The Pearl Diver

"Rest, human."

It was the voice again, the mysterious voice that had kept calling me since my descent. Earlier I began looking for that creature - I use 'creature' for I believe that no human can produce a sound so sweet yet so mysterious, but I had no luck. Now it spoke to me again. But this time, I found someone. She was leaning over me and all I could see was her face. Her curly, burgundy hair extended past her shoulders. Her round, hazel eyes gleamed as they stared at me. The fair maiden smiled.

"And speak none of what has been before your eyes."

I asked myself, "Has she been the one talking to me all the time? But then, how, if her eyes only gleam and her lips smile? How could she talk to me? If she had been thinking only of those words, how then could I hear her tell me to rest?"

She smiled once more as I heard the voice again, "I know your worries, the cause of your torment. Allow me to help you."

I wanted to answer back, but I did not know how. I tried to open my mouth, but no words came out. Fearing that I might have lost my ability to speak, I began to panic. My heartbeat raced. I tried to get up, but no muscle moved. I tried to scream for help, but still no words came out. I lied helplessly on the cold floor. I was afraid.

Again, the maiden smiled. And again, there was the voice, "Hush, love. Do not be frightened. I have taken you to my chamber or what you humans call 'cave'. There is nothing to fear. In fact, you owe me your life."

Oh, how sweet the maiden smiles! Thoughts of fear and anxiety suddenly escaped me. I did not know why and how but the cold floor seemed to have become warmer. Her smile was so comforting I forgot that I could neither speak nor move. I could stay frozen like this forever just watching her smile.

"Speak to me through your mind."

I smiled - not because I think that smiling is the mechanism of communicating for humans too but because of the maiden's sweet smile. I just could not help myself from watching her. I smiled at her again.

"You're not doing it!"

This time she was not smiling. She looked annoyed. Believe me, she looked more endearing when annoyed. I closed my eyes.

"What was that you desire to obtain from the deep? You even tried to battle with the sea serpent, how ridiculous! There is no way a human like you can claim a sea serpent's head," the maiden said.

"Your words are not as sweet as your smile, after all," I replied.

"Forgive me, human. But I do believe that it is impossible to defeat the sea serpent. What is it that made you descend so deep in the sea?"

"Five days ago, I descended to that very same spot but there was no sea serpent present. I saw something very much unlike from the things I have always seen. The pearl in that spot is the finest I have seen. Five days ago, I was so close to touching it. But I saw sharks nearby. Knowing that I had caused my left foot to bleed when I slipped on a rock, I fled the area. But I made a vow to return for the pearl."

"I see that you dive for pearls, an excellent swimmer too. You narrowly escaped being a snack for the sea serpent. However on your way back to the surface, you sank."

"I did? If I did, then how did I get to your chamber? I should be dead. Am I dead?"

"I told you, you owe me your life. I have witnessed many pearl divers fail to reach the surface. Their bodies drop on the seafloor and rot."

"Then I thank you for saving my body from rotting."

"Tell me, dear, what has become of the following days? If you are so persistent in obtaining the pearl, why then have you not returned earlier?"

"Believe me, I tried to return but fortune forbids. The next day, my mother got sick. I could not leave the house; I had to attend to her. She is the only family I have left. The following day, she still refused to allow me to leave the house. It was not until sunset that she said that she was feeling well and that I could leave. As soon as I got to the shore, I realized that the tides are low. I tried to drag my canoe on the sand but it was too heavy. It will be dark when the tides rise again."

"How complicated human lives are! I suppose that you failed to sail on the third day because of a raging storm?"

"Indeed. And on the fourth day, I discovered that my canoe has been destroyed, perhaps by the storm. I needed to repair it. I spent the entire day working on it. And on the fifth day, I had finally plunged into the deep sea where my pearl and the sea serpent await."

"Humans really are foolish," the maiden laughed, "Do you not understand what the gods desire? They have sent upon you a series of misfortunes, catastrophes, and mishaps. Is it still incomprehensible - what the gods mean?"

"The gods say that a couple of hard work make your reward even sweeter?"

"No, silly. I might take that answer if I had had only one or two misfortunes. But five? Five is too many misfortunes a mere human can handle. I must commend you for your strong will to continue living."

"Five is too many, I know. These misfortunes that the gods have cast upon me caused me grief and misery, but they are no reasons to wish for death. I would rather experience sorrow than depart this world for if a tunnel does not have light, I must light one. Dying takes from me the ability to create light."

"I admire your thoughts, human. But what you are doing - persisting in obtaining the pearl even if it costs your life, are you not taking your ability to create light from yourself? Are you not the one who causes your own death?"

I stopped for a moment and I realized what the maiden meant. I am killing myself.

She spoke again, "As I have said earlier, I know the cause of your torment. I know what your worries are. Human, it is not a crime to try to succeed the misfortunes that obstruct the path to your dream. But know that there are dreams that can not be. Sometimes, you just have to stop. If your dream seems to be more dangerous than challenging, give it up. It is not worth your precious life. It is unfair to spend your whole life chasing for that pearl when you can spend time with your mother, your only family. The gods have something better in store for you. If the pearl does not want you, leave it. It is unfair to spend time going after something that does not want you in the first place, is it not?"

"Truly, it is not," I replied. I opened my eyes and saw, once again, the maiden's hazel eyes gleaming. However, her sweet smile was no more. She looked serious this time.

"Indeed, that pearl is the finest you have seen but you have not yet searched the entire sea," she said. "Do not run after something that runs away from you, that had many times run away from you. Do not waste your precious time pleasing something that does not want to be pleased. Rest, human. And speak none of what has been before your eyes." The maiden smiled and with that, she plunged into the water.