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In 1914

The waves crash upon the shore, carrying along some sand particles every time, and every time the waves rush back, a melody plays as if playing with beautiful metallic bells hidden beneath the sand.

Silence fills the atmosphere, easing the viewer’s soul and letting them sigh in fondness for the waves’ unpredictable nature.

This reminds them of discomfort and comfort moments felt in these past months. Their eyes were full of expressive emotions crashing gently on their faces, similar to waves crashing on the shore and their feet were buried in the sand.

And, the sand particles slipping from their feet felt like time slipping gently through the course of days they spent together in tides of unpredictable yet beautiful phases of life.

One gently caresses her round belly, gazing fondly at her round belly, while the other smiles upon seeing her child-like smile.

She playfully pokes her shoulder, directing her friend’s attention towards her round belly.

She softly pats her belly and murmurs with an affectionate gaze,“ Mi Dulce Madera (My sweet wood). Listen, you are not alone because you have another sibling from another mother (my best friend).

She will be like a sibling more than a best friend to you. You will be like a wild and strong wood, and she will be soft and diligent like a leaf. This indicates that you are ultimately one tree together like siblings and best friends who are always attached.”

Her best friend laughs softly and expresses in a delightful tone,“ Roicin, you already know so much about our babies. My baby will be like a bright leaf, and your baby will be the soft and strong wood that always sticks together. Am I right, Roi? ”

Roicin confirms with a hint of nostalgia reflecting in her voice, “¡Desde luego! (Certainly). You know, my mother always repeats this phrase, ‘Under the shelter of each other, people survive’. I love this phrase, and its meaning is on point. People need each other to grow and survive.

I think our babies will be like one as a tree. Under each other’s shelter, they would grow independent and strengthen the bonds of our family.

Cara! I forgot to tell you, Cian asked me to inform you that we are soon moving to Tyrone due to his work. Cian got himself good options in the field of carpentry jobs in that county. I am really happy for him, Cara. This….this is truly a gift from god for my baby. I-I…I…”

Cara pats Roi’s back and rubs soothing circles on her back, calming her down. Cara speaks with a hint of emotion reflecting in her tone,“ Roi, I am happy for us.

We got a miracle growing in our bellies.

On top of that, our families are becoming financially stable enough to raise our babies well.

I know, times were hard while growing up. We suffered a lot, and many people went through darkness and desperate situations during that famine.

But we survived because we were sheltered by each other. Just recently, you reminded us that under the shelter of each other, we survive. What we passed through was terrible, but it doesn’t indicate that we should stop surviving and growing.

Our babies might face problems or uncontrollable situations in the future. Still, we will make sure that we lessen their sufferings to a minimum tolerable level so that our babies can not only survive but also grow and prosper in their lives.

Roi, I- I-, I DON’T want them to experience life like the way we had. I just……” Cara’s eyes become glassy, she falls silent, and her gaze gets lost in the endless ocean’s waves.

Roicin notices Cara’s shoulders slump, fingers wrestling against each other, and she, too, feels a lot of things tumbling in her mind.

Cara’s eyebrows squint, and her lips curve downwards as if she accidentally bit her tongue, and its effect immediately spreads like cold onto Roicin as well.

The soft wave crashing sounds make soothing and harmonious musical notes along with birds hovering above the sea while humming out their voices.

Small beads of water fall on the sand rapidly, making it slightly wet, although the sky is clear as blue. The rain is falling from Cara’s eyes as the past experiences and situations flash in her mind and fear creeps through her bones into her blood, reaching her brain, clogging it with worries.

Roicin’s stone-hearted gaze falls upon the endless view of the ocean, and her frown deepens as her mind starts running into restless thoughts and negative emotions.

Enveloped in a restricted narrow-spaced maze, their feet paralyzed in fear and the walls suddenly looming closer and closer by each second, the calmness long forgotten, their stiff bodies, lost eyes didn’t even acknowledge two men, seated next to them, keenly observing their faces.

