Julia Williams Narrative

A Day at the Beach

            Our family had just arrived at the beach. The sun was high and it was crowded. My sisters played in the water and sand while I sat, reading yesterday’s news. My parents want me to be adventurous and experience something new, but how could I manage to do that when we come here every year.

            The beach during the day time is hot and crowded, you could look in any direction and see the same thing: people. My sisters love this beach, but I find it uninteresting and a bit lonesome at times. Every time we come here I am forced to leave my favorite things behind: my video games and my dog, Sandy.

            I close my eyes and try to imagine these things. My mind goes to me sitting at home at my kitchen counter, reading the comics section of the newspaper while eating my favorite cereal. It is a Saturday morning, my favorite day of the week. Everyone else in my house is awake at this hour, but I love to sleep in until Sandy comes in and licks my nose until I open my eyes. I head into the kitchen for cereal, then back to my room to play more video games. As I am thinking about my usual Saturday, my daydream is rudely interrupted by my younger sister, who is tapping me on my shoulder asking me to build a sand castle with her. Usually I would say no and go back to day dreaming, but since there was nothing at all to do, I said yes.

            She began piling sand into her pail. It was completely dry with no water, but I didn’t want to discourage her. She tipped her pail upside down and the sand fell out, into a large pile. She looked at me as if she wanted direction. I told her she should fill one of her pails with water, so she could add it to the sand and make it stick together. She smiled at me and ran down to the water. I liked the way she looked up to me, she was six years old and I was fourteen.

            While I waited for her to get back, I picked up the newspaper and started reading over the comics section again. My older sister, who was sixteen, started with me like she usually does when she is bored. She asked me why I was reading yesterday’s news, I told her it was interesting. She asked me why I was helping my younger sister with her castle, I told her it was because I was trying to waste time before we left the boring beach. She asked me why I hated the beach, I told her it was boring. She told me the beach has lots of adventure and is filled with new people to meet. I knew she was talking about the boy she met by the shore because she smiled when she said it. I told her I didn’t want to meet anyone new because I like the people I already know. She asked me who I know. I thought for a moment. Who do I know? I know my family, my dog Sandy, and one boy from school whom I help with homework. When I really started to think hard on it, I realized that I didn’t have many friends, which I would usually be okay with. Today was different, though. I looked away from her. I knew my life wasn’t the most interesting one, but how could I not realize that I don’t have any friends.

            My parents called out to us from the top of the hill where the sand met the grass. They said it was time to leave. I started to get an empty feeling in my stomach. But why? I was usually happy to be going home. I picked up my newspaper and headed to the top of the hill. Once I arrived at the top my parents head the car packed and ready to go. I looked back at the beach and thought of what my sister told me about the beach having adventure. Then I got in the car and we headed home.