I usually don’t believe in perfection, unless it’s a picture.
The ocean was a deep blue that mirrored the steady outline of the cruise ship as it sailed away into the warm orange colour of the sky. The view from the docks let me soak in the moment as the warm colours made the world turn red and the polished white paint of the cruise ship turned a light yellow.
And that’s all a picture would’ve shown.
My ears were ringing with his apologies but I couldn’t really make out what he was saying. I clutched my camera with shaky hands. I wanted to smash it against the ground. Smash it against his face.
–
“Okay, big smiles everyone!” I counted to three and pressed the shutter button. Snap.
The family in front of me were wearing matching t-shirts with palm tree prints. The man had his arm wrapped around his wife’s waist and the other one draped over his son’s shoulders. The little girl held onto her mom’s hand and lifted her foot to make sure her bright pink shoe showed in the picture. They looked absolutely ridiculous, but I envied them.
My family was picture perfect.
“Okay guys, you’re all good to go,” I handed them their ticket with a smile, “You can get it printed at the giftshop!”
They thanked me and the next family walked up for their picture. I must have taken a least a thousand that night.
“Alright, I’m off.” I said the moment the clock hit seven.
Harry walked up from the supervising table and took the camera from me.
“Doing the bare minimum I see?” He looked at me with a straight face.
“I do what I get paid to do,” I shrugged.
“Camera should be charged by nine. Can you be competent for once and be on time?”
I took a deep breath and kept my mouth shut. My lips stretched into a forced smile. I turned and walked away.
I let myself out through a staff door that lead to a small balcony. I leaned on the railing and sighed. The ocean was flat, but it always looked that way when you were on a big boat.
I pulled out a cigarette and lit it. As soon as I took a drag the door behind me opened but I didn’t turn to look.
“Can you smoke here?” A familiar voice asked from behind.
“Doesn’t say anywhere that I can’t.” I shrugged and brought the cigarette back to my lips.
I turned to face him and was surprised by his clothes.
“Kitchen staff?”
Dan smiled and rubbed the back of his neck, “Yeah, they needed some extra hands.”
–
The suite was rearranged to create a runway to the minibar where the ‘Bachelorette Party’ sign was hung. About ten girls were dancing around in booty shorts with wine glasses in their hands. The only man in the room was the entertainment. His briefs left very little to the imagination and lean muscles covered his arms.
The girls cheered every time he moved. He climbed onto the bachelorette’s lap and moved his hips shamelessly while she laughed and slipped a dollar bill into the elastic of his briefs.
Snap
The music was loud but girl’s screams were louder. He stood up and walked to the mini stage at the front of the room and started dancing to the cheap pop song. The girls sat around the bride and cheered him on. The bride-to-be’s smile overtook her whole face.
Snap
When the girls were drunk enough to have difficulty standing up straight, we were dismissed.
“Enjoy the show?” He smirked.
“Sure did,” I huffed.
“I’m Dan,” He offered me his hand.
“Lexi,” I fumbled with the equipment and barely managed to free a hand.
“Here, let me help you with that,” He reached out to take my case and I allowed my eyes to linger on the muscles of his tanned arms.
–
I sat on my bed and scrolled through the camera roll. The bachelorette had a beautiful smile. She was glowing and it radiated through the screen. My eyebrows creased and my stomach dropped.
Marriage can ruin everything. Take the life out of you.
–
My mum locked herself in my room with me and there was pounding and shouting at the door. Then nothing.
We left home that night.
“Where will we go?” I asked my mum from the back seat.
We went back to the house before sunrise.
–
My mum smiled at me today. It must have been a good one.
–
I sat down for breakfast before the school bus came. My parents came into the kitchen. They didn’t even say ‘good morning’. The crunch I made when I chewed my toast overtook the room.
“Did you go get the paperwork yesterday?” My dad unfolded the newspaper.
“No, dear, I’ll try to do it today.” She poured herself coffee.
“Try?” He raised an eyebrow at her.
Here goes…
“Yes. Try. I have many things to do today, if I have time I’ll get your papers.”
“I have even more things to do, that’s why I asked you to do it. I’m sure you have plenty of time to get them.” He examined the newspaper.
“Maybe if you help around the house I’d have time to do the shit you ask of me!”
My dad put the newspaper down and stood up. I did too. I knew what was coming.
I looked out the window. The bus was already waiting. I ignored the screaming that was taking over the room and picked up my bag.
I rushed out of the house and ran to the bus like my life depended on it.
–
I looked from the quiet ocean to Dan.
“Are you getting off on the next stop?” He reached out looking at my hand.
I passed him the cigarette, “I don’t know.”
“Why not?” He flicked the cigarette as he exhaled smoke and handed it back to me.
“I’m feeling anxious, plus I’ve been to Naples twice already,” I shrugged.
