A few days after the surfing lesson for the kids, Elma and I were back working on the brochure.
ELMA : You're making a lot of progress today, aren't you?
ELMA : Did playing with the kids the other day spark some fresh ideas?
EMMA : Yeah, I think it really helped. I've been thinking about work a lot lately.
ELMA : Well, it's always important to take a breather!
ELMA : If you work as hard as you can, you also gotta play as hard as you can. So when you take a break, make sure you give it your all, too.
EMMA : Fufu, maybe so~ I tend to forget to take breaks, but you helped me see how important they are.
ELMA : I'm so glad I could be of help to you!
Elma smiles a little shyly, and I smile back.
EMMA : Elma, you were so good at teaching everyone how to surf!
ELMA : Really? I don't think I did that great. Haha, but thanks!
EMMA : Speaking of which, who taught you how to surf, Elma?
ELMA : Oh, me? My teacher is a hermit, or whatever you want to call him.
EMMA : Eh ....... Hermit? Hermits are the ones who live in the mountains right?
ELMA : Haha, yes, yes. This hermit, well, he was a strange man. He never told me his real name, and he would tell me to call him "Hermit."
ELMA : I almost drowned in the ocean once, you know?
EMMA : Eh!? You almost drowned!?
ELMA : Are you surprised at that? Haha. I messed up when I was a kid, and I was rescued by the hermit. He was a great surfer.
ELMA : I was watching him and I wanted to emulate him, and he was so cool and funny, I was hooked right away. But one day, he just up and said, "I have nothing more to teach you," and suddenly disappeared. I haven't seen him since.
EMMA : So the person who introduced you to surfing is also the person who saved your life.
ELMA : Yep! And those are my roots!
EMMA : Are you going to look for this hermit?
ELMA : Well~ I'd like to see him again, but I'm sure he's still surfing just like me, right? So as long as I'm in the water, we'll be connected. That's how I feel.
EMMA : As long as you're in the ocean, you're connected - huh? That's a wonderful way to look at it.
ELMA : Right? One day, we might run into each other on a wave somewhere. Such a reunion would be absolutely thrilling!
The work was interspersed with chitchat, but the change of pace seemed to have worked, and a draft of one pamphlet was finished before we knew it.
ELMA : Hey! That pamphlet looks so cool! I'm getting all worked up just looking at it!
EMMA : Ha, ha! Good! This will be great publicity to attract people who are not yet familiar with Passionate Ocean!
ELMA : Okie-dokie! Well, that's all for today. We can do finishing touches tomorrow!
EMMA : Yes, let's do that!
The small promise we made to each other brought a smile to each of our faces. I felt inexplicably happy about that.
