The man sat on
the top of the hill.
As he gazed
at the different shades of the sea, a sea gull flew very close. It landed near
him. It wasn’t a sea gull. It was a kite shaped like a sea gull.
The man
looked at the foot of the hill towards the Boat Club. He saw crowds gathering.
Children queued up for face painting, henna, and balloons. Families settled on
the clusters of chairs around tables. Some groups had spread out picnics on the
beach. People were feasting, greeting, flying kites, celebrating. The Club employees
were putting up nets for beach volleyball.
Clouds had
gathered in the sky since the afternoon. Overhead, he could see the moon
through the clouds. Near the hill, the equipment for the fireworks was kept ready.
The crowds did a countdown – ten, nine,
eight, seven, six, five, four, THREE, TWO, ONE...
As the
fireworks blazed through the sky, the moon shied away and hid behind
the clouds. It was a brilliant display accompanied by music. There were
fireballs shooting up in the sky and shattering into a thousand golden pieces. There
were multiplying bursts of colourful lights. Among other sounds of cheering, the
shrill ululation of Arab women could be heard. As a race, humans have always
found reasons for celebrating.
When the
show ended, the man saw children waving their glow lights to make patterns. The
crowd dispersed quickly as people hurried to the parking lots and soon the roads
jammed.
The man
waited. He had come to watch fireworks of a different kind. He tasted a drop of
rain. Then he saw a sudden spark in the western sky. The show was about to
begin.
The wind tore
at his clothes and the rain battered against his skin. The night sky cracked in
silvery lines and the roar of thunder deafened him. The storm reigned with a
powerful tussle between the sky and the earth.
The man
watched with his arms raised up to heaven.
