Children of the Tide

by Theo Shapiro

  ****

  After we agreed to travel together Ka suggested that we begin in the morning. Ka showed me how to dig in the sand and create some cover so we weren’t completely exposed while we slept. When we got up I felt hunger pains that I had never experienced before. Again, I was thrilled with the new feeling. Ka showed no signs of hunger either because he wasn’t hungry or the pains of hunger was nothing new to him and was as common a feeling as that of the ocean current.

  We started swimming with no set destination. Ka was in the lead and I followed. After a couple hours of swimming the hunger pains became old and were no longer a welcome feeling. I would have done anything to get something to eat. Plankton, a fish, even another jellyfish (sick I know, but hey that’s Mother Nature), anything. I didn’t want to pester Ka, but I could feel myself weakening and I started to have trouble keeping up.

  Ka must have noticed this because just as I was about to say something he stopped and turned toward me. “Oh Imi, you must forgive an old turtle I’m afraid I need to find some food if I’m to go on any more. Do you mind?”

  I could tell Ka could have continued on like this for several more hours without stopping and he was merely saying this on my account. “Sure, to tell you the truth I’m getting a little hungry myself. Although there doesn’t seem to be anything to eat.” I looked around in all directions and saw nothing edible. Instead of just plain sandy bottom there were now rocks and brain coral, and other coral formations but nothing worth eating.

  Ka turned away without answering and swam up to the closest coral. It was several pieces of Pillar Coral that was growing from the ocean floor. Their formation resembled a Fit Tún’s fingers sticking straight up (or so I imagine from stories I’ve heard). Ka swam right up to them and took a massive bite out of one. I looked on with complete shock. “You’re eating coral?” I asked.

  With a mouth full of coral and still chewing he turned back toward me and mumbled, “Of course. Pillar Coral are one of my favorites. Plus you have to make do with what you have and there aren’t a lot of other options around.”

  Eating coral was the last thing I wanted to do. I couldn’t believe it but I found myself longing for my old home where there is plenty of real food and the feeling of hunger was as foreign to me as a scratch. Ka turned back to me and gestured with his head for me to join him. “Oh, on second thought I’m not too hungry. I never like to swim on a full stomach.”

  Ka seemed to shake his head just a little then turned back to the coral for some more. After a couple more mouthfuls we continued on our way. At the beginning of the trip I looked at every little thing I saw taking in all the new sights, but now I could only focus on the horizon, hoping that something worth eating would appear. There was nothing.

  Ka and I talked a little and I learned about the life of a Sea Turtle. I was most fascinated by their longevity, and he was just as interested by our concise life span. Ka presented a new way of looking at the life of a jellyfish that I had never seen before. Ka explained that the six month average lifespan of a jellyfish was a beautiful thing. With such a short life, he explained, everything is precious; nothing should be taken for granted. He went on to say every day was something special because it was rare.

  After this we swam along in silence and I started to feel a new pain, longing. This new feeling didn’t bring any excitement. Thoughts of hunger started to fade and were replaced by thoughts of my jellyfish friends and family. Correction, former friends and family. They were gone and I was on my own now. At least I had Ka.

  The sun was starting to set and with it I felt the change in tide. The change coincided with a change in the weather. A storm seemed to appear as suddenly as a Barracudas’ bite. I could feel the ocean swaying in each direction and pulling me along with it. Ka was unaffected and continued on as graceful as ever. I however was forced to use all my strength to fight the push and pull of the water. The fight was sapping my strength and I knew it would be a matter of minutes before I was taken by the current like a broken off piece of seaweed.

  Again Ka came to my rescue. “This might be a good time to stop.” He said.

  My pride wouldn’t allow me to admit that I needed this reprieve as much as I needed anything. “If..If you want. I mean I guess we can.”

  “Thank yooouu.” Ka drifted to the ocean floor and used his head and front flippers to push up a pile of sand. He gestured for me to float down and brace myself against the sand. Once I did he swam to the other side of me and lay down. This formed a protective field from the raging waters with a border on either side of me blocking the current. “What about you?” I asked.

  “Ha-ha. I’m too biiiggg for this swell to puushhh meee around.”

  It only took me a few seconds to fall asleep. That night I had dreams of my old home. Dreams or nightmares, I couldn’t tell the difference anymore. When I woke up Ka was gone from his spot. This brought another new feeling that I didn’t like, panic. I wouldn’t last a second out here without Ka. I shot up off the ocean floor and spun in a complete circle. It took me a second complete spin to see him swimming toward me with something in his mouth. He dropped it at my tentacles and I saw it was three tiny fish.

  “I found some breakfast for you.”

  All attempts of keeping my pride flowed out of me like the lowering of the tide. “Oh thank you Ka! I was so hungry. I…” I couldn’t even complete my thanks because before I knew it I was gobbling up the fish. When I finished I was horrified at the idea that I didn’t offer any to Ka. When I asked him he assured me he had eaten while I was asleep. I’m not sure if I believed him but I didn’t put up much of an argument.

