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Novaptera Novaeangliae

Not many people believe in the story I'm about to write. The truth... I don't know what the true is but this is what I saw, what I felt and what I remember so far today. This is the story of the day I met Aleene.

Some long years ago, my parents decided to organize a special trip to visit and enjoy a magical river, which connects the main cities of the entire country, from the inner center right up to the Caribbean Sea.

My eyes have never seen such amount of water before, neither my ears have sense the energetic and impressive sound of the nature. The soft and warm sand under my bare foot passed on me a sensation of happiness and courage that I have not experienced before: I was one with that powerful flow of sand-coloured water. 

Despite I was not looking at them, I knew my parents were watching over me. It is always nice to see the first time a kid goes to the beach, I know. What I am sure is not nice at all, is to look at what that little boy was about to do after. From all of a sudden, I felt myself plenty of a renewed energy going across all my body, a predominating sensation of courage dominated me. Fearlessness in pure state. "Sigánme los buenos" I said, as the famous TV latin-hero preaches, and jump directly into the water, all clothes on.

All my eyes were able to see was a blurry image of a yellow-like colour, everywhere around me. But this was not for long; some seconds after I was capable of distinguish some shapes, colours and objects located at several meters away from me. Suddenly, a whole new universe had just been presented to me. It was fascinating. I was floating (or flying) there, standing as a dandelion in the middle of the sea, or space. The water temperature was just perfect for me, with an atmosphere filled with all the possible blue and green colours on the light visible spectrum. In the middle of all this quiet place, an object captured my entire attention. It was a small dark spot changing its shape, getting bigger and bigger at the same time it was getting closer and closer to me. After some few seconds, from the shapeless spot I could identify a bulky tail moving from left to right and back from right to left again, pushing the entire object towards me very slowly but with a colossal constant force. I would not be ever able to describe what I have just in front of my face: it was a humpback whale! For me and my eyes it was difficult to see her as a whole. We humans are not made to fully appreciate such things. The first thing she told me was to  not be afraid. She knew where we were and how to take me back with me family again. I was not afraid, not at all. I even didn't know I was lost. I was more stupefied than any other sensation. I think it was because she was so beautiful, so impressive and yet so calm. Then I asked her name: "Mom wanted Aleene to be my name" she replied me. Following this she told me she was navigating in such waters because she enjoyed its fresh temperatures. She explained me this has been done like this for thousands of whale generations. Her ancestors were also here once, and she expected that one day in the future her descendents could enjoy this place as well. Soon I realized Aleene and I had very much in common: we enjoy making trips, rest in calm in cool places, discover new views, and as I have just done, navigate to the unknown. Aleene was alone, like me. She was not supposed to be there, like me. I think she has done exactly the same I did before: "Sigánme los buenos" and directly jump into the unexplored. "Not long time ago, all these were cover by profound sea waters. My mom told me there was a time in which we could go all around the world, enjoying of being all together as a family". It was impossible not thinking about my family as soon as Aleene told me about her parents. My concern was evident in my eyes. "No problem, you will be next to them in shortly". I wanted to continue my conversation with Aleene, but she quickly pushed me towards the water surface. In my eyes, the water changed from the calm translucent blue and green colours to the blinding turbulent sanded colour water. I decided to close my eyes, and to feel how Aleene pushed me out of the water for the last time. When I open my eyes again, I was in my father arms, next to the river. "Are you ok son? please breathe!" said my mom. As soon as I said "I'm fine". Both mama and papa hugged me so strong I almost lost my breath again. I told them my story, the place where I was underneath the river water, and the friend I have met. "It was not possible, son. You were at the most just for 10 or 15 seconds in the river by your own" said my mother. "As soon as you started walking towards the river, I run to catch you up" replied my father.

I wonder if Aleene had to hear the same kind of things my parents told me: "You were just some seconds on the river's water", "you could not met a little human under such waters", "I T I S N O T P O S S I B L E". Has reality taken a shortcut between two alike-worlds? two living beings converging into one single point at the same time does not seem difficult for me. Was I a part on the Aleene's dream? Or Aleene was part of my own? Is she sharing at this specific moment this story with her friends and relatives as I am doing right now with you? Does she think about me the same way I think about her?

 

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