“Who said that?”
“If you keep swinging round, you’re going to make me seasick.”
“Ah, it’s you.”
“Yes, it’s me, so light you forgot I was on your back.” He strode on down the path, careful to keep her bare legs away from thorns. At last they reached the sand, and he gently put her down.
“You see, I’m not even out of breath.”
They sat on the beach and watched the waves roll gently in. Gulls wheeled on the breeze, the more intrepid ones dropping onto the rocks nearby in the hope of scrounging scraps from their picnic. Rafa poured the wine, and Clementine opened the sandwiches.
“Here’s to our renewed friendship,” he said, raising his glass. “I want to say how sorry I am that I interfered. Your relationship with Marina is none of my business. The truth is, I like you both, and I want you to like each other.”
She raised her glass. “I accept your apology, graciously this time.”
“So, we’re friends again?”
“Yes. Definitely.” They drank a moment in silence. Then Clementine took a deep breath. “You know you said that I should detach from the past so as not to ruin my present? What exactly did you mean?”
He looked at her anxiously. “You don’t really want to talk about this, do you?”
“Yes, I do.”
“You promise you won’t run off in a fury?”
She laughed. “I’m sorry I lost my temper. I promise I won’t run off; anyhow, you have the car keys.”
“Okay, if you insist, I’ll share my thoughts, for what they’re worth.”
“I think they’re worth a lot.” She took a bite of turkey sandwich. “I might learn something.”
“First of all, you have to understand my philosophy of life.”
“Which is?”
“I start from a belief in our ability to choose our destinies. We come down here to experience life and learn to be compassionate, loving human beings. During our lifetime we have many choices which affect those around us as well as our own futures.
“Imagine a pebble dropped into a pond. You may think that the pebble simply sinks to the bottom, but you are wrong. The pebble causes ripples that run to the edge, where they nudge a leaf off the bank. A bumblebee is drowning in the water, but now he is able to climb onto the leaf and save himself. The bumblebee flies off and lands on the arm of a child, who watches in wonder and thus develops a love of nature. The child’s parents are fighting, but the mother sees the bee and panics that her child will be stung. Both parents rush to help the child and forget their argument, united in their love for their child. The bee flies off and … well, you can invent whatever story you like.
“The point is, nothing you do is in isolation. So you see, your choices are important. If you choose to hold on to grudges you will create a future that is unhappy, because every decision will be borne out of your resentment. Marina fell in love with your father and married him. It doesn’t matter anymore whether she stole him from your mother, or rescued him from an unhappy marriage—and believe me, each person involved will have their own interpretation of the events and they will all be different. But you, Clementine, can choose how you react. You’re an adult now with your own future to build. If you detach emotionally, give them your blessing, try to see the good in Marina instead of looking for the bad, you will forge a happier present for yourself.”
She thought about it awhile, her gaze drawn out to sea. “I’ve never given Marina a chance,” she said softly. “I’ve always resented her for taking Daddy away from me.”
“Your father is still here. Perhaps you need to be the bigger person and reach out to him.”
“You make it sound so easy.”
“Look, we are not caricatures but complicated, flawed human beings. Love is bigger than all of us. Just understand that they had their reasons, probably not the reasons you think they had, and make a conscious decision to let them go. They’re a great big liner you are pulling across the waves. Cut the rope. Release yourself. You can rise to great heights in spite of the terrible start you had in life.” He smiled with empathy. “But more probably because of it.”
“You said I should ask Marina her side of the story.”
“Maybe one day, down here on the beach, when you’re alone and uninterrupted, you might ask her to tell you what happened. But only when you’re ready to listen without judging her. Only once you have detached enough not to bring it all back to you.”
“You’re very wise, Rafa.”
“That’s what everyone says, but I’m not. I’m still learning, still searching.”