CHAPTER 14. Cleaning Underwater
1749 Words
Crystal is bored. Staying in the bathtub was never fun for her, especially in her siren's form. She is currently waiting for her father to return who went to her grandfather and it's been almost a month now since Gabriel left the island and it was never easy for the siren to wake up every morning without him around to swim with her underwater. Good thing that her mother allowed her to come with her father to the city but unfortunately, they arrived an hour before sunrise, and her mother did not allow her to go out anymore and kept her inside the bathtub.
"Aya?" Christian called for his wife the moment he arrived back at their yacht.
"Daddy!" Crystal cried excitedly after she heard her father's voice.
"We're going back," Christian announces hurriedly.
"Wait, what? But I haven't seen Gabriel and grandpa yet." Crystal complains. Christian sighed and went to the bathroom to where his daughter was soaking herself while Aya followed, standing behind him.
"Crystal, you don't have to see them." He said.
"What? But why? I want to. Please, dad."
"Crystal, you have to understand. Gabriel is not coming back again. He has responsibilities to his family and company, and you are not one of his priorities, keep that in your mind. The waves accidentally pushed him to the island, that’s why he’s there. Crystal, He cannot live on an island as we do, he belongs here." He said, trying to make her understand.
"That's not true, he promised me!" Crystal huffed and dipped her half-body of a human in the water to avoid hearing her father's voice and cry.
"Let me," Aya said and gestured to her husband to get out, to which he briefly complied.
"Crystal," Aya called to her, who's busy shedding pearls on the bathtub and when she noticed her father had gone already, she came up.
"Mom, why does daddy keep on saying that? Why does he always want to keep me away from everyone? Gabriel saw me in this form already but he didn't hurt me like what dad always warned me, right? I just don't understand." Crystal said while her tears keep on coming out and form into white shiny pearls before they hit the floor and bounce.
"Crystal, Gabriel is not for you, sweetheart," Aya said, crouching in front of her.
"He's already engaged with someone else. That’s why he can't be with you, darling." Aya said, caressing her face gently.
"What?" Crystal was shocked by her confession with wide eyes as her hands also started to tremble.
"That’s not true. He said nothing about it to me,” Crystal argues.
“Maybe because he doesn’t want to hurt you. That’s why.”
“But he promised me, he’ll return to the island,” she still insisted and dipped her body again into the water. Aya sighed with the disappointed attitude of her daughter and let her be alone for some time and walk out of the bathroom.
“How is she?” Christian asked when he saw Aya stepping out of the bathroom, but the latter only shook her head negatively.
They let their daughter be alone for the meantime, as they already sail away from the city. But fear overwhelmed Aya when saw nothing in the bathroom when she got back.
“Christian, have you seen Crystal? The bathtub is empty.” Aya asked hurriedly.
“What do you mean? She’s gone?” uneasiness immediately spread through their entire system when they didn’t see their siren daughter in the bathtub. They are already kilometers away from the Creekwood’s harbor and the sun is still up.
“She must swim back to the city. We need to go back,” Christian said and immediately manipulate the engine to turn back to where they came from.
Meanwhile, Crystal arrived at the shore near the sea dike, where there are not so many people walking around near the coast. She tossed her waterproof bag and stayed underwater, silently waiting for herself to turn before going up to the surface. She enjoyed herself playing underwater with some fishes down there while helping the other creature who got stuck on different kinds of plastic trash, cans, and such. It is her first time swimming near the city and it makes her sad realizing how irresponsible the humans are in the way of putting their waste in the right spot.
She collected every scrap she passed along, throwing it on the land surface where water can’t reach it, and planned to take them to the right place later, once she already had her feet. She continued grabbing the garbage underwater and when she was supposed to go up again to toss it on the land, she was surprised when a little girl about seven years old and a boy in ten caught her rising from the water.
“Hi,” she greeted them with a smile, still holding the garbage in his hands.
“What are you doing?” the little girl asked.
