No one can love the man, who guarded the light

He was standing on the lighthouse terrace. He could hear how the waves crashed in the old wall of the lighthouse. The cool night breeze was blowing through his hair. He was looking down, in the dark reefs, hidden by the waves.
- Born and raised by the sea… - he looked up to the bloody red moon. - Why didn’t you light their way?
Tears blurred his vision. He fell on his knees and cupped his face in his hands. The little light from the lighthouse illumined his miserable body. With all the strength he could muster he got to the hard bed in the small and dank room, which he used as a kitchen, bedroom and living room. He closed his eyes and soon fell asleep.
It all started last night. The “White Pearl” was coming to town – the biggest and most beautiful merchant ship ever to be built. It was New Year’s Eve when everybody wanted somebody by his side. The same would go for the young man. He left the lighthouse leaving the fire alight and went to town. He put on his finest clothes, tied his hair on the scruff of the head and went down the hundred stairs. Finally he reached the last one and right in front of it was a small half-decayed wooden door with metal lining. He smiled and took the key out of his pocket. He unlocked, went out and locked it from the outside. There was nothing that could be stolen from the lighthouse, but he locked by habit.
Down here everything looked twice more beautiful than from above. He stood on the edge of the cliffs and inhaled a deep breathe of the cool sea air. He smiled then walked towards town.

As usual, the people had organized a masquerade. He got lost in the crowd and was looking at the thousand brilliant colors the festival offered.
A young woman in a beautiful black dress and a mask passed by him. Their stairs met for a moment and then she was gone in the crowd. He looked around and saw her sitting at one of the few tables. He worked his way through to her while she was looking at him.
- Good evening, Miss.
- Good evening, young man.
They smiled at each other.
- I could not notice that you are alone just tonight. You are extremely beautiful, how could You be alone?
- Unfortunately, I am – she looked at him sadly – And what about You? You, too, are alone. Where is Your Lady?
- I… I don’t have a Lady. And I was wondering… if You… would like to dance?
She smiled and held out her hand.
- I would love to.

He caught her hand and helped her up. Then his hands were on her waist and they were dancing on the grass under the sounds of music. All the time they were smiling at each other and every time they turned, she got closer and closer to him. A song started, which seemed to make her sad and she tried to shake the sadness off. She pulled back from the man, but he was still holding her hand.
- Would You like to go?
She nodded and they both went away from the masquerade and to her house.
- I don not live far, would you please accompany me to my house? If you would like, you could stay for tonight.
- Miss, I would love to, but Your Lord? Would he not be back?
- Do not worry about him.
They walked some ten minutes and reached a small house. The girl unlocked the door and invited him in.

It was less than half an hour to midnight. They poured a glass of champagne and sat in front of the fireplace talking almost until it was time for the toast. She went out on the balcony to look at the fireworks and he went after her.
The whole town was counting the seconds left to midnight. The girl glanced at him and then her voice got lost in the voice of the town.
- Five, four, three, two, one… Happy New Year!

Thousands of fireworks lit up the night sky. Then she turned to him and kissed him. He took off her mask just to find an even more beautiful face hidden behind it. She smiled and kissed him again.

Couple of hours later, he was getting dressed to cross the whole town and reach his home – the lighthouse. He was walking through the wintry field that stood between him and the cape and thought of her. He reached the cliffs just next to the lighthouse and looked down and felt his body go numb – some fifty people were scattered on the sea shore below him. They all looked like puppets. Then he saw the broken mast and a large board with an intricate golden letters on it saying “White Pearl”.
He looked up to the lighthouse to see the fire was out. He took out the key with his hands shaking and ran up the hundred stairs to the top of the lighthouse. The fire was out some hours ago. He fainted.

He woke up at sunrise and the first thing he saw were the faces of the people – all saddened. He saw her among them, crying.
- You killed the father of my child! – she threw a rock at him, but he did not feel pain. Something mauled his soul then. He went out and left the lighthouse for a girl. Another rock, and another, and another…
He didn’t know what he did in the next hours. He was again at the lighthouse. At sundown he lit the fire and went to look at the sea from above. He pictured the last rays of the setting sun as the fireworks and thought she would come any time and kiss him.
- No one can love a man who guarded the light.
He stayed there until he could hear the waves whispering “All on board the ‘White Pearl’ had died. Coastal reef has claimed their lives.” He looked down at the sea.
- Born and raised by the sea… why didn’t you light their way?

He woke up. His first thought was the girl’s words “You killed the father of my child!” They echoed in his head and then he remembered what the waves whispered.
- The coastal reef will take my life.
He went to the lighthouse terrace again, climbed the low wall and looked down.
- All on board the “White Pearl” had died. Coastal reef has claimed their lives. It is time it claimed mine. One step will take me back inside, another sees my end in the watery abyss. Black oceans, rise and welcome me!
“…we therefore commit his body to the deep to be turned into corruption, looking for the resurrection of the body, when the sea shall give up her dead and the life of the world to come through our Lord…”

18.05.2006
Replica