The Sea

Lize was standing on the seashore and viewing in the lonely blue distance. The sea had been restless today. Foaming waves were getting up and crashing on the stones with loud splash. A high wind was blowing and flattering the long dark hair of a young woman. Thick gray dark clouds hung over the water, although there weren't any messages on the news about looming bad weather today, gloomy sky is oppressing the already strained Lize. In order to relax, she began to saunter slowly on the stony shore, on which as if wild waves were hitting now and then. But Lize was accustomed to the sea's worry and nay finding in this worry something enchanting. She had loved this sea since childhood and loved it anyway.
It's strange. They'll meet today for the first time since a long time after the parting. Still Lize was difficult for me to accept the fact that this really will happen, and she will see Jack six months later how they broke up. Lize even wasn't sure that this is reality. However, she wouldn't want this turned out to be a dream or delusion, otherwise she would have to wake up, to recover and again to dive into reality which day by day threw her more and more questions - and not a single answer.
Lize and Jack became acquainted one and a half years ago when he came as a trainee at the company where a young woman was working. Lize was an advertising specialist and was considering herself the average worker in the company, and when she unexpectedly had to become the head for recently coming novice, the young woman was highly confused. But she pulled herself together nevertheless and Lize had been helping Jack get used on new place for the next few weeks.
They were totally different from each other. Lize was quiet and hardworking, not standing out in the crowd and performing her job as required. Jack was energetic and frank, constantly inventing a lot of ideas how, in his opinion, any project may be improved and can endear any person. At first such vitality and even mischief in a Jack were having baffled Lize, but gradually she got used to him and working with him became one joy for her.
After... Lize and Jack grew closer, became friends, began to spend more time together outside of work, and finally fell in love and started dating. This is classic office romance, nothing to say. But Lize and Jack were happy together, and the young woman had thought that she fell into a true fairy tale about ideal love.
Suddenly Lize stayed and breathed fresh sea air. Usually summer has been cool in the city where Lize was living, but this year was generous on warm and even hot days. Lize hadn't liked heat and every time the young woman was glad when she realized that Lize has been living near the sea where fresh wind and cool water is always which will save even in drought. Therefore, on vacation when the thermometer rose to a high level Lize always had gathered and visited the sea which she had liked wholeheartedly. Just like Jack who had visited with her at those moments.
Until that day.
Lize and Jack quarreled then. At all, they were arguing often, but they were treating this very easily and oftentimes even steering the such conversations into hilarious jokes, but on that day everything was different. The dialogue began a normal discussion of the problem - and suddenly ended screams, broken dishes and a slammed door. It happened so abruptly that Lize still couldn't understand how it could happen. But what's done is done, and on that day Lize and Jack said a lot of gruesome words to each other and broke up.
They hadn't met from that moment. Of course, they were crossing paths at work, but even so they were trying to talk to each other as little as possible and just in case. And at all, initially they specially were trying to avoid each other, the anger and resentment were so great. But gradually the anger and resentment subsided, and Lize even was glad that she could finally forget about the failed relationship and move on. But anguish replaced it. Lize felt lonely, and she even began to think about how good it would be if she and Jack made peace. They aren't in a fairy tale where there are no quarrels, anything can happen. They were angry at each other, they were offended- it's time to at least try to make peace.
But nothing happened. Initially, Lize's resentment took over again, and then she firmly believed that Jack is guilty in their quarrel and that he must apologize. And Lize just was waiting when he'll approach her first. This is his guilt, she had thought then, that they broke up. On that day he had said so many awful things. He must swallow his pride and apologize.
This didn't happen. Lize's soul had filled up not only anguish but also anxiety after days of waiting. Whether Jack is guilty in their quarrel? Or maybe this is her guilt? On that day she too had said not the most pleasant things. And if this is her guilt, well then she must apologize? But how? How to approach him? What to say to him? And how will he react to this? What if she does something wrong? Lize couldn't find answers to these questions.
Apparently, Jack was feeling the same. Because could the explanation be that they both were continuing to avoid each other, fear poorly spoken words and hope that everything will get better somehow by itself?
Jack quitted the company two months after the quarrel. His ex-colleagues said this Lize. And then she and at all had stopped to see Jack.
Lize sat on the big stone and looked at the sea again clasped her knees. Its caprices weren't discontinuing: waves were raging all the same, seawater was noising all the same. At first the sea fascinated Lize as always, and she thought about how amazing it was. But even the noise of crashing waves and the blue infinity of the sea couldn't save Lize from her own sea of ;;thoughts and memories in her soul, and they were carrying her off on the bottom deeper and deeper.
Since Jack quit, Lize was continuing to live, continuing to work, continuing to communicate with the friends she had, despite her quiet character. But even this couldn't restore the rhythm of life that Lize had lived before parting with Jack. With his groovy character, he was painting her life in the brightest colors, even if in reality it wasn't so colorful, and now even that what Lize earlier liked had acquired a grayish tone. No, and work, and close people, and everything else still brought her joy, but when she had been alone with her thoughts, she thought that she would have been happy if Jack was with her.
