Animal Tale #5

The lady and us

Winter months are always tough for me. But thankfully, they are perpetually followed by summer, which brings so much light and magic to these lowlands.

Endless rainy days turn into long afternoons spent at the beach. Working days without a glimpse of daylight morph into late-night conversations on the balcony.  In these months, even cycling becomes enjoyable for me.

June 21st is particularly special. The magic seems to really build up then. Maybe because it’s the longest day of the year, or perhaps it has something to do with what some call Summer Solstice.

It’s not just about the moon rocks that appear in the dunes, or the flower crowns that, according to my Lithuanian friend, can predict the future. For me, June 21st is magical simply because it has the rare power of getting Alex to the beach.

This year was a little different. Normally, we share this day with friends, but somehow, none of them were available. Still, June 21st turned out to be a beautiful, sunny day. So, Alex and I decided to make our way to the beach anyway. We brought snacks, a bottle of wine, and sun cream. All in all, a promise for a great day.

Almost as soon as we got there, something magical happened to Alex.

A tiny ladybug landed right next to his face. Before then, I had never really thought about what it must be like for a ladybug to walk on sand, but let me tell you: it’s a horrible thing to do and to watch.

She tried to climb up a small sand dune (massive for her scale) and kept flipping over, almost Kafka-like. 

The whole time, Alex and I sat there, silently watching her. At one point, she tried to fly away while lying upside down. This only got her wings full of sand and made the situation even more dreadful.

After my failed attempt to rescue her with a book, Alex finally managed to lift her safely onto his finger.

She slowly cleaned her wings. Then she simply stood there, motionless, on top of his finger.

We went swimming, the three of us.

Alex couldn’t really swim, as he had to keep his hand raised above the water.

Afterwards, we went to a beach bar. We ordered two beers and some water for the lady.

Later, we took a walk and watched the sunset.

Our relationship evolved into something new, I couldn’t quite say what, but it felt like something between starting a family and being part of a polyamorous couple. The ladybug was nice, quiet, and chill.

It didn’t take long before we grew attached to her.

We decided to cycle home.

It took us longer than usual, since Alex had to ride with one hand always raised, finger pointing at the sky. We were also worried the wind might blow her away, but she was incredibly strong.

We got home, showered, and went to bed.

We discovered that if Alex rested his arm on the shelf next to the bed, he could fall asleep while keeping his finger in the right position.

We said goodnight and went to sleep without really thinking about how we would face the next day.

In the morning, it was just the two of us.

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