We crashed our boat against a reef, the impact was so strong that the boat capsized and my father and I fell into the water, I was injured in one of my legs, but my father, in a cruel fate, ends up entangled with the fishing net slowly sinking to his death.
- Dad, where are you? - I cried desperately when I saw that he was not with me.
I wanted to help my father, but I didn't know exactly where he was and that was bad, I couldn't see him and every second that passed, he was sinking deeper and deeper…
- Dad?
My father was passed out, the impact had knocked him unconscious, so he couldn't do anything to save his own life either, he was a mess, and I was really scared of losing the man who gave me life.
- No, please, somebody help me!
I could only beg God or any being to help me, to save my father, but none came, or so it seemed, because suddenly the water started to behave strangely, the waves and the tide, the water stopped shaking as it naturally does and that's what I could notice.
- What was going on? It
was not normal for the ocean to calm down, that was what I missed the most, but suddenly, a huge fishtail came out of nowhere and hit me lightly, when I noticed, a beautiful mermaid, I surfaced with my unconscious father in her arms, she was holding him and I could not believe it that a monster would help us, mermaids do not save humans, I was so shocked that I could not say anything, I did not even say "thank you" but the mermaid did say something…
- can you swim? - the mermaid asked me. -
Don't be scared…
- eh… a little, I hurt my leg... – I answered, still surprised to have seen a mermaid with my own eyes.
The mermaid, who was still carrying my unconscious father, had every intention of helping us, she was not hostile.
- I understand, I will take your father to the nearest shore and come back for you. - the mermaid says to me as she walks away.
- Wait… How do I know you're not lying? - I said as I grabbed her hand. - Mermaids don't help humans.
- Just trust. - she says as she smiles at me. - I'll be back.
- I… it's okay.
I didn't know whether to believe her, mermaids are usually man-eaters, she could very well have lied to me and taken my father to the bottom of the seabed to eat him and then come after me to give me that same fate, that was most likely, I don't know if it was her voice or her beauty, but, at that moment, I didn't feel that this mermaid was a monster, when I looked into her eyes, I realized two things, she had the most beautiful blue eyes in the world and the second thing I could see, was that she really had no intention of hurting us.
As the minutes passed, I started to get tired and my fears began to invade me, what if she doesn't come for me? Maybe she ate my father and is waiting for me to drown?… a mermaid is the biggest fear of a pirate, they trick sailors with their beauty and their singing to eat them.
- Fuck… I think I am dead. - I said out loud while I was still afloat.
And suddenly, that beautiful girl, I came out of the water, saying to me. -
I was
scared, because I still didn't know what to expect, having a sea creature known for eating men in front of me was not easy, and honestly I still didn't trust her.
- Ah! Where did you leave my father? - I asked startled when she poked her head out of the water.
- Oh... I think I already told you, I left him on the shore, he's alive, give me your hand, I'll take you to him. - she says to me.
The mermaid extends her hand to me, but I was afraid to give it to her, my instinct told me that she was very dangerous, but this mermaid told me something I never thought I would hear.
- Are you afraid? - the mermaid asked me.
The mermaid was beautiful, with blonde hair, blue eyes, porcelain face and skin, but, that's how all mermaids are, beautiful women who kill men, who wouldn't be afraid?
- Well... Miss, humans and mermaids don't have a good reputation, I have a feeling you will kill me. - I said shyly.
The girl started laughing and agreed with me.
- Ah... you're right young man, I won't deny that I could drag you to the bottom of the sea and devour you when you drown, but... I won't do it.
Hell, I guess I'm dead now, but I was going to drown anyway, I was getting exhausted, and my body couldn't stay afloat anymore, if the mermaid didn't kill me, I'd be killed by exhaustion.
- Very well, I will trust you. - I said as I gave her my hand.
The mermaid takes me by my right hand and as if I were a dolphin drags me for many meters to the beach that was near the shore where I had left my father, just as she promised.
When I touched the ground with my feet, I relaxed a lot, I was tired and my mind could not believe that a mermaid, one of the most lethal sea creatures of the sea, saved us from drowning, but more than that, the mermaid wanted to help me with the wound.
- Let me see the wound on your leg, young human. - says the mermaid to me.
The girl didn't want to get out of the water, but, after all she did for us, I understood that I could trust this beautiful mermaid, so I approached the shore again and showed her my injured leg.
- A sharp rock cut my knee, I doubt very much that I will recover, maybe with my bad luck, they will amputate my leg. - I said quite worried.
The mermaid approached me and put her right hand on my wound and with a magical language from the depths of the sea, she healed me completely with a beautiful song.
My cut was gone, let alone the bleeding, the beautiful mermaid saved me and healed me, who was she? I couldn't let her go without her telling me.
- Perfect, you and your father will be safe, try not to hurt yourself again... - she says as she swims away.
I desperately scream at the mermaid to at least tell me her name. -
Wait! What's your name!
the mermaid looks at me and comes back to tell me her name, and with a seductive and beautiful voice, the mermaid introduces herself as...
- My name is Libia...
Libia, what a beautiful name, they say that who falls in love with a mermaid is dead, but, if that is the price for being with her, I don't care.
- Libia... my name is Oliver Pie. - I said, marveling at his name. -
All right, Oliver, I'll see you...
- wait! - I shouted – will we see each other again?
And she didn't say anything, she just smiled at me and left, call me crazy for falling in love with a mermaid, but, now, the only thing I want is to see her again and tell her what I think.
Months passed after the boat accident and the rescue by Libia, I never told my father about a mermaid saving us, I felt I had to hide that detail, so I just made up an excuse and said that I was the one who saved him; for my father, it was just a very common accident, on the island of Bourbon there are many rocks that protrude from the water and if you do not look in time you can crash and fall into the sea.
