Once a week, on a bright sunny day, a boy and his parents go to the beach to relax and spend time together.
The boy builds a sandcastle.
"This castle is magnificent."
The boy stands proudly, looking at his work. The boy rushes out to tell mom and dad about it, brimming with excitement. Mom and dad were out on their chairs, sunbathing without a care in the world, they smiled at each other and at the boy who came into view of them. The boy yelled out.
"Mom, dad! Look what I made!"
"In a minute, dear!", the mom yelled back.
"Same here, boy!", the dad said as well.
The boy happily nods his head up and down, then goes back to his magnificent sandcastle and waits... and waits...
The next week, the boy went back to his usual spot, a bit sad that mom and dad didn't see his sandcastle.
The boy who still has determination builds his mighty sandcastle higher and better. It's awesome! A water mote and with a bridge? he thought to himself. Now the boy knows his parents must see it.
"Mom, dad! Look what I made!", the boy yelled out to his parents. No response. The boy went to them; this time they were under an umbrella. They weren't as full of joy as before, but they occasionally smiled. As soon as the boy got into hearing range of mom and dad, he repeated himself.
"Mom, dad! Look what I made!" The boy again gleamed with joy.
"Not now, sweetie, mommy is relaxing and so is daddy," mom said while patting the boy's head to reassure him. "We'll see it sweatie, don't you worry," mom said. Mom looked tired.
The boy nodded and went back to his sandcastle and waited... and waited...
The next week, the boy went back to his usual spot. He was down now; his parents couldn't see the boy's sandcastles, and it brought his mood down.
This time, my castle will for sure have not only mom and dad's approval, but everyone will be in awe of it.
The boy thought to himself. Once he reached his spot, he saw two other people, two young girls. They were wearing clothes you see on a typical trip to the beach. Without thought, the boy runs to them.
"Hey!" the boy asks them, "can I join too?" The boy wasted no time asking them. They both notice the boy and look at each other.
"Sure, why not?" they both say.
The boy asked for their names: "Hey! What's your name?"
"Jenny", one girl says.
"Tirmisu", the other girl says too.
The boy's eyes brighten; he thinks he's made friends. "Well, my name is-" Before he finishes, one of them interjects.
"Hey, let's do a competition; whoever makes the best sandcastle wins!"
The boy tried to hold his excitement.
New friends and building sandcastles? This might be the best day ever!
the boy thought to himself. The boy wasted no time building; the boy's mind was now flowing with ideas, and he couldn't make up his mind.
The boy must impress his newfound friends by building the greatest and grandest castle yet. It had all the things you need: a Moute, a bridge, a rocket ship, and a flag.
Who needs anything else? This will definitely impress anyone who see this!
the boy thought to himself with pride.
Soon after, Jenny and Tirmisu's parents came in. They looked at Jenny's castle, which only had a moat and a flag; it was good but nothing like the boy's castle.
"Jenny you made this? It's wonderful!" a parent said as they hugged her. Jenny's smile had grown big and wide.
Next they look at Tirmisu's castle; however, Tirmisu build her castle too close to the water, most of it has been swept away, leaving less than half of a castle. She cried, but another parent comforted them.
"Don't worry, baby, next time your castle will be big and strong!" Tirmisu giggled, seeming fixed by their kind and honest words.
"Let's go now, Jenny, and Tirmisu", the parents said with a smile.
"Okay!", both Jenny and Tirmisu say, they quickly got up and walk with them.
Before the boy got to say anything, they were already outside of his field of vision. Now that the boy is alone with the castles in front of him, he looks at the other two and wonders.
Why did they get recognition? Why am I left out?
The boy thought to himself, his joy once as bright as the sun itself, now no brighter than a dying candle.
The boy went to mom and dad to show them his castle in hopes they would finally see his greatest work. As soon as the boy reached them.
Mom and Dad were sitting under the umbrella with their phones, dad calling, and mom just lying on the chair. She looked exhausted; the bags under her eyes were a dark purple.
"Mom, dad, look at the castle I made." The boy tried to sound excited, but it was hard to keep up a smile.
"Not now, I'm busy." Dad said he was always busy with work. The boy looked at mom, hoping she would come and go with him.
Mom couldn't even look at the boy. Dad covered his phone and turned his head at the boy.
"Hey son, be a good sport and just wait at your castle; once I'm done with this phone call, I'll see it, I promise."
Dad tried to put up a smile, but it came off as an annoyed look instead. Mom didn't respond; she even couldn't look at the boy.
Without a word, the boy went back to his sandcastle and looked at it—his castle, his hard work—and thought
maybe this time will be the time
his dying candle he calls, 'joy' grew ever so slightly brighter.
The boy waited... and waited...
YOU ARE READING
I'm in an adventure?
AdventureThis story is about a person named Jak who is jaded by his previous life on Earth. Doing the same task every day, every year with no variation, until for a few days he has this dream. It was nothing at first, but various senses came and went, but t...
