Ark in the Storm
Ashes in the Ocean
The smell of salt water was overpowering. Four years after Mina's death and I was finally able to bring her to Europe. The French coast was windy, but I knew it was suitable to her adventurous taste as I clutched her urn and a bouquet of yellow roses with one hand and the metal guardrail with another.
"Daddy! Daddy!"
I smiled upon hearing my daughter skip up to me with a grinning Uncle Kasa trailing behind her.
I passed the urn and roses to Tsukasa and picked Manami up and twirled her around as she giggled with glee. She was getting so big!
"You're growing too fast!" I complained, setting her down and taking her hand as she laughed at me.
"Are we sending Mommy to God here?" She queried. Even though she had never met her mother, she talked about her often and constantly demanded pictures of her. It sometimes broke my heart when she did so.
"Do you want to help?" I asked her dotingly, taking the urn and roses back from a respectfully quiet Tsukasa.
Manami nodded as we made our way to the guardrail and I unlatched the urn. I picked Manami up and held her in one arm with the roses and held the urn in the other.
"On the count of three," I instructed as Manami put her small hands with mine.
"One. Two." I almost didn't want to continue. I sent a silent prayer before I dared to continue.
"Three."
With that, Mina's ashes scattered out across the sparkling ocean as our daughter blew silent kisses in farewell.
Farewell. I wouldn't allow myself to think such thoughts. We would meet again. I was hopeful of that. Someday, we would be together. We would be a family.
“We love you, Mommy!” Manami cried out to the ocean.
I kissed her forehead and snuggled her closer before giving her the sunshine colored roses her mother would love.
“Mommy is very proud of you,” I told her. I was certain that, even in death, she was bursting with pride for our daughter. I wondered if she would think I was doing a good job as a father. I hoped it was so.
Mina…
Wait for us.
"Daddy! Daddy!"
I smiled upon hearing my daughter skip up to me with a grinning Uncle Kasa trailing behind her.
I passed the urn and roses to Tsukasa and picked Manami up and twirled her around as she giggled with glee. She was getting so big!
"You're growing too fast!" I complained, setting her down and taking her hand as she laughed at me.
"Are we sending Mommy to God here?" She queried. Even though she had never met her mother, she talked about her often and constantly demanded pictures of her. It sometimes broke my heart when she did so.
"Do you want to help?" I asked her dotingly, taking the urn and roses back from a respectfully quiet Tsukasa.
Manami nodded as we made our way to the guardrail and I unlatched the urn. I picked Manami up and held her in one arm with the roses and held the urn in the other.
"On the count of three," I instructed as Manami put her small hands with mine.
"One. Two." I almost didn't want to continue. I sent a silent prayer before I dared to continue.
"Three."
With that, Mina's ashes scattered out across the sparkling ocean as our daughter blew silent kisses in farewell.
Farewell. I wouldn't allow myself to think such thoughts. We would meet again. I was hopeful of that. Someday, we would be together. We would be a family.
“We love you, Mommy!” Manami cried out to the ocean.
I kissed her forehead and snuggled her closer before giving her the sunshine colored roses her mother would love.
“Mommy is very proud of you,” I told her. I was certain that, even in death, she was bursting with pride for our daughter. I wondered if she would think I was doing a good job as a father. I hoped it was so.
Mina…
Wait for us.