Laughter

Laughter can be a beautiful thing

I waded deep into the wind-swept sea, feeling the cool depths lap around my legs. The sand began to enclose around my feet, and I let them go into their gritty cave. 

A shout sounded behind me and I turned, forgetting my feet in their net, tripping over their captor and cascading into the waves. I surfaced with a mouthful of salt, sitting shoulder-deep in the blue. I could feel my clothes weighing me down, tempting to pull me under once again.

A shout repeated from the land and I attempted to rise, stumbling into the splashes once again. Once more I repeated my attempts and came triumphant, rising to my knees in the water. I waded my way out, shaking onto the lighter sand.

A figure ran towards me, a cheeky laugh sounding into the air.

“Hey, that was a smart one.”

“It wasn’t my fault,” I retaliated.

“Whoa,” he reigned back. “Well it wasn’t me, so what was it? Was the current too strong?”

“It was the sand,” I pushed strongly.

“Even better,” he laughed. A cracking laugh that spilt the air, flocking a seagull into the breeze. “C’mon, come get a towel,” still laughing he turned back and began making his way up the dune.

I followed, trying not to laugh at his mahogany sound. To laugh at my misfortune would be to take the blame, but his noise was infectious.

A small snigger escaped my lips.

He glanced back, forcing my face into a straight expression. His head moved back forward. In my mind I could see his gleeful expression.

It made me crack. I let out a full-blown cackle. Sending the fish leaping into the air. He spun back, to find me bending over, laughter falling from my lips.

He laughed back with me, his arms coming over my shoulders, pulling me up.

We stayed in that position, just laughing, not moving, as the sun set over the glistened blue, casting an aria of colours over the land.

In that spot, in that note, we discovered the miracle of the most important thing we had. The miracle of laughter.