Family Fiction posted March 30, 2023 |
Even in paradise things can stink.
Paradise Lost
by GWHARGIS
The author has placed a warning on this post for language.
She sat at the beach access with her Starbucks coffee and an empty plastic bag.
Today she had decided to have fun, to enjoy the beach she had scrimped and saved to move to. It was her day off. Between a full time job and a three night a week cleaning job, Alice rarely had time or energy to enjoy this beach she had once so desired.
It was expensive to live here. It was cold in the off season. The place exploded in summer and the roads, which were made for a year around capacity of 20 to 30 thousand residents, became virtually constipated with tourists' traffic.
Today was different. She planned to sip her coffee, listen to the seabirds, and be lulled into a pleasant catatonic state with the rhythmic pounding of the waves.
She exited her car, climbed the wooden steps and got sand blasted in the face. Alice spit as much of the sandy granules out as she could.
Twenty plus mile an hour winds had stirred the sand and flattened the heads of the waves. It was very much like a loose rehearsal for hurricane season.
"Well, shit," she thought, as she looked from side to side. "Some paradise."
She sat down on the steps and wiped away any sand off the top of her cup.
"It never fails," she grumbled. "I can't ever catch a break."
She watched as a mother and father and three very excited children hopped out of their mini van and rushed towards her.
"Excuse us," the mother said, guiding her children one by one as they bounded up the steps past Alice.
"Sorry, but the beach is horrible today. Your kids are going to be broken hearted they can't play out there. "
The mom smiled. "We promised them a trip to the beach and today is our only day open." She shrugged her shoulders and nodded her goodbye.
Alice checked her watch. " I give them five minutes."
Twenty-five minutes passed, then forty-five. Alice stood up and looked out at the beach. The father and the two older ones were racing each other. The mother and the smallest child were crouched down, going through the patch of shells that had washed up.
Alice leaned against the railing and watched them. The wind and sand didn't bother them.
They had found paradise in exactly the spot that Alice had been too blind to see it.
She sat at the beach access with her Starbucks coffee and an empty plastic bag.
Today she had decided to have fun, to enjoy the beach she had scrimped and saved to move to. It was her day off. Between a full time job and a three night a week cleaning job, Alice rarely had time or energy to enjoy this beach she had once so desired.
It was expensive to live here. It was cold in the off season. The place exploded in summer and the roads, which were made for a year around capacity of 20 to 30 thousand residents, became virtually constipated with tourists' traffic.
Today was different. She planned to sip her coffee, listen to the seabirds, and be lulled into a pleasant catatonic state with the rhythmic pounding of the waves.
She exited her car, climbed the wooden steps and got sand blasted in the face. Alice spit as much of the sandy granules out as she could.
Twenty plus mile an hour winds had stirred the sand and flattened the heads of the waves. It was very much like a loose rehearsal for hurricane season.
"Well, shit," she thought, as she looked from side to side. "Some paradise."
She sat down on the steps and wiped away any sand off the top of her cup.
"It never fails," she grumbled. "I can't ever catch a break."
She watched as a mother and father and three very excited children hopped out of their mini van and rushed towards her.
"Excuse us," the mother said, guiding her children one by one as they bounded up the steps past Alice.
"Sorry, but the beach is horrible today. Your kids are going to be broken hearted they can't play out there. "
The mom smiled. "We promised them a trip to the beach and today is our only day open." She shrugged her shoulders and nodded her goodbye.
Alice checked her watch. " I give them five minutes."
Twenty-five minutes passed, then forty-five. Alice stood up and looked out at the beach. The father and the two older ones were racing each other. The mother and the smallest child were crouched down, going through the patch of shells that had washed up.
Alice leaned against the railing and watched them. The wind and sand didn't bother them.
They had found paradise in exactly the spot that Alice had been too blind to see it.
No idea where this came from other than hearing someone tell me I'm lucky I live in paradise. But every paradise has its sorted details.
Pays
one point
and 2 member cents. You need to login or register to write reviews. It's quick! We only ask four questions to new members.
© Copyright 2024. GWHARGIS All rights reserved.
GWHARGIS has granted FanStory.com, its affiliates and its syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.