This is Heaven
Sunlight streamed through the soft clouds, speckling the lush field of grass with patches of light amongst shadow. We ran barefoot along the red dirt path, winding between tree branches and groupings of lava rock. The breeze reached out to stroke our faces lightly and twisted our hair as it lifted away. Quickly we came to the edge of the bluff. It overlooked the ocean of gradient blues divided by bubbling lines of white waves rushing toward the black sand beach below. To our right was a natural pool, separated form the ocean by a thin band of grey lava rock which was slowly shrinking as the tide grew higher. In the middle of the pool stood a single rock island with what looked to be steps made of stone spiraling up the sides.
“This is heaven,” I thought. There was nothing more beautiful that I had ever seen.
My younger sister turned quickly and smiled at me, the afternoon sun lit her face evenly. She took off running toward the twisted red dirt path that led to the natural pool, flitting back and forth through the waving grasses along her way. I followed. With sure footing we let the path lead us closer to the glistening water below. After navigating through low-hanging branches and over-grown roots, the path failed to lead us any further. As if urging us to jump, the red dirt pointed straight over the edge of the rock into the aqua water below. We looked at each other and, without words, knew exactly what would come next.
Not bothering to prepare myself for the fall, I took one more step and pushed my body away from land, into air. It happened in slow motion. The sun in my eyes and my face full of wind. My hair twisted into knots and I was floating. Suddenly I felt the cool water surround my skin, soothing and fresh. It swallowed me and for a moment I felt nothing. I kicked my legs and resurfaced, greeted by laughter from my sister and mother nature’s wispy touch of wind across my cheeks.
Reaching through the water, silky and clear, we swam toward the lone rock island in the middle of the pool. Once there, my feet brushed against smooth stone and the water fell away from my skin as I stood up. Steps of lava rock ascended the island, wrapping tightly around the outside edge as if for support. We walked slowly, stepping carefully along the way. The rock was rough against my feet and warm to the touch. We followed the spiral staircase a few steps more.
Almost as if it were taken straight from a child’s drawing, there was a single palm tree atop the island surrounded by grains of smooth black sand, shimmering. The palm tree had lush green leaves with long finger-like fronds, dancing in the sky and reaching toward the sun. My sister and I sat in the sand, facing the sprawling ocean, and smiled, completely at peace with the moment.