“I’ve been four times, so what?” He raised his eyebrows and took a step towards me.
I arched my neck to meet his brown eyes. A magnetic warmth emanating from his muscular body made me take a step back. I let the cigarette fall to the ground and stepped on it.
“Have you been to Gaiola Beach?” He stood next to me leaning against the rails. His eyes squinted when he smiled.
My lips twitched up but I turned to the ocean before he could see.
–
I was chewing on my last slice of pizza when my mom reached for something and knocked down her glass of water. Last week it was wine. My dad shook his head and looked at her the same way he had last week, and the one before. Lips tight, impassive eyes and eyebrows slightly borrowed. I clenched my fists beneath the table.
Maybe I didn’t know what love was, but I sure knew what love wasn’t.
–
“You’re not on vacation.” He didn’t introducing himself but his nametag read ‘Harry’.
“I know,” I followed him to the entertainment staff office.
“You have to be on time. You can get off during assigned stops but if you’re not back on time you’re out.” His light and dismissive tone almost felt like hope. He seemed like the type to fire you on your first slip up. Jerk. At least I only had to put up with his annoying face a few times a day.
–
“I say we can pull this off,” Dan smiled sideways at me. I smiled back without even realising it.
The cab driver looked at us through the rear view mirror and told us it would only take about forty minutes.
“I hope you’re right,” My leg bounced up and down anxiously. He placed his hand on my leg. It stopped shaking.
–
Dan took my hand in his as we jumped into the ocean. The cool water caused goose bumps appear on my arms and legs.
“Not much of a beach,” I swam towards him.
“What do you mean?”
“There’s no sand.”
“So sand is the deciding factor in what makes a beach?”
“Sorry, I don’t make the rules.” I shrugged.
He laughed. I did too. Then, somehow his hands ended up around my waist and mine on his shoulders. His lips were cool and salty but I was no longer cold.
–
My limbs were numb and heavy. The beach was my new favourite place. I loved it.
I closed my eyes but drifting off was impossible with the sounds of bickering coming from the front seats. I kept my eyes closed and every so often I’d feel my mum shift and look back, checking if I was still sleeping.
Whatever they were fighting about must have been a big deal though because when we got home my mum came to sleep in my room.
“Are you okay?”
She smiled at me through glossy eyes, “Yes darling, I’m okay.”
When we shut off the lights I heard her sniffling just before falling asleep.
–
After swimming in the clear water for a while, we made it to the famous Gaiola Island. I took my camera out of my dry bag and started snapping photos. The brick gate led to a set of orange steps that were losing a quiet battling against the insistent nature of the island.
At the top of the stairs sat a withered white cabin. Its paint was chipped and faded and the door had been knocked down.
Snap
“Why photography?”
I turned to him and took a photo of his face up close. He threw his head back laughing.
Snap
He pressed his hand against the lens and pushed the camera down slightly. He raised his eyebrows.
“I don’t know… Things just seem better in pictures,” I looked away.
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know,” I laughed nervously.
I brought the camera back up and snapped another photo of his face.
He stopped smiling and looked at me intently. I sighed.
“Truth is that all my family pictures were always perfect, but my family was far from it. So I want to take pictures that would show the reality of life.”
He was silent for a moment and I hoped that he wouldn’t ask about my parents.
“Then why take pictures of people posing perfectly in front of a perfectly designed background while on a perfect holiday?”
“Because no one is going to pay me money for taking pictures of them looking like this,” I showed him the unflattering close-up picture I had just taken of him.
He laughed and nodded.
My phone’s alarm went off in my bag.
“We need to head back soon,” I turned it off.
“Five more minutes?” He smiled as he pulled my face to his and pressed his lips to mine.
“Three.” I mumbled.
–
I walked out of the dirty white cabin and began to go down the steps. I looked back to see Dan right behind me. He smiled at me cheekily making the wetness between my legs return.
I got down to where my bag was and checked my phone.
I froze.
I looked back at Dan and he stopped when he noticed my panic. I chucked my stuff into my bag and jumped into the water.
–
“Why is everything a problem with you?” I heard my dad’s voice. I could imagine his lips forming a tight line. It’s how he always looked at her now.
“It’s not!”
I heard her scream behind the living room door.
There was a shattering noise so loud I took a step back.
“Would you calm down? You’re going to wake Lexi,” his voice was faint.
But the screaming only grew louder and I decided to go back to bed.
As I climbed the steps there was a door slam. Moments later I heard the rumbling of a car engine starting and driving away. Then nothing.
–
“Lexi, I’m sorry.” He repeated for maybe the hundredth time.
I looked straight ahead, my camera shaking in my hands. There were beautiful red and orange tones swirling across the horizon. But I knew they’d eventually fade to black.
I rose the camera up to my face.
Snap
Another perfect picture.
Val Writes 