One of them hugs Cara from sideways and rests his head on her shoulder. That man utters in a melancholic tone in her ear, “ Cara, stop the rain. I can see the dark clouds hovering upon your head, they look terrifying. I feel scared for you.” Saying this, he caresses her arms and envelops her in warmth, which diminishes the darkness of clouds hanging above her head.

He continues with heaviness in his heart, “Whenever I find you near nature, I can’t help but feel mixed emotions. I don’t know whether I should be worried or relieved that you are sitting beside nature.

Cara, I can’t erase our painful past situations or memories that still haunt and stress you. I can sense your fear, and I too am afraid about the future. Our country is fighting for peace and harmony and going through dark times. It needs us. We need our country.

You have caught me blinking many times whenever I think about our baby. Despite all this, I just need all of us to bear and grow in these bitter-sweet conditions and happenings going around at the current time in our country

Roicin, Rian, you and I are all in this together like always. Don’t cry anymore, Cara. It hurts me every time you are hurt. Everything that happens will happen for the good of us.

Okay, Cara, now calm down. And Rian, you make your wife’s frown fade away immediately.”

Rian hugs his wife, resting his head on top of her head and putting soft kisses on her head. Rian praises his wife in a sing-song voice,“ My dear Roicin is like a raisin.

Like a sweet raisin, you swell up others’ worries inside and spread the sweetness in the environment with her cheery nature. But the frown on her face is what I dislike the most, and the smile on her face is what I love the most.

Shall my roicin swell me up with her sweet smile ?” Roicin chuckles, “ You shall be honoured with my smile and love from our baby and me. But dear, what about your friend? Your friend, Cara, needs your sweet words to stop tearing up.”

Cian is comforting Cara to silence her tears, but then he also bursts into tears and hides his face in her long, straight hair reaching up to mid-back length. Both Cara and Cian are tearing up, one softly and the other loudly.

Cara mutters in her teary voice, “ Cian, you were asking me to stop crying. Ironically, you started crying to make me tear up more. I understand we are not in the best environment currently, but soon, we will be decent and stable enough.

We will watch our babies grow up and witness them bonding like our best friends. We are a family of best friends. Cry as much as you want; we need to release this, so that only happy tears will be left in our eyes. I am there. Rian and his sweet raisin are also there with us.”

Cara hums a sweet tune to calm them down and let all their sad tears fade. Cara wraps her arms around his husband, Rian and Roicin smiles at this scene. All of their worries ease, washed away in the shore, and rekindled hope in their hearts for a good future for their children.

Rian comments with a hint of playfulness, “ Cian instead of making her tears stop, you made her tear up more. And now you are crying on her shoulders like a baby.

Cian, let your baby be born, then I will make sure your baby is aware that his/her dad used to be the teary one among his/her parent. Cian, you should learn from your friend, how to make a lady smile like I do.”

Cian teases Roicin with a mischievous grin, “ See! Roicin. He admitted that he is knowledgeable about making ladies swoon with a smile. The only lady you need to make smile is your wife, Roicin. Isn’t it right ?”

Roicin pretends to frown and turns her face opposite to her husband. Cara compliments backhandedly in a soft tone,“ You all are just like kids. But quite adorable ones though.

Rian, you are the reason for her smile. So, you just need to make her smile. Let’s go! Since I am getting hungry, I will quickly make dinner for us.”

Cara and Roicin are gently supported by their husbands, arms wrapped around each other, deep affection glowing on their faces, and enjoying the delicious, warm-filled meal cooked by Cara, seated on the dinner table, and the glossy table didn’t reflect their adult selves rather the younger selves, in their teenage as if the room time-travelled back into their past.

After some years, at the same sea, two people lay on the sand drinking the clouds and sky through their innocent eyes. One of them utters in a cheerful tone, “ Niamh! Niamh! Niamh! Can you hear me? What….. What are you saying?”

