Waves roll on a deserted beach and leave shreds of yellow-white foam on the sand. It's hard to believe, but until recently this deserted beach was filled with the sounds of a carefree life. October, with its cold, damp winds, drove the last vacationers away from the stormy Baltic Sea. The motley umbrellas of summer cafes have long been closed, and only the wind drives fragments of posters through the deserted streets.
The mighty hum of the waves and the creak of old pines. Orchestra of Her Majesty - Nature. It seems that time has turned its course and behind the dune strip there is nothing but endless pine forests. The village, which a minute ago was so real, has disappeared into the foggy autumn haze, and only the red signal light of the pier cuts through the air filled with salt spray. You can walk for hours along the coast on loose sand and not meet anyone on your way.
I like to wander through the dunes overgrown with hard grass, I like to run away from the waves and touch the cold pliable sand. The loneliness that so often visits me even among the hustle and bustle of the capital, was lost along the way and is now waiting for me to bite into me again as soon as I return home. But it can never overtake me in this land of calm. And every year, with the onset of autumn, I try to come here at least for a week ...
***
One day a few years ago, on a similarly overcast afternoon, I was sitting on a grassy tussock at the edge of the dunes. Shortly before this, I was so carried away by the search for tiny particles of amber that I did not notice the oncoming wave. So now I could only scold myself for my indiscretion. My clothes were soaked through and my appearance was rather pitiful, and the most offensive thing was that my matches were so wet that I didn’t have to dream of a fire. I did not want to go back to the village and therefore decided to continue the walk after drying a little.
I cannot boast of good eyesight, and therefore at the first moment I decided that it played a cruel joke on me. Still, about half a kilometer away from me, I almost clearly saw a man bathing among the storm waves. The mere thought that someone had the courage to climb into ten-degree water sent a shiver through my body. However, my curiosity was so strong that I headed along the shore to the place where I noticed the swimmer and after walking a hundred or two meters I quite clearly saw a young girl bathing. Her head now and then appeared among the waves and it seemed she was playing with the elements. I do not know how long I watched her, but at some point she noticed me and swam to the shore. I could almost physically feel her gaze, although I could not quite see the features of her face yet. It was a completely new feeling, born somewhere beyond my consciousness. It seemed that I didn’t care about this girl, especially since “walruses” are not a wonder in our area. However, she did not in any way resemble those disgustingly fat women whose screams resound from time to time on the winter beaches of Palanga. She behaved as if it were now the middle of July. There was no fussiness in her movements, which would be so natural for a person who got into an unpleasant situation for him. It was evident that she was enjoying this dangerous game with the waves.
In a few minutes she reached shallow water. I couldn't take my eyes off her frail figure, so contrasted with the grey-green monoliths of the water mountains that rose menacingly behind her. She looked to be eighteen years old. Most likely a first-year student, probably even from the Art Academy or something like that, because who else could come up with the idea to come to Šventoji at this time of the year.
- It's such a good day, but no one is there. - Her fervent voice tore me from fruitless conjectures.
- Hello, mermaid. Who do you expect to see? - I tried to answer as cheerfully as possible, although I did not understand whether she was joking or talking seriously.
- Here you are. You stand on the shore, but you could swim. And in general I have a name - Rita. Although I like Mermaid too. She laughed merrily and shook her head, causing her blond hair to fall in waves on her thin shoulders.
- I'm sorry, but my suit is not very suitable for swimming. - I really felt very uncomfortable in my soaked sand-caked jacket, and the jeans looked no better.
- In this case, you just need to get hold of more suitable clothes, what kind of vacation without swimming. - She easily adopted my slightly ironic manner of communication and our conversation promised to be pleasant entertainment.
I don't know why, but from the very first seconds of our conversation, I felt that this unusual girl attracted me. This feeling was new to me. It seemed that some invisible threads were stretched between us, which did not allow me to leave. What is there to leave, I looked at her as if spellbound, unable to even look away. Outwardly, she was no different from most girls of her age. Not tall, she nevertheless possessed a proportional figure. Perhaps the only drawback was the small breasts, although the one-piece swimsuit may have simply squeezed her too much.
- Yes, strange as it may seem, I have a name - Gintaras. But this is not so important. - I even tried to curtsy, which caused her to laugh. Indeed, on the shaky sand, my body movement looked ridiculous.
- I see you can not wait to escape away from the sea. She was absolutely right about that. I really wanted to hide in the dunes from the biting wind.
- In general, yes. Especially since you risk freezing. So it's better to move to the dunes -
- Well, I'll be happy to keep you company, although I'm not at all cold. - And it really seemed her body did not react at all to the cold. - Especially since I hid my clothes far away. It's under that tree. And I don’t want to go there - And she waved her hand towards a pine tree that towered at a decent distance.
We sat on the sand pressed against each other, like old acquaintances. She told me that she was eighteen and had just entered the Art Academy, that she had come here with her classmates, but they left in the morning for an exhibition in Klaipeda, and she decided to be alone and now regrets that she did not go with everyone. I told her about my life ups and downs and felt that if I hide something now, I will never be able to tell her about it again. An incomprehensible anxiety settled in my heart and pricked me with its needles more and more painfully. At times it seemed to me that everything that was happening was just a play of the imagination and as soon as I touched Rita, she would dissolve into the air and merge with the low sky.
Everything worked out by itself. Several times, at first, by accident, and then quite consciously, I touched her body, and with each touch I felt that it was more and more difficult for me to tear my hand away from her smooth body. At some point, Rita's body suddenly became supple. Without a hint of embarrassment, she threw off her obstructive bathing suit and wrapped her arms around my neck. I showered her face, neck and chest with kisses, and she returned the same to me. Another moment and we lie naked on the sand. I caressed her body with my lips and it responds to my passionate caresses. Rita's legs parted, and she, apparently unable to restrain herself any longer, let me in. And there is no cold damp wind, no measured rumble of the raging sea. There is nothing that could stop us and we are alone on the whole Earth. Adam and Eve? No. Rather, we are like the last remaining people, and behind this minute of closeness, I already saw the lead weight of an irretrievable loss. And we moved together, trying to grab the fiery fruit of pleasure. A second, and this fruit fell into our hands.
- Gintas is nice, I have to go. She stroked my face. - I have time. -
- Will we meet in Sventoji? I asked a question that I already knew the answer to.
- Don't, it's time for me... It's time...
I wanted to stop her, but an incomprehensible weight fell on me, as if the sky had fallen on my shoulders and I fell into oblivion.
***
When I woke up, my first thought was to find Rita no matter what. I ran along the beach, shouted, called her, but only seagulls, alarmed by my cry, answered me. I found a pine tree, but there were no clothes under its roots, only a pair of long-forgotten beach shoes that had lain there for more than one year, and a pile of the same shabby rags.
I do not remember how I got to the village and went into the only working bar. The only visitor was Eustace - the artist-sculptor. We met him a few days ago. He also liked to come to these parts in autumn. Several times I invited him to take a walk to the sea, but he constantly rejected my proposals and I decided not to bother him anymore. At the same time, I realized that this was the only person with whom I could talk and, without too much ceremony, sat down next to him.
"Three nines" warmed me and I decided to tell Eustace about what had happened. He turned out to be an excellent listener. It was evident that he was definitely interested in the story, but the further I continued my story, the gloomier his face became.
- Gintas, I also want to tell you something. He drank and looked at me. - It happened exactly five years ago... There was a strong storm... And I still can't forgive myself for leaving her alone. She was still there when she left, but when she returned she was gone. She was not there because she was gone that day, and I stayed. - And apparently no longer able to explain something, he walked away.