Enough Courage

The beach had grown eerily silent, and the relentless rain that had soaked us moments ago was gradually slowing down. After giving John quite a few pushes, he seemed to finally be back to his senses. Returning to the shore, John quickly retrieved his phone from his bag. The cold and fear had momentarily clouded his focus, as he was having trouble dialing his uncle's number. His typically confident voice now wavered as he explained our situation to his uncle. The phone call was brief, and when John hung up, he looked towards us, putting the phone back in his pocket.

"Guys," you could hear the tension in his voice as he spoke, "uncle is on his way to pick us up. We just have to wait for him now."

My heart plunged like a stone into the depths of an unfathomable abyss. My eyes remained fixed my gaze on Adica, who lay motionless upon the sandy shore. Not a flicker of movement betrayed any hint of life within her. Her eyelids clung tightly shut, as though she were ensnared in a troubled slumber. While her chest rose and fell with shallow, erratic breaths, she offered no other response. Kneeling beside her, I extended trembling hands to brush aside the damp strands of hair obscuring her face. "Adica, can you hear us?"

Emma crouched down beside Adica. She was trying to blend in a reassuring warmth to her voice, but the worry spoke volumes through the tense lines of her posture, a silent language of concern in her every gesture and stance. "Don't worry, Reol. She'll be all right. I believe that."

Despite Emma's reassuring words, I couldn't shake the feeling of helplessness that had settled over me. My thoughts raced as I desperately searched for a solution. "Emma... do you have a guess why this could-"

"Don't say anything..." Her words drew in a puff of the mushy air. She didn't spell out anything, but just her tone hinted that that's not something I should be asking. "Let's just stay calm, Reol."

The minutes languished, refusing to move forward, as if time itself had decided to saunter at a leisurely pace, oblivious to our impatience, as we waited for John's uncle to arrive. Adica's condition remained unchanged, her breaths shallow, and her eyes firmly shut. We finally felt a surge of relief when we heard the sound of an approaching car. John's uncle pulled up beside us in his vehicle. He immediately got out and rushed over to Adica. "What happened?"

"We were playing on the beach, and some stuff happened, and well... she just...fell," I explained, as John's uncle knelt down beside Adica, checking her pulse and examining her closely. 

"For now, help her to the car. But be careful, okay?"

John's uncle returned to the car and ignited the engine, deftly turning the vehicle around. After that, we quickly and carefully loaded Adica into the car, making sure she was comfortable. Our bags and belongings followed suit, hastily thrown into the back of the vehicle.

Inside the car, all the tension from before enveloped us again, suffusing the air like a dense fog, growing denser with each raindrop that tapped the roof. The rain's gentle, unceasing melody mirrored our uneasy breathing, crafting a disquieting harmony. Whenever streetlights flickered past, fleeting hints of light touched our faces, as if the shadows were conspiring to amplify our collective unease in the dimly lit space. Adica still lay unconscious, her head gently resting against Emma's shoulder. Her face was a touch paler than a while ago, and her body trembled with an inexplicable shiver. Emma kept a concerned watch over her, her brows swiveling with worry. She kept a tight grip on Adica's hands, giving it a slight squeeze multiple times... as if reassuring her that we're here.

 John's uncle seemed to occasionally glance at us, specially Adica, through the rearview mirror. Even though he's trying to stay calm like an adult, it's quite visible that he's also really anxious at the same time. "So, you're saying she accidentally drowned in the water, and then for some reason lost consciousness?" He had a gentle but inquisitive tone, and his eyes, visible through the rearview mirror, bore into me and Emma, as if seeking answers.

"Yeah, as I mentioned on the phone..." John murmured, seated beside the driver's seat, his head bobbing in agreement. His shoulders drooped with an air of guilt and sorrow, as if he's blaming everything on himself, yet none of us had the heart to refute it. He clasped his hands tightly against his face, as though seeking refuge from the burden of his perceived wrongdoing. "It's entirely my fault. I shouldn't have acted that way."

"But are you sure she didn't hit her head or anything?" John's uncle kept asking, "Because if it's something serious, we should immediately take her to the hospital."

Emma, seated next to me, interjected almost instantly, "No need for that. She just got scared... and she seemed to have caught a cold too. Her temperature is also rising. We should just take Adica to her home for now."

"If you think so, then that's fine. I just hope that she gets well soon, after all, I was supposedly in charge of you kids today..."

But I just couldn't take Emma's words like that. It's just... like a subtle tremor of doubt threading through her words, while her gaze danced with momentary hesitance. It felt like she's hiding something from us, something she wasn't quite ready to reveal. Memories rushed back, taking me to the day when Adica had abruptly left the music room, and how Emma told me not to follow her. These all feels the same, like a recurring pattern, a web of secrets just beyond my grasp... but what can it be?

After getting Adica home that day, we didn't get the opportunity to see or hear from her again.

The sweltering summer heat had taken over my room, turning it into an oven. I sprawled out on my bed, my shirt clinging uncomfortably to my skin. The ceiling above me seemed to taunt me with its static, unchanging presence. Beads of sweat formed on my forehead and trickled down my forehead, creating a damp trail along my skin. I shifted restlessly, my fingers tapping out a rhythm on my chest as I stared upward.

All of a sudden, the phone's sudden ring startled me from my thoughts. I reached for it, surprised to see Emma's name flashing on the screen. With a quick swipe, I answered the call.

"Hey, Emma," I greeted, eagerly awaiting her response. There was a rustling sound on her end, as if she was getting settled to talk. "Hey, Reol," she replied, her voice carrying an unusual weight. "I wanted to discuss that part-time job I mentioned at the café. Have you given it any thought?"

A subtle surge of excitement coursed through me. I had been looking forward to her getting back to me about this. "Yeah, Emma, I'm all ears."

She went on to explain the details, and I listened intently, nodding in agreement as she spoke. It sounded like a promising opportunity. Just as I was about to give her my consent, a thought crossed my mind. "Thanks for letting me know, Emma. I'll need to discuss it with my mother first. I'll reach out to you later, alright?"

I hadn't broached the subject of the part-time job with my mother yet, and I was uncertain about whether she would grant her approval this time around.

"Absolutely," Emma replied, her voice holding an echo of understanding. "Take your time, Reol."

"By the way, Emma, have you been in touch with Adica since that day at the beach?"

There was a fleeting silence on her end, followed by Emma's response, making me feel like I had hit a nerve. "No, I haven't."

As her words hung in the air, I sensed there was more beneath the surface, like unspoken currents swirling beneath calm waters. Before I could press for more information, Emma abruptly ended the call, leaving me with a sense of disquiet.

I thought convincing my mother would be a real challenge, to the extent that I almost counted on my older brother Liam, who was back for the summer, to help me out. But to my surprise, I didn't need his assistance after all, as my mother agreed without much fuss. Well, not right away. She did set some rules, like coming home straight from work and stuff like that. I couldn't help but notice she'd been more lenient with me lately. I wondered if it had something to do with my better grades. Well, better than nothing!

After dinner, I returned to my room, and without wasting any time, I grabbed my phone and fired off a text to Emma. It didn't take long for her reply to pop up on my screen.

I'll send you the location and time later. I'm a bit busy at the moment.