Children of the Tide

by Theo Shapiro

  ****

  When I woke up I realized something was wrong. I went to sleep in my normal position, by lying as close to the ocean floor as I could. I found a position near two coral heads for cover, but neither is around me now. In fact there’s nothing around me. I am completely in the open. There isn’t a single fish in sight. I have never been somewhere so quiet, so private, and so alone. Instead of feeling scared or nervous I feel….comfortable.

  Finally I am in a place that matches how I feel inside. Somewhere that is as lonely as I am. I swim a little ways searching for something but hoping to find nothing; the way guppies' will search beneath its’ bed hoping to find it bare instead of a lurking boogie fish.

  My search confirmed my hopes that there is nothing else around. The negative aspects of being alone cross my mind but leave just as quickly. Will I miss my family? What will I do for food? Am I too exposed to predators? How will I find my way home?

  The thoughts cross my mind, but I’m too excited by the aspect of the new nothing. In my usual home there are always jellyfish around and when not surrounded by other jellyfish I’m fighting my way into a clump of plankton or trying to sneak up on something so pathetic to get eaten by a jellyfish. The day that others say are freed up by not having to worry about movement is instead filled with battling for private space and food. Sure food will become a problem in the near future but right now I have all the space I could ever want.

  I spent the next hour just slowly swimming. I let my tentacles drag across the sand on the ocean floor. The sand is whiter than the sand I am used too and much more fine. My tentacles pull through the sand with little resistance.

  As I continued to explore my new nothing I feel something I have never felt before; hunger. In the past I have always eaten because there was nothing else to do or it was just time to eat. I never ate because I wanted to or because I was hungry. In my typical day there was little to pass the time other than searching for food and eating.

  I looked all around me and still there was nothing. Still, instead of worrying I felt enthralled at the idea of a challenge. Something that I actually not only want to, but need to do. I decide to swim for ten minutes in one direction and if I don’t see any signs of food I will swim ten minutes in another direction.

  As I search the ocean floor for anything to eat I start to feel something else other than hunger. This feeling is much more familiar. It’s the feeling of being watched. I have experienced this feeling much lately given the fact that all the male jellyfish know I am fertile and am a target for their seed. Those stares I am used to, but the feeling of being watched now has a completely different purpose. I don’t know how I know that, but I just do.

  I pulsed my body slightly in order to look to the left and saw a dark figure moving toward me. I turned looking for a place to hide but the Nothing that had been my paradise a few minutes ago now seemed to be my doom.

  There was nowhere for me to go, and thank to my stupid jellyfish body I doubt I could outrun whatever was coming at me. I turned back toward the dark looming creature and saw it was nearly on top of me. In fact it was on top of me. The darkness had enveloped me, but there wasn’t anything physically there.

  It looked like a single cloud had blocked out the sun on an otherwise cloudless day. That’s when I realized that the darkness was coming from above me. I slowly lifted my eyes, hoping that by the time I looked upward whatever was causing the darkness would disappear by the time I looked up. This did not happen.

  My sight was greeted by a massive round figure. The way it hovered above me I thought of those stories I heard. The ones about the Fit Tùn and some kind of feared ship that glided atop the water like the looming presence of death ready to take you from the waters. This was no ship though, this was something far worse. Emerging from the shape was four flippers and a long neck. The sun shining through the water blacked out any distinguishing features.

  Despite this I knew what was hovering above me. I had seen several before but never one this big or this close. It was a massive sea turtle. As the turtle started to descend on top of me its’ features started to become clearer. I could see the underbelly of the sea turtle and its’ unique skin pattern. Its’ head was looking down at me and my eyes focused on its’ lazy eyes that gave the appearance that it was half asleep.

  Sea turtles are known to eat jellyfish myself and the other jellyfish always did our best to avoid them. I had his from them several times, but I was never close enough to be in any real danger. Plus at the time there were a lot of other things for the turtle to eat over some jellyfish. As dull as we are in life I couldn’t fathom the idea that we would tasted all that good.

  Now this turtle was looking directly at me and there was nothing to hide behind or any other option for a meal. It is well known that a jellyfish’s best, and pretty much only, defense was our stinging tentacles but was not known is the effect it has on turtle. The fact that turtles ate jellyfish gave way to the thinking that our stings had no effect on them. Even if they did I doubted a sting that I could produce would have any effect on something that big.

  I started to think the turtle was going to continue lowering itself on top of me until I was squished beneath it, but then it quickly shifted direction and was face to face with me.

  I wasn’t frozen in fear or anything, I just didn’t see the point in running. My new nothing offered no shelter and there was no way I could out swim the gargantuan turtle. Instead I just watched the turtle hover in front of me and thought to myself; at least I’m experiencing something new and exciting and not just waiting for my life to come to an end as I produce more jellyfish eggs that will carry out the same fate as everyone else.

  The turtle and I just sat there starring at each other for what felt like hours, but was probably only a few seconds. After another minute of silence I couldn’t take it anymore. “So can we get on with it?”

  The turtle slightly cocked its head to the side and in a slow voice that sounded as deep as the Marina Trench answered, “Sure, we should definitely get on with it before time is up. Even for us Sea turtles that live long lives time is still valuable and easily wasted. By the way, what is it we should be getting on with?”

  I couldn’t tell if the turtle was messing with me or not. “You know, eating me. Aren’t you going to eat me?”

  “Eaaat Yoouuu?” He spoke so slowly that it sounded like all his words were extended. “Nooo. I never liked the taste of jeelllyyfish. Plus I’m too old to try and eat living things. Instead my diet consists of plants and seaweed. Might not be as good tasting as fish and other things but it’s sure a lot easier to catch and cheeww.”

  I didn’t believe the turtle completely, but I noticed that my gelatouness body released some of the little tension that it could hold. “Well then what do you want?”

