A vast reminder of childhood in Aegina. I lay on the beach of Tourlos, and the sun was burning me. An old man was pointing his finger at my shoes. He held a ball, and he was ready to get into the sea.
“Step on the mister’s shoes”, his finger still pointed to my shoes. The young boy somehow obeys. He is shy and slightly chubby. He reminds me of myself when I was his age. A first step, then a second. He stares at me with some sort of curiosity.
Can I write a short story about them?
I have the camera next to me, and I wait. It’s a very warm day in Aegina. The boy stands next to the grandpa. The old man checks the water. “It’s warm,” he says, “come on.” But the boy is not convinced. Showing disbelief is a dubious privilege.
I think of my grandparents, and I can’t recall when was the last time I’d been to the sea with them. Memory fails me. Both of my grandfathers are long dead: they died in 1985 and 2004, respectively. As I see this young boy, I try to remember the time I was that young. Childhood is a shelter, and therefore, I can return relatively easily to the young boy’s age. But I can’t remember any of my grandfathers standing next to me. What I recall is their faces, but the background is not the sea.
Can you even remember the faces of people that you haven’t seen for over a decade?
I have no idea how long I’ve been thinking of my grandpas. The young boy and the old man are swimming. The boy holds the ball tight, as tight as he used to hold his grandpa’s hand ashore. But it’s all about the game now, and that’s how I remember the past summers. There is no future at the beach, only a long lazy present.
The old man is coming towards me. “He’s a strange kid,” he says. I wonder if he’s ever gonna be a strong man, a real man, you know.”
I just nod. The truth is that I have no idea.
More about Aegina: Sea in a bag & Things to do in Aegina
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Last Updated on June 18, 2024 by George Pavlopoulos