Tide pools and pictures

March 2003


"Watch your step right there," Jacob said reaching for my hand to steady me. We were hiking down to the ocean off the Nazarene campus in Point Loma. The hike down was steep and I was nervous of slipping on the dirt below me.

Since the bonfire last month we have seen each other a handful of times. That night he told me about the breakup with his girlfriend, Kim, he mentioned how he wasn't ready to be in a serious relationship for awhile. He was careful with his words and I could tell he didn't want to talk bad about her but based on some of the things he said about her, she was kind of... intense. She came from a strict family and in order to go out with her on their first date, she informed Jacob he needed to tell her father he could see marrying her in the future.  This was junior year of high school and he was caught off guard but also wanted a date to homecoming. He told me he didn't remember ever having a conversation about being a couple but after homecoming she started telling everyone they were. Every week they had to have dinner with her family and Kim's father would grill Jacob with questions the entire time. Somehow they lasted through senior year of high school together.  A couple months into college she asked him to skip Thanksgiving with his family and go to hers, he was OK with it at first but then she proceeded to tell him they could announce their engagement during the meal. Jacob told me that's when a light switch went off and he realized it had gone too far, he didn't love her and knew she felt the same toward him. He seemed OK with everything as he relayed the story that night.  I felt sad he had, in my opinion, wasted so much time on her. As a friend I was just hoping to spend more time with him, and this past month we have.

"I should have worn tennies instead of flip flops." I was now at another slope and trying to decide the best way down.

"Sorry, I said let's go see the ocean but didn't exactly say how." He smiled shyly at me.

A few more steps in the dusty dirt and we had reached a small cliff. Carved out through it was a small ledge and then nothing just a drop off about 10 feet. I looked around to see if we were supposed to get down another way and was met by a higher drop off on both sides.

 I must have looked cautious because Jacob lightly held my wrist and spoke. "Don't worry I'll hop down first then help you down."

I nodded and watched as he bent down and slid along the cliff until he could just jump down. He turned around and asked me to sit. Listening I sat down hanging my feet off the cliff. Jacob grabbed my waist and lowered me, I panicked a little and quickly wrapped my arms around his neck, he tightened his grip around my waist and drew me to him.  Once my feet hit the ground we stayed in that position long enough to feel my cheeks warming up. I smiled and let go turning to the ocean. It was breathtaking,  the tide was low so there was a good amount of space to explore. Rocks large and small were scattered about some making little pools of water. I walked up to a large pool made in a depression of the sandstone. The water was crystal clear,  I noticed a couple little hermit crabs moving and also these thick hairy looking flower blobs attached to the rock. I noticed a large teal one with gray tips. I kicked off my sandals and bent down to get a closer look.

"That's a sea anemone," Jacob pointed to what I was inspecting.

"Man-im-o-nie?" I didn't think I repeated it right but I was trying.

"Uh-nem-uh-nee," he corrected me with a huge grin on his face and I knew it was due to me pronouncing the word like a little kid.

"It's crazy looking I've never seen one."

"Touch it, it's pretty cool feeling, lay your finger flat. " I did and wasn't expecting what happened after.

"Eeeek!" I squealed jumping back after the anemone wrapped around my finger and felt like it was sucking me in. I looked at Jacob and he was hunched over laughing.  I was annoyed at first but then joined in, it didn't hurt just felt funny and I was nervous I wouldn't get my hand back. Jacob leaned down and poked it gently, the creature began curling itself in looking like a flower before it blooms.

"That's actually pretty cool."

"Yeah, as a kid I would feed little hermit crabs to the big ones."

"Awe the poor craby, he didn't see it coming!" I said lightly shoving him.

We explored around some more before heading back up the cliff. The cliff wall had a few carved out steps in it and Jacob stood behind me to help me up. I noticed he let his hand linger on my behind longer then necessary but I wasn't going to say anything.  When we got back to the top at the parking lot we turned around to take in the panoramic view. The deep blue ocean went on forever, to our left was a four story building.

"That's a dorm, epic view for sure." Jacob pointed out. Yeah I wouldn't mind this view everyday. I asked him to take a picture of us with the ocean in the background,  being so tall his long arms made it easy to take a picture of us, I leaned into him making sure we were both in the shot. He took one, handed me my camera back and started walking toward the car. I wanted to make sure it turned out so I turned the display screen on and squinted to see, it was a great shot and you could see the view behind us perfectly, I also approved of my appearance which doesn't always happen. I put my hand up to block the sun to see better and noticed in the picture Jacob wasn't looking at the camera, he was staring right at me, smiling. The image looked more like a couple in love then a couple of friends. We were just friends but I couldn't help the jitters I now felt in my stomach.

"Hungry," Jacob called over at me, he was leaning against the car ready to go.  I hurried to join him. I wasn't sure if he was interested in me just by a picture but the look in his eyes made me wonder if he saw me as more then a friend. We have really enjoyed hanging out together lately and even though I was clearly attracted to him I also didn't want to mess up our long time friendship if anything happened. It was funny how I used to be better friends with his sister then him but lately I have felt closer to him then most my other friends.

He took me to a taco shop not far away and we spent most of the time talking about things we remembered from visiting each others families as children.

"When we were about six we came to visit you guys in the summer. I remember going to some park with a big stream running through it. You and I walked along the stream and you held my hand." Jacob told me this before he took a massive bite of his California burrito.

" I don't remember that, just the two of us where was Amanda?" When we were kids it was either the three of us together or just Amanda and I.

"She was off running around I don't remember. But trust me I remember holding your hand." I looked at him and wished I could remember that moment like he did. When I didn't say anything he changed the subject talking about some funny professor he has.

 I'm not sure what's in store but for now I'm going to go with the flow and enjoy his friendship.