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It’s going to be raining soon. Sky looks heavy with soaked grey clouds. I feel a slight shudder from the floor which signals that the ship is going to launch to the vast blue see at any moment now. I cannot explain the exact feeling I’m having in my insides at the moment. It’s something between the excitement and tension. I rub my palms together to add more enthusiasm to my being. The voyage is about to begin!

I hear the excited hustle outside the ship of people saying good bye to their loved ones. I should go outside although I know that there won’t be anyone out there waiting for me. I look at my reflection on the mirror. A lean figure silhouettes in the mirror against a background of shining wooden walls of the ship. A long midnight blue frock flows smoothly to the floor draping the figure down to the ankles. I know that although I may not be a stunning beauty, I am not at all an ugly person. The reflection in the mirror smiles at me. I try to read what is written on that pale face that is staring at me with a thoughtful look. I see a hidden sparkle in the depth of those big black eyes. While an audible sigh escapes to the air, I turn away from the mirror and step out to the deck of the ship.

I silently watch the crowd in the deck of the ship. Young, old and middle aged; pretty, ugly and moderate; white, black and brown; smiley, teary and poker faced; men, women and those who the sex is not distinct… There are human beings in every possible way.

I hear a number of different languages are being spoken. I close my eyes and try to understand what is being said. When the voices of different languages get mixed with the whisper of the sea wind a universal language forms instantaneously. There are no different languages in this ship. What everyone says, everyone understands.

I go to the edge of the rails and peep at the beautiful sea underneath. The waves are rhythmic and sing a song of their own in a ghostly voice. The dances on the crystal surface of the see smoothly to the rhythm of the waves. The gush of the salty wind sweeps the hair off my face. I’m happy!

The ship slowly begins to move in to the deep blue waters. I look at the horizon. The sky is clear. Sea birds roam around making beautiful patterns against the clear blue sky. I look at the passengers still bidding farewell to their loved ones. I feel a knot in my throat. It’s one of those feelings you get when you are about to cry. But long ago in a dark stormy night, I cried myself to sleep promising to my own broken heart that I will never cry again for feelings. Feelings betray us in every chance they get. So why waste our tears on that. I am not going to give up that golden principle for a moment of weakness. I move my eyes to the land that keeps getting smaller when the ship takes on speed.

The shadows of the hills are still visible. A soft veil of mist covers the vision of trees and the greenery. Loads of memories come flooding to my mind. I see a girl next to me. She looks nothing more than the early twenties. The baby she is holding is shriveled and moaning painfully in his baby words. I see a past of torment in both the kids and mother’s eyes.

Although I love making sad people smile, I love being with happy people better. I leave the sad mom and kid to look at the sea and grieve and go into the middle of the deck of the ship. There are no classes or different stories in this huge wooden fish. All in a same class. A little running kid suddenly comes to me and hugs me, then laughs hysterically and runs away. There is always something divinely beautiful about kids. They don’t pretend. If they are happy they smile and if they are sad they cry. Simple as that.

I keep walking through the crowd. I see a family of dirty blond heads eating what seems to be like a bad version of a biscuit. They seem happy for what they got. Slightly fat mother has her head on the father’s shoulder. He keeps stroking her hair unconsciously while thoughtfully munching away the big biscuit he has in his hand. For some reason this scenery makes me smile.

I take a sweeping look at the whole crowd in the deck. We are almost in the middle of nowhere now in the sea. No land to be seen in either of the sides. I walk to the rear end of the ship. I see the middle aged fat captain checking in to some device constantly looking at the sky and the horizon.

“Good morning captain!” I greet him cheerfully.
“What’s so good in this little missy?” he replies. He has this strong indifferent air in him. May be the long years in the middle of the sea fighting with waves and storms has toughened him up.
“Will it take long for us to reach the final destination?”
“Well my lady…” he strokes his long beard. “We can never say, can we?”
I sense a long long voyage. That goes up to the eternity.
I walk into my cabin and sit at the table. My hand reaches for ink and a quill. There’s a high stack of papers near me. I take a fresh paper and mark the day.

22nd June 19..
“The Eternal Voyage”

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