Thoughts about reconciliation were coming to her mind sometimes. But Lize intensely was throwing them out of her head because she had caught herself on totally feebleness at such moments. Jack's phone number stayed with her, but Lize just couldn't bring herself to write an SMS or call out of fear and uncertainty. And sometimes Lize was trying to convince herself that her anguish is temporary and this is for the best. If they really had wanted to make peace, they had done this for a long time already.
And suddenly he wrote to her two months ago.
It was a usual SMS, where Jack greeted Lize and asked how she was doing. Lize was dumbfounded, and in spite of the anxiety that wasn't leaving her, she answered the message. Still, you can't ignore when people start communicating with you.
Jack was continuing to write to Lize, and Lize continuing to reply to Jack, and thus the usual correspondence conducted only for the sake of maintaining decency turned into a series of large dialogues. Lize and Jack began to really communicate, and although they weren't touching on the topic of their relationship and talked about general topics: how are you, how is work, and so on, Lize could no longer imagine that one day she would come home from work and not start a correspondence with Jack. Most often he wrote to her first, but often Lize was ahead of him.
Jack told Lize that he was doing well, moved to another company and became an advertising agent. Lize also told him that everything was fine with her and that everything was fine with her work.
All this correspondence returned hope to Lize. She even had the feeling that the past six months of living «separately» from each other was just a delusion, but in reality they continued to be together all this time. Or even the feeling that there was still life «separately» from each other, but the abyss separating them somehow disappeared on its own and everything imperceptibly returned to square one. Lize began to seriously think about meeting Jack in person and finally finding out what their situation was. Of course, there were doubts inside her, but Lize understood that it was no longer possible to delay and put off.
And at once Jack wrote to her himself and asked for a meeting. This happened so abruptly that Lize even panicked, but agreed to a meeting.
And here she is by the great blue sea.
Lize put her head on her knees and closed her eyes. There's any meaning in this meeting now? What will they say to each other and may they say anything at all? Who was guilty in all this, and who will they be with each other now? Maybe Jack wouldn't come at all? Should she have been here then?
At once, she heard footsteps. Lize turned around and made sure that there were his steps.
Jack was walking along the shore looking around and searching for a young woman. Lize rosed on her legs quickly and waved at him. They looked at each other. At some moment they thought that time stopped around their and they, and sea, and all over frozen, congealed, dumbfounded. But then all returned to normal again and Jack rushed with confident steps to Lize.
«He hasn't changed at all» - Lize thought with some warmth in her soul. When Jack finally walked up to her, they just stood there and looked at each other for a few seconds. Finally, with some uncertainty, Jack said quietly:
- Hello, Lize.
Lize looked into his eyes and answered reciprocal salutation:
- Hello, Jack.
Lize was embarrassed and looked down. After standing for a while, they began to saunter slowly on the stony shore. Lize and Jack walked in complete silence, and only the noise of the worried sea was allowing these two to drown in silence. Lize looked down, furtively looking at Jack. As soon as they saw each other, they immediately looked away. Lize felt awkward and was firmly convinced that Jack felt the same, because she saw uncertainty and excitement on his face. It's interesting, she looked the same in his eyes?
Lastly Lize sighed and stayed. What kind of people are they, who keep stalling and stalling for time? Who are they helping by putting everything off until later, until tomorrow, so as not to do it today? It is always difficult to solve problems, and it is easier to pretend that they do not exist and wait until they disappear. Of course, this gives relief, but only for a short moment, before it again falls like a heavy load and bends the person further to the ground, so that he can only watch helplessly as unresolved problems complicate and destroy the usual way of life.
No, this is inadmissible at all. Eventually, they lost half-year already.
Lize looked first at the sea, and then turned around to Jack. He stayed next to her for a long time and saw her with astonishment.
- It's beautiful, right? - Lize exclaimed loudly. This happened by itself and maybe was stupid, ridiculous, strange. Even so, but the beginning has been made. Ice is broken.
Jack looked at Lize with even greater astonishment. But then he smiled and laughed - how much relief was in that laughter. He turned to sea too and then answered lastly:
- Yes, it's right. It's beautiful as before.
Lize felt that she has a weight off one's mind. And though perplexity still didn't leave her fully, though Lize didn't quite know how to have a dialogue further, however she felt physically that she got better. She looked at Jack - and there saw how a smile had been disappearing from his face. In his light eyes Lize looked some kind of deep sadness and this alarmed her.
- Lize... - Jack said with sadness in his voice. A few moments passed and Lize prepared for the worst course of events, but at this point she heard confident words which she had wanted to hear for so long and which she had wanted to say herself for so long:
- Forgive me.
Tears welled up in Lize's eyes. But even so, she said confidently:
- And you forgive me, Jack.
Bright sun came out from behind the gray dark clouds. And Lize smiled for the first time that day.
They continued to walk to the beach, but all their fears and doubts dissolved like in the deep sea waters. Lize and Jack were laughing, asking carefully each other about how are they doing and how was they living how are they doing and holding hands tightly without intending to let go their in the most near time. No space left to experiences and grievances, only strong love stayed which withstood a serious test that almost ended badly. But Lize and Jack dealt with it, even now they need to build everything anew, and at present they'll be fine.
Dark clouds dispersed, and the sea calmed down. And now the sun was shining not only in Lize's soul and Jack's soul, but also around. It illuminated the quiet sea and the sea sparkled like a lot of the most precious gems.