Well, for me, it was not a misfortune, it was more like a good thing, because from that moment when I met Libia, my life would take a complete turn.
- Goodbye parents, I'm going fishing. - I said goodbye to my parents as I left the tavern very early in the morning.
- Again? I admire your eagerness to fish, son, but, your mother and I are worried that the same thing will happen to you as happened to us that day when we collided. - comments my father. -
Every day, I would go fishing to the place where I met Libia in the hope of seeing her again and talking to her, but, as always for months, Libia didn't show up.
- I guess I won't see her again today either. - I said very discouraged as I gathered the nets.
Before returning to the dock of the village, I stayed some extra time on the beach, near the sea, I sensed that, if I was at a point away from all the inhabitants of Bourbon, at least Libia would greet me, but as expected this day, I could not see that beautiful mermaid.
- Too bad, I didn't see her today either. - I said disappointed, but with my hopes intact of someday seeing her again.
Before I leave, I always leave a message to Libia written in the sand.
"Today I did not see you, but I know we will be together again"
And I returned to my house to work in the tavern, the next morning and as it was already customary, I returned to fish with the hopes of seeing that mermaid, and as always, I did not see her, so, at the end of the day, I began to leave her another message in the sand.
"Today was a beautiful day, but I wish I had seen you"
Again, the next morning, I went back to fish in the same sector and at the end of the day, I left another message to Libia.
"The waves were calm, but my heart is still cloudy"
And so, I continued for weeks, every day, I left messages on the sand, some did not last long because of the high tide or the rain, but, I had a hunch that Libia did read them. One cold morning, I was saying goodbye to my mother to go fishing and when I was looking for my hooks, mom discovered my secret.
- Oliver, who are you in love with? - my mother asks me.
- What?... What are you talking about, mom? - I said nervously.
If my mother found out that I loved a mermaid, she would throw me in the oven alive, my mother was always kind of strict with the girls she talked to, if she found out about her only son being in love with a mermaid, a sea creature famous for eating men, she would faint and go into madness.
- Don't lie to me Oliver, I am your mother, I can notice it in your look, I see you happier and more nervous, every day you go fishing and come back home late hours, that's not like my lazy son... What's the name of that girl that keeps you so busy?
My mother, many times have mentioned to me the fact that it was time to settle down and give her grandchildren, which, I couldn't, never before a girl left me as in love as Libia, if she wasn't a mermaid and was just an ordinary maiden, of course I would be trying to get her heart, get married, live together, have children and have a life, but, sadly, Libia was a mermaid, and I was a simple human and the truth, that didn't matter to me, Libia was the only girl I wanted to be with.
- You found me out mother, the girl I like is called Libia, but, no matter how much I go to visit her, she doesn't let herself be seen, so to speak... – I answered with a half-truth.
- Well son, a woman's heart is achieved with many things, but, patience is one of them, if you give up then you failed, but if you fight, that effort will reward you. - my mother tells me as she hands me a slice of Pumpkin Pie.
- Pumpkin pie? - I reacted as I took the dessert.
- It's for that girl, the most beautiful girls should be conquered with sweetness.
I think that was the best advice I could ever hear, no doubt my mother was the expert in love, because her advice allowed me to talk to Libia again, and you won't believe how. -
Thank you mother, I'm leaving for now...
- Good luck, son...
That same day, I went back to fish and I didn't see Libia, but on land, something happened that I couldn't consider. I put the pie on a wooden plate, and left a note for Libia. "
My mother gave me this Pie for you, I hope you like it Libia"
At that moment, I kept waiting in case she would show up and without realizing the time, I started to fall asleep, the sand of the beach was so soft and the sound of the waves so relaxing, that, without further ado, I started to fall asleep from sleep.
When I opened my eyes, I realized that it was already nighttime.
- Shit, it's night... my parents are going to kill me. - I said as I woke up, startled by how late it was.
But as I grabbed my things and headed to my boat, I could see that the plate where I had left my dessert was empty and next to it was a message written in the sand, Libia, yes she had been with me that day.
- Libia? - I whispered, happy to see the wooden plate without the Pumpkin Pie.
"Thank you, Oliver, tell your mother it was delicious"
And after that, every day after that, my mother and I would make delicious pies for Libia, she didn't want me to see it for some reason, but, she always left me notes like mine, written in the sand.
"I loved the Blackberry Pie
" "bring more Pumpkin Pie
" "thanks for the pies
" "wish I could go to your tavern and eat more of your muffins"
I didn't know why Libia didn't want me to see her, maybe, she didn't trust me, but, if I made her happy with the desserts my mother and I baked, I think that was enough for me, still, I always left her replies in the sand, along with how I felt about her.
"I'm glad you liked it
" "I'll buy more berries and bake you a nice Pie
" "Will we ever see each other again?
" "I would like to stay at sea to be with you
" "my mother keeps asking about you, I consider that she likes you
" "I hope that someday we can see each other"
I felt happy and sad, because, although I had contact with Libia, she did not appear, every time I left her a pie, I felt bad, because apparently I would never see the perfect face of that mermaid again, but I was wrong, because one day, when I was in my boat fishing, a beautiful girl came out of the water and goes up with me, it was Libia, as beautiful as always.
- Good morning, Oliver Píe, how are you – she says to me as she gets into my boat unannounced and greets me with a beautiful smile.
I was so shocked that I fainted, I did not expect to see Libia again after so long and even less to see her all of a sudden, why now, why did she let herself be seen after so many messages and cakes? My mind didn't understand, and I just collided with shock.
- Hey... What's wrong with you? - Libia asked me, worried when she saw how I fainted from the shock until I lost consciousness.
It was all very fast, but, I'm glad that, at last, I can at least cross words with that beautiful mermaid and I can't wait to wake up and tell her how much I loved her.