Reaching for the Moon in the Night Sea

I've been standing at the edge of the water

Long as I can remember

Never really knowing why

I wish I could be the perfect daughter

But I come back to the water

No matter how hard I try

Every turn I take (from ‘How Far I’ll Go’)

 

I spent my childhood near the sea but didn't see the night sea until I was an adult.

 

On my wedding night in the early winter of my 28th year, I spent the first night in a somewhat luxurious hotel on the beach in my hometown. Looking out the hotel window, I saw the night sea, where the sky and sea had no boundaries, and the rough waves crashed against the hotel, pushing and pulling in a rhythmic dance. The lights shining far into the sea made the scene even more vivid. Forgetting to look at my pretty bride's face, I was completely captivated by the waves of my hometown sea, crashing and retreating relentlessly. That's how my married life began in the night sea of my hometown.

 

Ten years later, in the summer of my 38th year, I saw the night sea again on a vacation to Gulf Shores, a resort town on the southern tip of Alabama, bordering the Gulf of Mexico. After dinner, I spent the night with my close friend Patrick, his friend, and me on a fishing pier that stretched far into the sea and stood high above the water.

 

There was almost no wind, so the waves were calm and the weather was very hot. Since it was late at night, no one was around, so we spent the whole night in our T-shirts. The fish must have all gone to sleep because the fishing rods didn't move at all. The salt-laden sea air made my body sticky with sweat over time, but all I wanted was to go back to the hotel and take a cool shower. However, as a fisherman's pride, I couldn't go back empty-handed.

 

There was nothing to see but the dark sky and the blue sea. After midnight, time passed, and I only occasionally lifted the fishing rod to change the bait, but there was not much to do. As I watched the motionless fishing rod and dozed off, I heard the sound of the sea. It wasn't the sound of the waves, the wind, or the seagulls. Was it the sound of the sea murmuring, or whispering? At first, I thought it was the sound of the fish. But I heard that fish communicate with each other in sounds outside the human audible range, so it couldn't be that. Later, I forgot that I was there to fish and became lost in the mysterious sound of the sea. That's how I spent the night, empty-handed and exhausted, but years later, I think it wasn't a waste of time. The sound of the sea I heard that night is still ringing in my ears.

 

A few days ago, at the age of 68, I went to the night sea again. Not alone, but with about 10 neighbors I always see, we went to the Atlantic coast, about an hour's drive from our home. With the full moon approaching, we thought it would be romantic to watch the moon on the beach and cool off from the heat. We didn't have much to prepare, as we planned to boil water with a portable gas stove and eat ramen noodles. Since we were going to see the moon, we didn't have to prepare a pole and net to catch the moon.

 

Most of them were grandparents in their 60s and 70s, but their hearts were still young, and when the moon rose, they all shouted that they would catch the moon with their bare hands. It seemed like a fool's errand, but when I checked the pictures I took, it looked like they caught the moon! Some people caught the moon by themselves and put it in their palms, and some couples caught the moon together. It's easy to take a picture by aligning the palm and the moon, but it's still amazing to see old people catching the moon. Next time we go together, I'll have to sing at the top of my lungs, "Hey kids, come out, and let's catch the moon."

 

(August 7, 2017)