It has been said that, when two people who love each other very much but are separated by the ocean, legends are told that Songa, the goddess of water and music, will listen to what you wish to say to your lover. Once she hears them, she will replay that message back to him or her wherever they may be...so long as they are near water. This legend originated off the shores of Spain. It wasn’t long before settlers came and spread such news.
Now, we fast forward to the present. My name is Francesco El Diaqua and I live in one of the many buildings of Malaga, Spain. The sea breeze blew gently through my brown hair as I enjoyed the warm feeling of hot cocoa on my lips. I felt a sense of calmness and tranquility as I watched the boats slowly leaving the docks; a sure sign of possibility that the fishermen were going to go fish. The sun was half risen as I stood on my patio. Memories flooded into me as I remembered: today was the day that I was married to my wife, formerly known as Rosa Silencio, but also the same day she left to go on a business trip. “I miss you, amor,” I whispered as I took another sip of my hot cocoa. “Everyday, I will wait for you.” It has been three years since she left me, and every passing day felt even lonelier and lonelier for me. It was hard to go to work by the docks and help my fellow fishermen pack up the morning’s catch and send it off to the street markets. But, I always remember my promise I said to her just before she left “treat the day as if I have never left, Francesco,” I remember her honey soft voice echoed into my ear before she left on the boat that would take her to America. With a heavy heart and an unmotivated sigh, I downed the last of my hot cocoa and put the mug into the sink before I went into our room to go change for work.
The hot sun beat down on my exposed neck as I walked the cobblestone streets and over to the docks. Neighbors and close friends greeted me as I passed by them. One of them was an old lady named Maria Cuentista. She was known throughout the entire town of entertaining the little ones with all her made up stories. “Buenos dias, Francesco,” her voice made you feel like you were at your mama’s house and she made fresh bread and milk just for you. “How have you’ve been feeling? Is the wife home, yet?” I stopped to shake my head no. “Sorry, Maria,” I answered. “I’m still hoping, though.” Maria gave a sweet chuckle as she handed me a bag of something. I looked inside and smelled the sweet smell of empanadas. “For your lunch,” Maria explained. “I made too much this morning and thought I could give them to the little ones” she smiled at me “But, I think you deserve it more.” I tried to give it back to her, saying that I could always try to find my own lunch, but she just denied. “Think nothing of it pequeno,” she said to me. “You can pay me back by listening to one of my stories.” I smiled as I remembered one of them she told me: about the goddess of music and the sea, Songa and her delivering lover’s messages across the ocean. “Gracias Maria,” I said. “But I think I might be a bit too old for your stories.” With that, I left for work. “No one is too young or old, Francesco, to listen to all my stories!” she shouted. I laughed as soon as I saw the docks came into view.
Work was tiring as always, but it was even more tiring when business was very busy and we all had to fill in various orders. “Oi, Francesco,” someone called out to me. It was my lifelong friend, Carlos Maestro. He scratched his scruffy beard before giving me a pat on the back. He gave me a sack of fish which I tossed into the back of the delivery truck. “Que pasa amigo?” he asked me as he handed me another load. “You are not usually like this,” he sighed. “Let me guess: wife is still not home?” My grim expression was the only answer I could give him. He handed me two more loads before giving me a hearty slap on the back. “Do not worry, amigo” he smiled at me. “I’m sure your honey has her reasons as to why she gone for so long.” Another load was given to me. “How about after work, you and I will have a well deserved drink,” Carlos winked at me. “It has been a while and I’ve been dying to try those margaritas everyone keeps talking about.” I laughed as he made his hand look like he was holding a drink and “chugging” it down in one big gulp. Just then, one of the sailors from one of the boats came up to me. “Are you Francesco?” he asked me. I nodded as a reply as he beckoned me to follow. “The Captain is low on men and he’s heard about you and all the hard work you do from the Dock Master.” He began to walk away “Come with me, amigo,” he said. “In other words: the Captain wants you.”
The boat swayed to and fro as the Captain came up on deck. He had a short, scruffy gray beard that was matted from obvious signs of being around water. His captain’s uniform, which was just a simple black leather jacket and jeans, were muddied and dirty from all the fish he’s been loading from his years of experience. “Ah, you must be the infamous Francesco,” the Captain shook my hand. “I’m Captain Atlas Astronomo, but close friends just call me Captain.” He shouted orders to his crew about getting ready the sails and off the boat went. “Your job is easy, my friend,” Atlas explained to me as soon as we were in the middle of the ocean. “All you have to do is help my men separate the big fish, that we keep, and toss the small fry out.” I shook my head as I watched a couple of men prepare a fishing net. However, one of the sailors just stood by the end on the other side of the boat, away from the others. He was mumbling something under his breath as if he were reciting a prayer. “Come on Louis,” one of the men yelled. “Songa can wait about what you have to say about your girlfriend.” Louis was one of the youngest sailor out of the crew. As if he came fresh out of high school and was looking for a job. He wasn’t exactly all “skin and muscle” for he was much too skimpy to be even called that, but he did prove his strength as he could carry his own weight whenever the sailors caught a net full of fish. “What’s your prayer called?” I asked him when we were given our lunch break. “Oh, lo siento amigo,” Louis said through a mouthful of bread. “It is no prayer but a wish I hope the Goddess will listen to.” I chewed on my empanada slowly as I beckoned him to further explain. “I know this may seem childish, but I do believe in Songa the goddess of music and water.” I laughed a bit as well as he. “I know: why a person my age believe in something that was told to us as little ninos, but I think she listens to me,” Louis then went on to explain to me on how, before he and his girlfriend were dating, he wished aloud out to the ocean for someone to tell her how he felt about her. The next day, she came over to his house telling him how much she loved her back. I could only laugh at him “Laugh all you want Francesco, but I’m telling you: she’s real.” Somebody called up Louis and he left me to my own devices. “I wish I could believe” I thought to myself as I chewed on a couple more empanadas before standing up. Before leaving, however, I stopped and looked at the ocean. “Should I really be doing this?” I thought to myself. “Estupido, what are you thinking, what if you get caught?” My mind was battling against itself before I took a deep breath and made my decision. “I wish I could tell you how much I miss you, Rosa,” I whispered out to the sea. “How beautiful you are, how I want to wrap my arms around you, knowing I can protect you and to wish you a ‘Happy Anniversary.’” I looked behind me to see if anyone was looking: no one. “Good, now I won’t look like a fool,” I thought to myself. Just then, I saw something swim in the water: a black figure swam lazy circles before heading under the boat. At first, I thought it was just my imagination and left it at that. Before I knew it, something grabbed me from the water and dragged me below the ocean’s surface. “Man overboard!!” was the last thing I heard.
When I awoke, I was greeted by the sight of a huge sponge like tentacle monster. One of its tentacles wrapped itself securely around me. My initial reaction was to hold my breath before “It’s okay” a voice said. “The water around here is breathable for aquatic and non aquatic beings.” A beautiful woman showed herself from behind some coral reefs: she had long blue hair sway back and forth following the ocean’s currents, light blue eyes that made a person feel like they could feel the sand in shallow water, pale skin, and seaweed that wrapped around...certain parts of her body. “I am Songa,” the woman spoke like she was the mother caring for a child. “Goddess of music and water and daughter of Neptune and water Nymph Fluctus.” I began to freak out as I tried to fight off the tentacle monster. I wanted to swim as far away as possible from this place. “There is no use in fighting,Francesco” Songa smiled at me. “For this is my realm and no one leaves or enters without my say.”