  “Hmm. I’ve been around for a long time and am lucky enough to say there isn’t many things left that I do want. I’m more curious about you and what you want.”

  “What do you mean?’

  “Weelll I was watching you for a while and I’m very intrigued by you. First of all there aren’t many jellyfish around here. In fact there isn’t much of anything out here. Second of all instead of seeming lost or confused you look to be excited to be in this lonely place.”

  “And what business is that of yours? It’s a big ocean and there’s no restriction on where I can and where I can’t go.”

  The turtle let out a grunt that I couldn’t tell was one of annoyance or amusement. Either way I told myself that this turtle could easily kill me even if he wasn’t planning on eating me. “That’s very truuue.” The turtle said. “I don’t mean to pry. It’s just that I’ve seen a lot of things in my life and this is a first.”

  For some reason I started to believe this turtle really wasn’t going to eat me. The way he spoke seemed to be gentle and kind and something about his eyes relaxed me. “I’m sorry to be so defensive.” I can’t believe I’m apologizing to a turtle, let alone talking to o
ne. “Honestly I don’t know how I ended up here, but being here just feels…”

  “Riighhtt.” The way the slow voice said this I couldn’t tell if that was a question or statement.

  “Yeah, it does. Do you know anything about jellyfish?”

  The turtle lifted his head looking up as if he could find the answer up there. After looking toward the surface for a minute he looked back at me. For a moment I thought he hadn’t heard the question or didn’t plan on answering it, but then he said, “Hhmmm, jellyfish, jellyfish. I know a few things, but why don’t you humor an old turtle and tell me what you want me to know.”

  I don’t know why, but this answer made me feel even more comfortable. “Well our lives are pointless. We just drift around, give birth, and die. There’s no relationship, no choosing our partners, no anything. It’s the same routine day after day. I just…I just….”

  “Wanted something neewww.” This time I knew that wasn’t the question. The turtle knew exactly what I was trying to say even when I didn’t. This creature that I’ve been told to fear my whole life understood me more than my family or any other jellyfish ever had.

  “How did you know?”

  “Ha-ha.” The turtle’s laugh reminded me of the sound of waves crashing. “Because my dear, I too am searching for the same thing. I have seen many things and been many places. I am very old yet I still have enough strength to get around and with that strength comes an endless thirst for knowledge and as you so eloquently put it, something new.”

  “How old are you?”

  Again the turtle looked up and when he looked back down and his eyes were narrow slits. “You know, I’m not sure. The last time I remembered celebrating my birth I think it was when I turned 70 and that was a long, long time ago.”

  “So what are you doing out here?”

  “I have spent many years living and traveling with other turtles. I raised a family that now has a family of their own. In fact their family might have a family of their own now. Anyway, after a time of living in a bale of turtles I wanted to try and live solo. Well I did that for a time, but grew bored of living in the same area. That’s when I decided to just swim. Soo I kept swimming with no point or destination in mind. And let me tell you I’ve experienced more just swimming than I ever did when I had a plan. So now I’m here and the wonders continue. For instance I just came across a lone jellyfish in the unlikeliest of areas.”

  “That sounds just like what I want. Well, I haven’t experienced all that you have and my life span is..well it’s a lot shorter and I don’t have a family, but other than that I completely understand you.” The turtle started to chuckle and I felt my tentacles rubbing against each other in a kind of embarrassment. “I’m sick of the daily grind and I just want see new things I don’t want to be forced into a life that is like every other. You know I don’t even know your name.”

  “Mmyyy name iiisss Ka’ahele, but you can call me Ka. Might I inquire yours?”

  “It’s Imi.”

  “Interesting. Do yoouuu know the meaning of your name?”

  “No, why do you?”

  “No, no. I was just curious. It’s an unusual name.” The way he looked made me think he wasn’t being entirely truthful, but I didn’t see the point in pushing the subject. “Well Ka, meeting you has been an eye opening experience and I’m inspired.”

  Ka turned his head to the side. The current started to pick up and push us, but neither of us cared. We were two travelers with no destination in mind and for once I believed the current would lead me somewhere new. “Hoowww is thaatt?”

  “I’m going to do what you’re doing. I’m just going to swim and embrace whatever comes into my life. Every day will be something new. It has been a pleasure meeting you and I wish you the best on your travels.” With that I turned away from Ka and looked at the open waters. I looked at the seemingly endless sandy bottom and turned to the right, then I turned to the left. I wasn’t scared or nervous to go off, I just didn’t know how to get started. Do I just start swimming? Should I worry about finding food first? What if all that is ahead of me is just the sand bottom of the ocean?

  I felt Ka’s eyes still on me, but I didn’t dare turn back around in fear of giving the impression that I didn’t know what to do. Luckily Ka gave me a way out. I’m not sure if he could read my mind or not. “Wait Imi, before you go I have an idea.”

  I turned around happy for a reason to postpone my departure and thinking for once my plane body came in handy by hiding my trepidation. Ka continued in a voice that sounded as if he was on the verge of falling asleep, “I was thiinnkiing that you and I could go together. At least for a whiillee.”

  This proposal surprised me as much as the first time I saw him. A jellyfish and a sea turtle? Traveling together? That was ridiculous, that was insane, that was unheard of, that was…new. “I’m..I’m not sure. You were just saying how much you enjoyed traveling on your own. I don’t want to get in your way.”

  “My dear jellyfish, it wasn’t traveling on my own that I was enjoying it was experiencing something new, and as far as I know a Sea Turtle and a jellyfish traveling together is as new as could be. So what do you say?”

  I couldn’t tell if Ka was being sincere or if he was really taking pity on me. Either way beginning my new life with a little company didn’t sound too bad at all. “Ka, I would love to travel with you.”