166
JUAN FRANCISCO BLANCO
idea. I wish someone else could have thought to send an e-mail
to her, to us, when I was back home.”
Bardala bent over and picked up a small shell, looking at it
intently, and then saying, “Who needed to send her an e-mail?”
Tital was silent for a moment, but replied in a small voice,
“My dad.”
“But...I thought he was dead.”
“I meant before he died, we didn’t hear or know anything,
day after day...nothing. Not one thing...for years.”
“How did you hear he died?”
“Mom just said one day, when I asked about him, that he was
dead,” he said sadly.
Just then, water splashed all over them, as Jonathan, Viviana,
Kuó, Lena and Ronú flew past on their horses, riding in the surf,
thoroughly drenching Bardala and Tital. They could only laugh,
because they were happy, in spite of all the negative thoughts of
the past few minutes.
“Since we are already wet, let’s go in. You can swim, can’t
you?” teased Tital, while he threw a stick of driftwood into the
ocean for Brilloso to fetch.
“Yes, my father...taught me,” Bardala said, before thinking.
She turned and looked into Tital’s eyes, her expression saying
sorry.
“My dad did take us to the beach, many times. I try to
remember the good things he did before he left us. I sure do
miss him,” said Tital as they walked into the ocean, letting the
gentle waves bounce them around.
Tital pointed to the south, “Look, you can see Kaóc Island, the
sun is reflecting off the hills. Tomorrow we will have the
Almayan men start building boats to transport the people. You