Postscript on Marina the mermaid

(Mark and Marina the mermaid part 11. Click on Mermaid in the labels bar for previous episodes.)
Hello my name is Rosalind and I am Mark’s daughter. Let me say what a surprise it was for me to learn about my father. I had no idea whatsoever that he had this adventure, nor did my brother. Sadly my father died just a few weeks ago suddenly and it wasn’t until my husband and I were sorting out his things on a rather dismal day a few weeks later that I found out what he had really been doing over the last few years since mum died. When I read his account of meeting the mermaid Marina as he called her and of my half brother and sister that live in the sea off our shores I was completely amazed that he had kept it secret even from me for so many years as we were always so close. He left my brother and I a letter; to tell us about the mermaid he had helped…and from the information he provided I finally worked out exactly where they used to meet at their secret beach after that first beach was turned into a bauxite loading port a few years ago where he first met Marina. In fact I remembered something he had told me when I was a teenager so many years ago about the secret places that still exist for those still adventurous to find that few know about.

I couldn’t think how I could contact Marina until I read his story a few times and ignoring the red herrings and waffle that he planted I worked out exactly where they had agreed to meet in that conservation park. I was going to go with my brother but instead I took my daughter who was just a teenager at the time and at that age of growing up and becoming more difficult and snappy every day. I slowly told her about her grandfather. She didn’t believe me of course but reluctantly she did come with me and after a few attempts we found the deserted cove where they used to meet. There were a few signs of my father being there and I discovered the secret cache for food now completely depleted and we stayed overnight just 
as he did by leaving my car out of the park, as well as out of sight.  We settled down for the night on that balmy summer’s evening and dozed in and out of sleep.

It was about four in the morning that I heard the call for “Mark” repeated a few times and I dared to call “Marina” back to her.  There was silence after that but just as dawn broke I could see that she was watching us just at the edge of the sea.

“Marina,” I called again, “I am Mark’s daughter. I came to talk to you.”

She kept very still, then quietly said “He has died hasn’t he?”

“Yes,” I whispered. By this time my daughter had woken up and was listening to us speak. Luckily she said nothing but sat there open mouthed in amazement.

“I have my daughter here with me, Marina. It is just the two of us Have you got your children with you?”

With that she came out of the water and her two merchildren came with her and rested half in and half out of the water staring at us.  So I sat down on the beach not too close to them and talked to her about my family and of my father and how much we loved him and were happy that he had found her to care for after my mother had died. She nodded sadly and cried herself and spoke to her children and pointed to us sitting there. I cannot tell you any more because I am crying so much myself as I write this. Even I thought how beautiful she was, luscious almost and I can see how he fell in love with her. Curiously from that day on my daughter became a really loving person and became the most beautiful young woman you could imagine. Having the opportunity to meet and interact with with someone completely outside her little world changed her. She had realized that love and caring was what life was all about. Her eyes had been opened wide.

Years later I found out from her (and curiously we had named our daughter Coral so many years ago)  that later she visited Marina too by herself and had swum with her and had seen Ocean and Selena grow up. It was then I realized there was hope for humankind after all. 

“I am going down to see Auntie Marina and her kids.” Coral would say if anyone else was in earshot. This was our secret. I am so proud of her she is just like her grandad. Mind you I just hope she doesn’t find a merman to be her boyfriend, on the other hand…she certainly seems to know a lot about the sea now and tends to eat a lot of sushi when she is out! 

Note : Final Episode No 12 , Coral's Story, next week