I was sitting on the shore. This really wasn’t a nice place. The water looked ugly, you know what I mean? From what I remember, I had been waiting for a long time. A boat was supposed to pick me up. I had enough money for a ticket, in fact I could afford two if I wanted to. There was a surprisingly large amount of people. We all wanted to get on the boat. Well, technically I already had my chance but I let it pass. A couple chances, really. But I wasn’t in a rush and I knew the ferry would return again. I chose to wait.
I was sitting on the shore. I got a good look at the ferryman the last time it was here. He didn’t look like the sort of guy who would let you ride for free. Actually, he looked very mean. His gaze lingered on me. Why didn’t I come aboard? There were many others around me who wanted nothing more. Many, too, who couldn’t afford to buy passage. Maybe those were the most tortured of all. Stuck here until the ferryman had mercy on them. He didn’t look like the merciful sort.
I was sitting on the shore. Looking at the two coins in my hand, when you arrived. I had been waiting for a long time, to be honest. I always knew you were coming here eventually. In a way, we made a promise to wait for the other, I just happened to get here first. You sat down next to me and we looked at the ferry coming towards us. I laughed when I saw the two coins in your hand. The price of two tickets. So you thought of me as well. The old ferryman would get his toll.
I was sitting on the shore, still. Next to you, my old friend. We can talk like we used to back in the day. We would talk for hours and somehow never ran out of topics. Our conversations were refreshing and helpful. An anchor in a world we couldn’t quite make sense of. We did always get along, from the moment we met until I went on my way. I’m glad you’re here with me now. When nobody understood me, I always knew you would. When everyone wanted to get on the ferry, I knew you’d rather join me on the shore.
We were sitting on the shore. The ferry passed us by again. I could see in the old man’s eyes that he was angry. We could pay, doubly so, yet we refused. He’ll make us sit here for a while. Who knows for how long? Maybe we missed our last chance to get to the other side. But we can always talk, as we did in the past and as we are still doing now. Maybe, it won’t be so bad.