N.C. On Summer

Summer is finally on its way! Today was absolutely beautiful outside and although it is only early May, I can feel summer vacation coming faster than ever before.  To celebrate our upcoming freedom, the boys (Mark and Jake) and I decided to take the day off of school and head to the lake. We figured since it is senior year and our plans for next year are all figured out already, that it would be a shame to waste such a beautiful day sitting inside learning about complicated math equations and literature from like a million years ago.

Upon arriving at the lake, we soon discovered that it was kind of cold the closer we got to the water so we spent most of the day exploring the wooded paths that surrounded the area. I almost forgot how much I loved the spring of the year, the luscious greenery and rejuvenated look of the trees and shrubbery that surrounded us however, reminded me exactly of the excitement and joys the warmer months have always brought to me. The air almost seemed fresher to me today, and the birds seemed to chirp an extra happy tune. It was a wonderful day to spend with my boys, we had so much fun together laughing, reminiscing and carrying on like we usually do that we decided to mark the occasion by carving our names in to the tree we had a picnic under earlier in the afternoon. It was a nice way to spend the beginning of our last few months together even though I do not think any particular one of us saw this day as the beginning of the end by any stretch of the imagination, I think we are still under the impression that we will remain this carefree forever.

We decided to finish our day off with watching the sunset on the old dock by the water, Mark had to go home early for supper, but Jake and I decided we would watch the sunset anyways without him. Jake and I had always had a particularly special bond to begin with, I always felt like he was the brother I never had, so the absence of Mark did not really affect the outcome of the day at all. While discussing our future plans, we noticed a man sitting near the water; he was a dishevelled looking older gentleman with tattered clothes and a golden locket in his hand, he looked a little down on his luck so we decided to go talk to him. The man's name was David and he explained to us that he was a former accountant who had lost his earnings due to a gambling problem that spiralled out of control and he eventually lost everything; his job, his savings, and his family. The golden locket was his daughter's and he carried it around with him as motivation to get his life in order. I had never known my own father growing up and did not want his daughter to have to endure the same hardships I had, so Jake and I gave him the little money we had on us at the time and the food we had left from the picnic. I am not sure why I felt so attached to this man, but I feel as if I did the right thing. Jake and I still watched the sun set together, somehow though, I feel as if it was just a little bit sweeter.

-N.C