whale watching

I'm sitting here staring at this screen, my toes in the sand waiting for the water to lap up.

I sit here with the fluorescent lights, the water gently covering the slick sand, the dogs running in and out of the water, chasing the waves.

The view is spectacular, a horizon empty but for a kite surfer, a boat. The sky melting into the water, salt mist covering my sticky salt-lick skin.

I surf the internet looking for something to do, to occupy my stagnant brain. The wind gusts and blows my hair in front of my face, flicking the ends into my mouth. I shake and take a pin from my desk, securing the hair behind my ear.

I slip my heels off under my desk so the water can lick my toes with their icy cold tongues and I smile, because this beach is my mine. I am the only one here, apart from the boy next to me with his shovel and bucket, he's here too. he's making sandcastles.

I put my notebook aside and take the phone off the hook and I go and I make sandcastles with him, he's a man now. He has grown up but I am the same age. We are looking at computer screens and talking about lay-outs and graphics.

I return the phone to the hook and my feet to their shoes and I continue my work.