My love for you has reached perfection,
And – how gorgeous you are, my mistress!
How the words fill up my heart!
Omar Khayyam
Natty loved the moon.
He loved a night in the desert, when the impossible, incomprehensible by human mind beauty of the sky and billions of stars takes your breath away. Light on the sand, strange light, not meant for people – for the moon elves maybe, or for the spirits of desert.
The moon in the mountains – so close and clear in the crisp crystal air.
But most of all he loved moonlight on the water.
He could sit on an empty beach for hours, stare, smoke and smile. And see the mermaids dance in the silver light, the moon dolphins play and sea nymphs beckon him to the golden sea bottom.
Natty was weird. He didn’t know how to live. But he knew how to dream, fiercely, desperately and hopelessly.
He was sitting on the cold sand, staring at the sea the color of black emerald, at the sky the color of the flapping wings of flamingoes, and talking to the moon, sweet as a ripe melon ready to rapture.
“Oh, my heart, you enjoy being captive of love
Bow, my head, in a plea in front of sweet dove”, – He was saying to the moon.
“Damned be the heart that is colder than ice,
Isn’t burning with love, doesn’t know its price”, – He rebuked it.
“Like a sky in the midday, endless is love
Like a bird in the midnight, sleepless is love”, – He assured it.
“A day without love – is a lost day”, – He concluded, pounding the sand with his fist.
And then laughed at himself.
Mom has given up on him long time ago, she was only making sure the boy ate in time and wore clean socks. Doesn’t matter where he wanders at nights, as long as he is healthy…
And to whom could Natty tell about his love, love that didn’t come, didn’t happen yet, but he lived it through every single night, passed it through step by step, perceived it, studied it like a school subject, cramming and repeating its rules…
And he believed fiercely, desperately and hopelessly – that one day he will turn around, and moonlight will reflect in Her eyes, silvery, magical, real…
She will outstretch her real, warm hand towards him – and he’ll realize that the great waiting is over.
Ayelet came to the seaside to listen to her music.
During the day there were people, clouds, wind, all of them had their own sounds and created discordance instead of a choir, driving her insane. That’s why she used to come late in the evening to listen to the sea, when nothing was there, just the waves and the moon. That’s when the sea was singing in a million voices, all low and rumbling, and the moon sounded like a silver trumpet.
And Ayelet’s soul was soaring above this music, and her fingers counted out the quarters habitually.
She didn’t notice the man sitting on the sand.
She just heard a new voice joining the choir, a new theme joined in, first in a whisper, but then it spread like a wave of yearning and hope and… love? Yes, that’s what love sounds like, Ayelet has only heard it before within herself. It sings like a sun at dawn with a variety of birds, and it sings like flowers at dusk, giving away their beauty to the night.
She walked with her eyes closed, repeating this new melody in her head. Without even knowing it, she walked towards the one that has waited for her and believed in her like in a miracle.
She walked like a fairy, delicate and bright, stepping silently on the sand in a moonlight. And when Natty turned around, she opened her eyes. And smiled.
“I like the way you sound” – She told him and outstretched her hand.
“How gorgeous you are, my mistress” – Natty automatically quoted, not yet believing or understanding but already fading with happiness inside.
“Joy of my heart, are you real?” – He asked uncertainly, smiling from ear to ear.
Ayelet raised her very light grey eyes. They flashed silver in a moonlight, her smile was filled with stars and the music was delicate and approving.
Natty squinted, took her hand – a warm, real hand – and allowed himself to believe a little bit that now everything is going to be fine.
Translated by Diana Shnaiderman-Pereira