Niamh lying next to her comments,“ Caoimhe, I am right beside you. Why are you yelling my name to the ocean? Are you trying to call someone out from the ocean?”

Still, Caoimhe ignores her comment and again yells, “ Niamh! Did you forget, that we are playing the role of ocean beings? And you are supposed to answer like a beautiful jellyfish and I like a Wha-le.”

Niamh chuckles, “ Blob blob blob, Caoimhe, Can you hear me? Blob-bob-blob.”

Caoimhe replies eagerly, ” Hmmmmm, I can hear you.

Did you know….Hmmmmmm…..mother allowed me to accompany Uncle Rian to observe his art of carpentry.

Hmmmmm….. I am excited. What about you?”

Niamh pauses for a while, looking at the fluffy clouds passing by through her hazel eyes. She announces with a determined gaze, “ Blob blob blob. I am going to study hard and focus mainly on my studies.

Blob blob blob. Mother said that Father would bring me a book for me to read…Blob blob blob. I am also enthusiastic and Ambitious, Caoimhe!

Blob blob blob. I know girls are given limited rights to education and employment, but we will ensure that when we grow into adults, we are educated enough to work on our dreams… Blob blob blob.

Who knows, you might work as a fine carpenter artist and meanwhile, I will be working as a respected employee in a company. Blob blob blob.”

Caoimhe makes happy whale sounds and exclaims, “ We will. HMMMMM. After being responsible ladies, we will select gentlemen for us. Hmmmmm.

Father says that a good gentleman like him is hard to find…Hmmmmm.

My mother then advised me that I should first become a lady who is responsible, efficient and works for herself, then surely, a man would come at the right time for me.Hmmmmm.”

Niamh suddenly stands up, raises her arm upwards hanging in the air and commands,“ Blob blob blob. I, Niamh ensure that I will become a well-educated and working lady. And, I also hope that we both always stick together as our mothers always remind us that we are one as a tree…Blob blob Blobb…”

Caoimhe also stands up, raises her arm upwards and says with her high-spirited tone, “ Hmmmmmm….. You are the bright wood, and I am the soft and bright leaf. We are never apart, even if we are physically distant.

I am going to bend the circumstances to be able to see each other even after getting married. Niamh, like our families, we are best friends eternally. HMMMMMMMMM….”

Niamh feels a little sunburnt as the sun is in its glory. She covered her eyes and bent her head down. Then a shadow covers her, and she doesn’t feel the heat on her face. She looks forward and finds Caoimhe standing in front of her with both arms raised above her head to surround her in the shade.

Caoimhe’s cherry red hair is shining with a golden aura, and her light green eyes remind her of the leaf. Caoimhe’s thin lips curved upwards, displaying a bright smile for her best friend.

Caoimhe softly utters,“ As a leaf, I will absorb the sun’s harsh heat, radiate its warmth upon you and spread my shade upon you. I must protect the strong and bright wood as part of a tree. My dear wood, You can always rest in my shade whenever you need.”

Niamh nods, and mischief pops into her mind. She bends down a little, grabs a handful of sand particles and puts them on her palm and the slippery sand showers upon her. She shakes her body to get rid of the sand. Niamh notices her soft, wavy cherry-red hair is filled with sand particles clinging to hair strands.

Caoimhe groans, “ Niamh, you are so rebellious. Wild as an ocean. Fierce as a wood. Despite that, you are as cool as the sky. Let’s go back home. Our parents are waiting for us.

Remember, today we will have dinner with our community, where they will play folk songs and narrate stories. How lovely. Hurry up. We shouldn’t miss this.”

Niamh agrees, “Absolutely right, I can’t miss this moment. Someday, this will turn into a beautiful memory reminder narrating our bittersweet past. I am not going to walk as I am already running.”

Both best friends run with their slippery feet to slip into Caoimhe’s home.