Winning Essay

Well, Wavers, I received ever so many wonderful essays and it was difficult to choose. But this essay, by Adam Hong, jumped out at me and I hereby award it first place in the 1st Annual Rouge Wave 500 Word Essay Competition:

WHERE I WAS
by Adam Hong

Our flight was delayed for 2 hours. Then we missed our connection and spent a sleepless night in some flea-infested motel. The next morning we boarded an overbooked flight and split up¬—-Shane in first class, me in the back--and for ten hours I was cramped in a corner that was blocked by a stout couple who drank, squabbled and was gregarious in matching Hawaiian shirts. When we reached Oahu, Hawaii, our luggage was nowhere to be found.



A petite girl behind the car rental counter politely offered us two choices: a SUV or a convertible. Shane immediately expressed her wish for the latter. Would the Trailblazer have made a difference? It might have. A splendid drive otherwise--each turn opened up to a more startling view than the previous. That was until Shane pointed out a path that led toward the water. Let the fun begin! She enthused. Apparently the 10-hour flight in first class had rejuvenated her spirit.

I veered off the road and immediately realized that the Trailblazer would have made a difference. The car sank as fast as she moved. Then she stopped. Just like that. The wheels spun futilely. I sat there, still, staring into the seamless white sand that cast an equally blinding glare from the sun. Why? Why us? Why here? Why me? I pushed myself up. A hollow honk echoed through the stark afternoon. Out of the car, I was crushed. Depleted. Trapped. Needing some space.

Ahead there was nothing but space. The sand quickly found its way inside my sneakers. I tugged off my shoes--almost lost my footing--and hurled them back into the car. Shane dodged the shoes as if I was aiming for her. I wasn’t. I should’ve. The silky strand felt incredible. Its fluid grains contoured the soles of my feet, seeped through the gaps of my toes, soothing my discontent, step by step. Not a soul in sight. Not even my own shadow. Mishaps or fortunes, as we call them, have different degrees and interpretations. When we can no longer rationalize the whys, we come up with something called fate. Was that it?

I reached the edge of the surf and stood there in wonderment. The wind constantly raked the sea until the water broke into silver waves lapping the naked shore, erasing the footprints of my self-pity left behind. From a distance, two dolphins fluttered their flukes simultaneously. If you stand on the shoreline of Hawaii and look outward, you’ll see the turquoise ocean gradually turn cerulean and raise heavenward and merge into the cobalt sky without a horizon: there is no vanishing point. And if you gaze into that ambiguous distance, you’ll lose all your senses of space and gravity and start floating away, along with the islands, inside a bubble, drifting toward infinity where your troubles seem insignificant. Especially on that very day. September 11, 2001. Hawaii, fate or not, that’s where I was. Instead of New York City.

Congratulations, Adam - that short essay had everything I was looking for in this competition; imagery, emotional truth, structure and a twist. Well done, my friend. We shall discuss a $25 gift certificate to the establishment of your choosing.

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