FREE SHORT STORY
- navskys
- Oct 1
- 5 min read
Fiction Literature
Tila was able to swim by the age of five. Miguelito had taught her during the last warm season. First, put your face in the water, then just your toes. Tila obeyed quickly. She wanted to learn to swim more than anything. Miguelito's friends had laughed at her because she had to wear a large round donut every time she swam. Now, let's practice the arms. Make your hands like fins dropping into the water. Each movement against the water propels you forward.
"I can't do it, Miguelito. It is too much work!"
"Ok. Tomorrow, we start again, Tila. Don't worry. Anybody can learn. Make sure to practice."
Miguelito's friends were watching from the sand bank. "Your friends are waiting. I am going over to the tidepools."
"Ok. When I am ready to go home I will swing back over."
Tila saluted humorously. "Ok. Boss." She scampered towards the blue coves to the southside. Tila loved the tidepools. Sometimes, she put her foot inside the tidepool and with the sea life. The water was mostly receding which meant the animals were sleeping. Tila found a stick and gently jostled a curled up crab.
" Hello, little crabbie. How are you today?" Tidepool sealife was unedible. The older boys would help themselves lazily avoiding the deeper waters and overabundant active crustaceans. The crabbie scampered under a rock formation, the ocean spray flying into the air covering the crabs entrance. "Hmmm. Not so friendly today?”
Another larger pool was further south near the mouth of a large cave. She would have to wade over between waves using the sunken rocks as guides. Tila was beckoned by a sense of discovery. Quickly she moved her body through the undertow and made her way to solid ground away from the waves. A few hours passed quickly as she delighted in watching a lobster feasting and an urchin closing and opening to capture a minnow.
"Tila, Tila!" It was her brother. She did not want to go home. "There you are Tila, you went far!" He had arrived from the upper bank above the cave. "I want to sleep here!" Tila said firmly.
"Why, Tila? Aren't you hungry for fish stew and rice."
"Yah, I am. I wanted to watch the tidepool at night." Tila gathered her large wrap and started uphill with Miguelito in the lead.
Today, Tila started her first day of school. She couldn't sleep. She was so excited. She knew lots of her classmates. They had played at the beach together throughout the summer. Lots of children who lived on the island she had never met. Some kids took siesta in the afternoon and some had chores. On occasion, she could hear distant children she had never met strolling by near the water.
Right away, Tila greeted her friend Sayfa. Sayfa looked like Tila, only slightly older due to a slight limp. The two friends spent the school day greeting new kids and playing during snack time. Tila felt like a new person by the end of the day. She was not ready to go home when the school bell rang. "Safya, I will see you next week then."
"Tila. Don't forget. You have to collect three things to share with the class Tuesday."
"We have plenty of time. Let us meet here on Tuesday, and you can show me what you find before class starts."
"Ok. Safya." The two girls hugged like they would never see each other again. Tila ran the whole way home. Her jacket and book flying in the wind.
"Mame, Mame! I'm home."
"Little Tila. I am in the laundry room."
"How did you survive without me?" Tila asked her grandma genuinely. Her grandma swooped her up in her arms and kissed her forehead lightly. "Little Hen. I did miss you."
Mame and Tila finished folding the clothes and then headed to the kitchen. Just then, Miguelito burst in the door. "I am the smartest in my class, Mame!"
"I never doubted Miguelito. Here, I made sugar cookies while I survived without Tila. Both kids laughed and rolled, while Mame made funny faces. Their mother returned home from work hearing the laughter from the walkway. "Your home early, Madre."
"Yes. For my children's first day of school, I closed early and brought fresh milk." Their mother turned slightly pale. She walked to the photo of their Poppy. Their mother began to weep while holding the photo. She clutched the frame to her chest and excused herself heading to her bedroom to continue weeping.
Mame looked at both of us. "She is happy. And forgot he gone now, years. For a moment it seems like when you were born Tila. We be thankful for all we have now." The kids finished the cookies and milk and headed outside towards the shoreline. "Be back before dark. The sun falls quickly now as the weather cools." From their house, the beach was a short twenty minute walk. Tila and Miguelito each swung a pail as they walked. At the water's edge, Tila headed towards the cove while Miguelito gathered palm leaves.
As Tila looked into the depth of her favorite Tidepool, she saw an image of her mother and father together holding hands. "Hello, little crabby." Tila gently touched the hermit crab with her finger waking him from sleep.
She saw a shallower pool farther to the east of the cove and waded into the cool water. Algae and kelp swished around her toes. "What is this?" Tila bent noticing something gold color. She picked up the shellfish and put it into the pail as she heard Miguelito's bird imitation. "Help me carry these." The two scrambled home arms full of large leaves.
*
Tila could hardly sleep thinking of her return to class. As she fell asleep, the rain sprinkled on the plants outside.
"This is my starfish called Gold Astro." Tila held up her find gently, high in front of her face, so everyone in her class could see." The starfish had to stay upright, crusty side upwards. Her teacher found a spot on a table in the back for the fish. Tila had wanted to keep her pail with the fish and seawater on her desk. The students said, "Wow" enthusiastically even though they knew sea life and starfishes.
Safya was the most impressed. She moved to their island only two years earlier. She was mesmerized watching Tila's fish. "See you tomorrow Tila"
"Please. Here. Take Astro. I want you to have it. Give me my pail tomorrow." Safya's eyes lit up. "Tila, you are the best friend of my life. I will take good care." She said waving goodbye and heading towards her home happily. Miguelito caught up with her as they walked. "Where is Astro?"
"Safya has it."
"Let's gather some more leaves on the way. What are you building?"
"A hut for spring."
"Hmmm. You could keep food and water inside, then we could spend all day by the water."
"Just a place for me to hang out. No girls allowed."
"So, Miguelito. You don't need my help gathering leaves." Tila turned and headed back home with a smirk.
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Excerpt from TIDEPOOLS by Navsky copyright 2025 Navsky
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