The next day brought us to a Southern beach town called Pichilemu. Its rushing waves make it ideal for surfers (and humiliating to the athletically challenged such as myself). Unlike Viña Del Mar and Valparaíso, this beach is vast, vacant, and caked in ash-colored sand. One of Dani’s friends has a house here, and when I ignore how many people must hook up on the beds, it is quite inviting.
I was set to meet Jacey and Dani and the others at “the rocks” on the other end of the beach, what I later learned is called Punta de Lobos (Sea Dogs / Wolves Point). I walked slowly since there was no one around and no reason to rush. When I finally reached the area, the water was picking up the pearly shades of the sunset. But I couldn’t find Jacey or Dani along the shore. I climbed up a rough side of a cliff with my bare feet, hoping I just misunderstood which rocks were “the rocks.”
Only a gray and white dog that I initially mistook as a wolf greeted me. Suppose I couldn’t find them and this was my only companion? An hour went by, marked solely by visits of my silver friend. Its eyes were like my college boyfriend’s, a blue so pure it seemed white. It was eerie, but sort of comforting too.
I can skip over the paranoia that ensued. We clearly found each other, unless you can believe that I’m writing from my abductor’s high speed internet connection. Night had fallen by the time we found each other and we were all very shaken. I noticed that Dani wouldn’t even speak to me that night.
But why is there something appealing about vanishing? Then you would truly be noticed. And when I am alone, I wonder about that small slice of you and me - the vulnerable and genuine part we mostly reserve for the ones we love and trust. It is what we summon in memory when the person departs. I want to find this piece in everyone; want to fall asleep next to everyone to see their eyelids break open for the first time, want to hear them whisper something that can’t be said loudly…
It only took a night of drinking and drunken eating to put it behind us. But I know there was a small part of me that wanted to be lost a little longer.
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