MERMAID: Spirit Of The Sea

By Danielle Mitwasi

What happens when Nya discovers that she is a magical, mythological creature from the depths of the sea? This inner mermaid calls to her in spite of the traumas she suffers above the waves. In fact, it is her one true escape from a family who doesn't understand her and constantly

• Language: English
• Publisher: BEYOND PUBLISHING
• Release date: Apr 7, 2022
• ISBN: 9781637924105

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

May 1969

For as long as she could remember, Nya Kastelanos loved the sea. It called to her. From her family’s sprawling villa on the Lebanese coast, she felt each wave beckoning her as it rolled out, whispering, come play, come play, come play.

If her parents were arguing—which lately was most of the time—Nya would slip out the back door and pad barefoot down to the seashore, tossing off her dress before wading in.

Far, far out beyond the breakers, she would lie on her back and float, her dark brown hair spread out around her head in a halo while the waves cradled and rocked her gently like a baby. At sea, Nya could no longer hear the sounds of traffic, her noisy neighborhood, or her parents’ constant bickering. The water dulled the sounds of the land, encircling her in a bubble of muted sounds. Out there, she could barely hear the sounds of the seagulls overhead, just the brush of her fingers in the water, the splashes of her feet as she kicked lazily to stay afloat. She luxuriated in the lapping of the waves as they rose and fell around her, rolling their way to the pebbled beach, then ebbing their way back to the sea. Nya understood the wave’s need to return to the sea. She felt the pull within herself.

Some days were overcast. On other days the sun beat gently down upon her as she floated out in the sea. She never burned; her skin became browner and browner, no matter how long she stayed in the sea. And, rain or shine, Nya spent every day she could in the water, blissfully unaware of the world beyond, rocked by the waves and listening only to the sounds of the water.

Only when night fell, and her stomach gurgled from hunger did Nya swim to shore, put on her clothes, and make the dispiriting trek back to her house.

If she was lucky, her parents barely noticed she had been gone. Those were the evenings when they sat playing cards and listening to Italian music, a cigarette in one hand. Nya could slip into the house and tiptoe into the kitchen to grab some food before taking it back to her room. But in the evenings when they were not preoccupied . . .

Where have you been? her mother demanded when she caught Nya sneaking in. Come in here, Athenya, she snapped, grabbing and squeezing her arm. Look who I found sneaking in, she announced to Nya’s father.

She’s nearly a teenager, isn’t she? Can’t she take care of herself?

Nya’s mother looked her over. Your hair is a mess. Nya tried running her fingers through it, making no headway.

Is this seaweed? her mother scoffed as she jerked the offending vegetation out of Nya’s tangled locks, pulling on her hair as she did so and bringing tears to her daughter’s eyes. "Were you out at the beach all this time?

Probably doing anything she could so she didn’t have to come home and listen to your criticizing, her father remarked.

You were the one who insisted we leave France and move to this place. Four years already of worrying about our safety while the locals fight amongst themselves. And it’s not getting any better. When will it be too much to give up your restaurant? When it’s blown up and worthless?

Nya was relieved the conversation had turned away from her, but they were back to the same old squabble.

Her father sighed. The trouble is not in our area. I’m not sure why you are so upset. We have a good life here.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Nya’s mother turned to her. Go to your room, she ordered. You’re getting seawater and sand all over my clean floor.

As Nya’s mother once again turned her attention to her father, Nya hurried down the hall to the small bedroom where she slept. She would have to wait until her parents were preoccupied listening to music and dancing before she could get any food. In the meantime, she removed the handful of sea rocks from her dress pocket and carefully hid them away in a box she kept hidden under her dresser.

After a short time, Nya slipped from her room to the bathroom. Her hair was still tangled from the sea water, and Nya had to pick out the knots with her fingers before running a comb through it to smooth out the locks. She stepped into the shower and washed the sea smells and sand from her body. Something about the sea smells relaxed her, and she felt terrible washing them away. She knew better than smell like the sea around her family, especially her younger brother, Basil.

Nya donned a thin nightgown and climbed into bed, waiting in the darkness for her parents to nod off after dinner. Nya often wondered why she had been born to a family so different from her in every way. They preferred to stay indoors all day while she was called to the sea as soon as she woke up.

Nya remembered when she had checked out a book on sea animals for a school project from the library. She had poured over the colorful pictures for hours, learning about whales, dolphins, octopuses, and sharks—among others. She had even used the library’s encyclopedia to look up photographs and slides of sea animals.

Nya’s stomach grumbled. Since today was the cook’s day off, Nya was glad she missed dinner. Although her father owned a restaurant, he preferred not to cook when he got home from a long grueling day. So, on days like today, they had to make do with mom’s cooking. She’d had to choke down her mother’s cooking on too many occasions. Some days, it was hard to tell which was worse: her mother’s cooking or her father’s complaining.

On the days when her parent’s arguments made it unwise to enter the kitchen, Nya chose to wait in her room for hours, her stomach growling. Once it was quiet, Nya would slip out and grab as much as she could, as quickly as she could, and sneak back to her room, where she would wolf everything down in seconds. Luckily, the cook knew Nya often missed