Friday, December 2, 2011

Starfish

 ''When washed on the shore, the starfish make no effort to be saved. They close their pores; reserve their energy, hoping that the next tide will pull them back in the sea.''

 Another day spent entirely in front of the laptop. I'm begging to find something that can keep me focus and interested for a great period of time. The internet fails at that. Social networks are just for guys and girls posing in their so cool magazine style pictures, and videogames just won't cope with me. I have one of my friends on the phone, just talking about random staff. He asks if I can join him for a beer.

''I told you, I can't. I'm spending the weekend with my father.''

 I hear a buzzing tone from my cellphone. My dad texted me, he wants to get him his backpack.

''Well, I have to go. I'll ask and I'll call you back. Ok, bye.''

  My dad.. Well, I guess they had  good reason getting divorced with mom. When someone has this ''artistic'' style of character it's hard to deal with him. So much for mom, who was always in need of a person next to her. He now has a girlfriend. He changes them from time to time. He leaves quite isolated, in a house by the sea outside the city. He only gets company when he ''has to''. He is a reporter, so he travels alot. He goes wherever the newspaper wants him to go.

 I get my jacket and go to the living room to get his things. I close the door to the balcony and see him on the beach taking pictures. I go outside to get to him. The tide had brought a bunch of starfish, which are now subject to my father's pictures. On my way to him, I pick up a starfish and threw it back to the sea. I take one step and throw in another one. I reach him and gave him his staff and turn around to leave.

 ''Stay with me for a while'' he said to me.

  It's ok I guess..

''What are the girls cooking?''

''Dunno. They said to go upstairs in a while..''

 We stay quiet for a while..

''I haven't seen so many in years... Quite a storm, wasn't it''.. he said in an attempt to break the ice..

''Yes.'' I don't care what he says, I just try to play nice.

''Back in time, when they were washed on the shore, I used to spend 5 film rolls a day. I saw you were throwing them back in the sea.. A couple of you and I could never pursue a career.''

His words were filled with irony, and that small laugh of his made me furious but I didn't say a word. I was just staring at the cloudy sky, letting my thoughts carry me away.

''We are preparing a tribute for the regions hit by disaster and I'm leaving next week for a couple of days. Do you want to come with me?''

 ''No.''

He lights up a cigarrete, obviously annoyed from my denial.

''If you worry about absence at school, your mother can provide an excuse.''

''It's not it''

 ''Then?!''

 '''I just don't want to!''

 He seems clearly pissed off. He takes a deep breath of smoke.

''You won't have many chances to see something like this. The picture after the disaster.. it leaves you speechless. Only then you will realize how small and weak we are.''

My dad.. He is the kind of people I hate. And I would if we weren't blood related. Small and weak.. I don't know the meaning of these words. I can't feel them. The only emotion I have towards them is disguss. We can anything we set our minds to. There is no limit to what can be done. My dad is too narrowminded to comprehend that..

I get on my my feet, and take a look at him. As I am taking off, I pick up another starfish..

''No, we're not''.. and I send it back to the ocean..

special thanks to Katerina Gkioulmichalaki for the concept and the film!


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