The boat was small.
Selenga climbed aboard. It swayed beneath her feet.
“Sit down,” said the captain. "Don't rock the boat."
Selenga sat. She placed her hand on the edge. Water touched her fingers. It was cold.
The boat began to move.
Out to Open Water
The shore grew distant.
The city shrank. Buildings became tiny. People turned into dots.
Selenga looked back. Then forward. Right. Left.
Water everywhere.
"We're in the middle of the world right now," said Selenga.
“Why do you think that?” asked her father.
“Because everything looks the same. Water all around.”
What's Down Below?
Selenga peered into the water.
Up close, it wasn't blue. It had a greenish tint. Deeper down, it turned dark.
"What's underneath?" she asked.
“Fish,” said her father.
“Anything else?”
“Plants. Rocks. Maybe shipwrecks.”
“Shipwrecks?”
“There are ships at the bottom of the sea that have been there for centuries. Some are very old.”
Selenga gazed into the water. She imagined what lay below. Ancient wooden ships. Seaweed swaying. Fish swimming all around.
“Are they still there?”
“They are.”
“Are they sleeping?”
“Maybe they are.”
The Moment of Stillness
The captain turned off the engine.
Silence.
Only the sound of waves. And wind.
Selenga closed her eyes.
The boat rocked gently. Forward. Back. Forward. Back.
The sea was holding her. Like a giant hand. But tenderly.
“Dad,” said Selenga. Her eyes still closed.
“Yes?”
“The sea is holding us.”
“How so?”
"By rocking us. It won't let go. It won't drop us."
Her father said nothing.
The boat swayed. Forward. Back.
The Seagulls Arrive
Seagulls came.
They circled the boat. Waiting.
“What do they want?” asked Selenga.
The captain pulled out some bread. He broke it into pieces. He tossed it into the air.
A seagull caught it mid-flight. Instantly.
“Wow!” said Selenga. “Without even blinking!”
“They practice,” said the captain. "They're always waiting."
Selenga grabbed a piece. She threw it high.
The seagull caught it.
Selenga laughed. She threw again. It caught again.
“This is my favorite thing,” said Selenga.
“What? Throwing bread to seagulls?”
“No. When people give something and animals accept it.”
Back to Shore
They returned to shore.
Selenga stepped off the boat. She felt the sand beneath her feet.
But something was missing. The swaying.
Her legs still felt like they were rocking.
"Mom, I'm standing still but it still feels like I'm swaying."
“Sea legs,” said her mother. “It happens after a boat ride. It will pass.”
Selenga stood there. She felt it.
The sea was still inside her.