“Uh, cleaning up the water?” she hesitatingly answered.
“Are you the one who collected these?” the boy asked, referring to the scattered trash on the land.
“Yes?” she responded.
“You’re cleaning up the water yet you left them scattered all over here.” The boy complained with his scowling face.
“I'm sorry about that, but don’t worry, I’ll clean it up later.” Crystal apologized.
“Why not now?” the boy retorted.
“Because she can’t,” the girl answers quickly.
“She’s wearing a costume. I saw her. She is swimming with a fishtail.” The girl announced that made Crystal worry, but when she realized it was about to sunset, she smiled.
“Yes, I am.” she proudly said, showing the tip of her tail.
“How could you even swim with that?” the girl asked again.
“You surely can do anything if you practice well,” she responded.
“It looks real.” the boy unbelievably commented, gawking at her.
“What’s your name?” the girl again.
“Crystal, and you?”
“I’m Roxanne and he is Dave.”
“It is so nice to meet you guys.”
“Why are you cleaning up the water with a costume, by the way?” Roxanne asked again.
“Uh, so… the fish would think that I am one of them,” Crystal responded with a wide grin.
“That makes sense.” the little girl replied as she shrugged her shoulders.
“Do you want some help?” Dave asked.
“Oh, thank you. But I can manage guys,” she said and threw the trash she is still holding, and again, it all scattered on the land.
“Well, I guess you need some help.” the sweet little girl said, and they started picking up the scattered garbage on the shore. The siren smiled.
Crystal continues tidying underwater until it is time for her switch. She again endured the painful transformation alone, without her parents or Gabriel. After her switch, she quickly swam up to the surface and walked towards the shore while panting heavily.
“Crystal! Are you okay?” Roxanne immediately attended to her when she saw her sitting on the shore and breathing heavily.
“Where’s your costume?” she added when she noticed her tail was gone.
“Yes, I’m fine, thank you. I don’t know, it slipped from my waist and floated away,” she said and looked around, trying to find her waterproof bag where her clothes were.
“Is this what you are looking for?” Dave asked, raising a black backpack.
“Yes, it is. Thank you.” Crystal said when he handed it to her.
“Do you guys know a place where I can change my clothes?” she asked the kids.
“There’s a public toilet near here, let’s go.” Roxanne quickly pulled her up but she stopped to pick up the remaining waste and bring it with her to find some garbage bin around the area.
Everyone was looking at Crystal while they were walking on the sandy seashore, especially men. They were stunned at her innocent beauty and also curious why she doesn't look familiar around their community.
“Here?” Crystal asked when they stopped in front of the toilet.
“Yes! Where else do you want to change?” Dave retorted, and that’s when Crystal entered the cubicle while the two little sweet kids were waiting outside.
She took off her wet dress and pulled out the dry ones, then wore them. She forgot to bring her hairbrush, and so she only combed her black curly hair with her fingers. She stopped when she remembered the golden bracelet that Gabriel gave to her and frowned.
“He must be really happy by now.” She mumbled and pulled the bracelet out from her wrist and put it inside her bag.
“You are so pretty, Crystal.” Roxanne giggles when she sees her.
“Thank you, Roxanne,” though she only wears a handkerchief skirt, a flowery blouse, and a pair of ankle boots her father gave her the last time he went to her grandfather.
“By the way, are you not going home yet? It’s getting dark, your parents must be worried about you.” Crystal told the kids.
“Actually, we’re about to, we are just waiting for you to come out.”
“Thank you so much for your help, cleaning up the shore..” Crystal gladly said.
“That was nothing. Our parents are also part of an organization that cleans up the underwater and surface, like you. So, it delighted us that we could help.” Dave announced.
“Is that so? Thank you so much. I hope there are more like you guys.” Crystal happily said, knowing that there are still humans that show concerns to the water like her dad. She gave each of them kisses on the cheeks before she bid goodbye and took her first journey alone in the city.
- Writer
