Kerala absentmindedly took the cap off her pen, then snapped it back on with a satisfying clicking sound. She did this repeatedly as she sat alone in her room.

What is his problem? Why did I have to say that?

The room was barely lit, the only light filtering through thick curtains. Kerala glanced at a clock

4pm huh. I’m not getting anywhere like this. I need to get out.

So the red haired woman went. Out of the room, through the hallway and out the door. Even though it was supposedly spring, a cold breeze assaulted her as she left her front yard, making her glad that she was dressed for the occasion. A road stretched out before her, travelling to her left and right. By the locals, it was simply known as the Esplanade, and ran in an East-West direction hugging the coastline. It was an obstacle that needed to be crossed by anyone that wanted access to the beach, which lay just on the other side. Like many beaches along the state of Milandia’s south-east coastline, it possessed extremely fine sand. This was a beach known to attract surfers; people willing to throw themselves into the pounding waves that refused them any mercy. But Kerala was not a surfer, nor did she have an unusual interest in the particle size of sand. She was an explorer. A veteran of many beaches. Some with waves, others without. Coarse sand beaches indistinguishable from gravel, and kinder ones like the one she was about to visit.

Briefly looking both ways for traffic, she proceeded to cross the final barrier between her and a new adventure.

Refreshing

A cool sea breeze blew through her long red hair, which covered her eyes as the strands colluded to steal her sight.

Now that’s one downside to the beach. Wind.

Kerala fought to see by stuffing some of the traitorous locks under her hat.

Better.

She looked out at the expanse of sand and waves that spread out before her, letting the atmosphere take her to a place far away from her various problems. Taking off her shoes, she began traversing the length of the beach, walking in the intertidal zone that separated land and ocean. She passed a family collapsed on the welcoming sand, apparently exhausted from an afternoon of excitement.

Is it so wrong to want something like that? Family?

She thought back to her own relatives. Those that she was supposed to be close to. Yet those people, although she knew them well, didn’t fit into her definition of family.

They were always so cold. As if a great wall always separated us from each other.

A small group of Pelicans was gathered nearby. Kerala stopped to watch the metre high animals as they preened themselves with their long orange beaks. A woman with dark hair also stopped to admire the birds. The dark haired woman wore expensive clothes and gold jewellery inlaid with diamonds and myriad other precious stones.

Ostentatious.

Kerala left the Pelicans behind, reminded of a bad memory.

Wealth. That’s all they ever seemed to care about. In the form of land, gold, money, equities. It went on and on, and it just wouldn’t ever end. It was their whole world. To the point that it’s a wonder they could see me at all. Their daughter. Their sister.

“Hey!” came a woman’s distant voice to Kerala’s right. It didn’t reach her.

To gather gold is to attract dragons. Whether they’re physical or not, who’s to say?

Her face was set in a subtle frown, impervious to the action of waves that would normally add peace to her world.

What am I even doing? I just wanted to be able to change even the smallest thing about society, to make things just a little bit better. To do everything I could to make sure I wasn’t as cold as them. It’s frightening. I can’t imagine what being that way feels like.

Footfalls approached her as she was lost in thought.

“Excuse me, but…” came an older woman with greying hair, snapping Kerala out of her train of thought.

“Yes?” Kerala responded, considering the new face.

Probably mid-forties.

“You wouldn’t happen to be the nice lady that’s always following Stanley around would you?”

“I do work with him, yes,”

“That’s great!” she exclaimed. “I just want to let you know that I appreciate the work that you’re all doing. It means a lot to me. Currently the job I have has me travelling all the way to the other side of town. It was even making me consider moving south. But once that bridge you worked so hard for is done, then I might not have to,”

“I’m glad to hear that,” said Kerala, a new feeling filling her heart.

They talked for a while afterwards, losing track of time as the sun neared the horizon.

Upon the older woman’s departure, Kerala watched the waves as they crashed along the beach, now brandishing a content smile.

Life can be pretty wonderful sometimes, can’t it?