By: Sandhya Srinivasan
Footsteps in the Sand
There are some things that the universe holds constant. The crashing of waves
against the shore, for example. The moon never ceases to pull on the earth, never
ceases to create more waves. The ocean never stops moving – there is always motion,
rough or gentle.
The waves at Papamoa Beach are no different. They never cease to crash and
ebb. The constant sound of the waves against the sand is calming, almost lulling. To
Savitri, that was what she needed.
Papamoa Beach in the morning is usually deserted, save for a few runners that
savour the soft sand underneath their shoes, and the smell of the salty sea entangling
itself in their clothes and hair. It is dark in the morning, but at the time Savitri was there that day, it was just light enough to see properly. She wasn’t there to run alongside the
shoreline, but rather to stare out into the horizon. To collect her thoughts in a quiet
place.
Her schedule was so hectic these days. Between work, spending time with
Anahira, and settling in, she had no time to herself. Settling in was a large task in itself:
she’d spend time cleaning each room in the flat, unpacking boxes, arranging furniture,
even dashing out to stores to replace things she’d left behind in America. The only time
she actually had time to think was on the deserted beach in the early hours of the
morning.
She couldn’t believe she was finally in New Zealand. She’d first travelled here
years ago, when she was eleven, and had hated to leave. In two short weeks, she had
discovered a gem of a country, isolated at the edge of the earth. Aotearoa, the land of
the long white cloud. Middle-earth.
She was born in America, but at a young age, moved to India and lived there for
eight years. Then she moved back to start high school and go to university. But after
getting a job there, she felt a hole in her heart. She was empty inside, bored with life.
She had what was known as wanderlust, and it gripped her soul with an iron fist. After
travelling so much in her childhood, she wasn’t content to stay in America. She needed
something fresh – something that would revitalise her and make her feel like every day
was a brand-new adventure. Then, one day, out of the blue, her friend Anahira had
called her.