Lakeside Talks

Illustrated by Dellana based on Riszky M Fahreza's short story.

Lakeside Talks

“Why don’t we sit beside the lake before we drown ourselves to death? “

I nod, 

not because I want to drown myself to death, 

but because I liked the idea of sitting beside the lake.

She offered me a smoke, 

and although I have stopped years ago I took it.

Her face was familiar, 

but I couldn’t recall what her name was, or who she was.

I asked her something, 

but I couldn’t remember my question. 

And she also asked me a question,  

although I knew that she already knew the answer.

And each time we spoke, 

the words evaporated, 

turned into nothingness.

So I stopped talking, 

because sometimes words means nothing.

I looked at her necklace, 

an ankh, black as night, 

and she smiled, 

the prettiest smile I’ve seen in my whole life.

Suddenly I remembered her, 

not her name, just her, 

and all those words we spoke came back to me.

And we talked, 

and talked, 

and talked, 

until night comes, 

until fireflies started dancing all over us.

We didn’t drown ourselves to death, 

no.

We were already drown in our lakeside talks.

A man, 

let us not acknowledge him by a name, 

have decided that this life is not worth it. 

That the world and the fates and 

the three mothers have turned their back against him. 

His only home, 

is a lake where he almost drowned when he was 3 years old. 

So he decided, whether he likes it or not, 

that it is time for him to come back home.

He walk to the shore, 

a pocket full of stones, 

a letter that no one will know, 

and a heart without hope, 

and a girl, with a black tank top, 

a smile that is as sweet as sin sit beside the lake. 

Somehow her face is familiar, 

remind him to the day he was born, 

the day his father hung himself on the forest, 

the day his mother died, and the day that is to come. 

“There will be a time where we travel side by side to the sunless land, but it is not now”

she whispered.