Henry. You don't have to worry about me. You have already got enough things on your plate." I said in a feeble voice. I didn't want him to feel guilty. I didn't want him to look after me out of his guilt.

"I insist."

I was unable to refute it. I got inside my car after giving a head nod. He took the front seat next to me.

We drove along all night. Initially, it was awkward, as silence prevailed for a long time. None of us knew how to break it, or should we even break it at all. We let it be the way it was happening, as we both needed time to catch our breath. And it was a long night indeed.

After driving for hours, we returned to the beach early in the morning for the sunrise. Henry suggested that the staggering beauty of this beach during sunrise was something one should not miss. And I was left with no reason to deny it.

The intensity of the darkness dwindled as it was nearing dawn. The beach was quiet, and I could not see anyone within my field of vision.

The spread of various hues across the sky resembled the messy paint palette of an artist working on a painting.

The radiant golden clouds glared in my eyes. They remained put in the sky, scattering the rays of sunlight as the sun headed up. Witnessing the beginning of a brand new day pumped blood faster into my heart, making me alive. The chillness around the waters and the cold sand beneath my feet kept me kindled even after a tiring, sleepless night.

The blue ocean preserved its calmness in spite of the chaotic world. And the gentle breeze gave a foretaste of the briny ocean water. I took a deep breath of that fresh, crisp air, which made me firmly believe that this was how I wanted to wake up every morning.

The waves crashing against the rocks sounded reassuring. It provided me with an immediate feeling of reassurance that I can't quite put into words. It convinced me that everything would be alright with the course of life.

There were times when Henry and I stood silently in solitude. There were times when we just walked along the shore, talking about everything and nothing. We actually got along well. I couldn't even say exactly when that awkwardness between us faded away. But it doesn't feel like that anymore. Maybe his constant attempts to make me feel better did that anyway.

He burst out laughing when I told him how I once thought him to be a serial killer. He never saw that one coming. He instantly broke out in fits of laughter that lasted several minutes. It was pleasing to see his genuine laughter as I never caught him smiling like that before.

He then unexpectedly mimicked the angry face I made at the library during our first meeting when I thought he was being rude to me. We laughed at it like there was nothing to worry about. It was so good to smile after hours of being glum. That reduced the excruciating pain in my chest. And everything felt complete at this point. That sense of wholeness I got around him was soothing. It made me believe that, at least for this moment, everything was just fine.