  Once I finished Ka asked if I was ready to continue. Not trusting that I had the strength to say yes I used my tentacles to say I was. Again Kat took the lead and when I went to follow I realized my body wouldn’t move. Ka must have sensed it too for he turned back to look at me. “Ka, I’m so sorry, but I don’t think I can do this. I thought this lifestyle was all I wanted but now I realize it’s not for me. I’m starving, scared for my life, and, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I miss my fellow jellyfish. I miss the routine, I miss battling with other jellyfish to get to food that I know will be there. I miss the taste of the sweet creatures that live in the coral near us, and I (laughing to myself) miss all the males trying to court me. I want a family Ka. I never knew it until now, but I do. I want to bring some tiny jellyfish up in this world. I want to teach them about life and I want to tell them about you Ka. I want to tell the story of the great Sea Turtle that befriended a jellyfish and saved my life and took me on an adventure.” Ka smiled at this. “I just want to go home, Ka. My life is too short to shorten it out here. We jellyfish aren’t meant for this, and there’s nothing wrong with that. We all have our purpose and now I know what mine is.”

  I don’t know what I expected Ka to do or say. Would he be angry for wasting his time with me? Would he be glad to get rid of me? Maybe he would start laughing at my weakness, or worse, pity me. What I didn’t expect was for him to turn away and start swimming.

  “Ka! Wait!” I called. “Please, can you help me get home? I know it isn’t fair of me to ask you this, but I need you.”

  Ka slowed and looked back at me. “Little one, you arrre hooommme.” He stopped and floated to the bottom and waited for me.

  “What do you mean I’m home?” Ka didn’t answer, only continued to stare with that kind, knowing look. I swam up to him and realized that we were sitting on top of a wall with a drop off. Around 60 feet below us was a forest of coral and reefs. There were bright color fish swimming everywhere. Dashing this way and that; playing games, building homes, searching the ocean floor, and hunting for food. Hovering above this plethora of activity were dozens of jellyfish.

  These weren’t just any jellyfish, these were my jellyfish. My friends and family. Any other sea creature would find it impossible to tell the difference between any jellyfish, but I knew. They were doing the same thing they were when I left them, but
somehow not the same thing. The jellyfish that were playing looked to be playing in a new way, the ones eating looked to be savoring their food in a way I had never seen before, and the ones just floating seemed to be floating as if they had just discovered the ability.

  If jellyfish could express emotion I know it would be pouring out of me. Even though we gave no sign of our emotion somehow Ka knew exactly what I was thinking. “Welcome home, Imi.” He said.

  “Ka, how did you? How did we get….? I don’t under… thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. As to the questions you’re trying to ask, I told you…I’vebeeennn around forrr aa loonngg tiiimmmeee.” Ka seemed to stretch this out even more than usual as if to emphasize his point. “Do you think this is the first time I have come across some sea creature that thinks they are sick of their lives and want some kind of change?” Ka chuckled to himself. “Although I will admit this is the first time it was a jellyfish. Anyway, at some point or another everyone gets tired of their lives and seeks a change. It’s only a select few that really want to get away from what they have. When you’re up close to something it’s hard to appreciate it’s beauty, but when you take a few steps back you can take in the whole thing and really see how beautiful it is. Do you understand?”

  I didn’t say anything, I didn’t need to. If Ka had told me this a day ago I wouldn’t have understood, but now we both knew I did. Then something occurred to me. “Ka, what about you? You said everyone gets tired of their life for a time, but most end up missing it, haven’t you ever missed your life? You said you had a family, what about them?”

  Ka’s pleasant mood seemed to immediately darken. His old eyes that were usually filled with a playful curiosity were now round orbs of pain. Instantly I feared I had overstepped my place and asked something I shouldn’t have. “Ka, I’m sorry. It’s none of my business and you’ve already done son mu..”

  “No, you have a right to know. The truth is I spend every day of my life missing my family and the bale I traveled with. I may be ancient compared to you and other sea creatures, but to sea turtles I’m just leaving my prime and when I left I was a young, naïve turtle. When I left my family had moved on to live their own life and I felt that I didn’t have a place in it anymore. So I wanted to try and find a place that I felt needed. It didn’t occur to me that I was already in that place until I was so far away that I couldn’t find my way back. Since that day of realization I have spent every day of my life just swimming, helping any sea creatures in need I see, and hoping that I find my family again. The problem is it’s a very large ocean. I live a long life so eventually one quest will come to an end; either my life or my search.”

  For a moment I forgot all about my family and friends that lay so close to me. “Oh Ka, there has to be something I can do. Come with me, we’ll help you search, or you can even stay with us. The others may be a little scared at first, but I promise they’ll accept you and you can be happy with us.”

  The color in Ka’s eyes seemed to brighten and I could tell his spirits started to brighten. “Oh little one that’s a very kind offer, but you and I both know this isn’t my place. This is your place. I have faith that I will find my family again just as I have faith that you will create your own family and be very happy.”

  I looked down on my old home and felt a stirring inside. I could feel my tentacles getting excited and I even heard my stingers buzzing which tends to happen when I get really excited.

  “Anyway,” Ka continued, “Every creature I help gives me purpose and makes me feel better. If I’m destined to wander the vast ocean and do nothing else I will die a fulfilled turtle and in the end that’s all you can ask for. Now, get going for life is short and you have much to see and dooo.”

  I took one final look at Ka for what I knew would be the last time. I wanted to embrace him in some way, but that’s not what jellyfish do. Instead I settled with another thanks and a nod from Ka. Without another word I swam down the cliff toward my home. As I neared I heard the buzz of all the jellyfish going about their business. Everything seemed new and exciting and I couldn’t wait to embrace it all. I couldn’t wait for my old new.