Remembering

Ruby sat atop the serpentine curve of the dune looking toward the sinking sun lowering itself gently to the hot sand and the lengthening clawed shadow of the lone tree as it ghosted towards her. The Eritrean coke bottle stood empty between her bare toes, buried to its waist in sand. It held no message of hope or quenching liquid it was merely a reminder of the better times, of when they had met. Even as these thoughts ran into her head she chased them away feeling the bile of betrayal rise in her throat. The wounds were too fresh, still oozing, she could not think kindly of him yet.
But as Ruby absorbed the warmth of the African sun she knew that the wounds would dry like the salt pans and form a crust. Healing was a process. It would take time. With a little nurturing she could rekindle the fire of inner strength she knew still glowed in her depths. So there she sat, feeling the sun enter her skin, feeding the kernel of regenerative power, preserved, hermetically sealed, deep at her core.
When they had met Ruby had been a delicate blossom of orange fruit, fragrant, transparent, unprotected and she had been left pulverised like marmalade. She could never again be that innocent blossom but 'the sun will go on rising and setting' as her grandmother used to say, whatever misfortunes befall you. If life is going to carry on, Ruby decided, she was going to get up and go with it. She may not be what she once was but lots of people like marmalade. There was a sweetness to marmalade wasn't there? She must learn to trust again, to taste life and unscrew the lid on the jar at her heart and let someone worthy taste the bitter sweet glory of her amber fruitfulness.
As the sun finally dipped below the surface of the sand Ruby prepared to turn her hourglass to its new beginning. This wild space, untouched by the hurts of man was a balm to her soul. She was enveloped here, held safe. It sang to her: I will offer you protection;walk my scorching sands and use the blisters to obscure the pain; I contain innumerable moons,one reincarnation after another, stay with me until you find the one that reflects your soul song and then you will have the strength you need to go on.

The copyright of this post belongs to Holly Khan