Gorma Tales of the Camino: Aqua the Dancing Starfish
Gorma walked midmorning on a path along the beach, wandering among the great rocks that catch the strength of the strong waves and set the water down gently into small, shallow pools, tidal pools, which, being warm and gentle, nourish new life for all those who live where the sea meets the shore.
The tidal pools are not the deep purple-blue of the deepest part of the sea. No, they are cerulian blue, and turquoise, sapphire and aquamarine, ever-changing blues and greens like the colors of a peacock’s tail. Tiny sea creatures live here, a miniature world within a rock basin, protected and safe from the wild and wondrous waves ever heaving.
As Gorma carefully picked her way between the great rocks. she came upon a sea-woman, those creatures who resemble women of the land, but have the sea always in their eyes – you can see it there, if you look close, and quickly. She was sitting on the edge of one of the tidal pools, leaning out to speak to some young seals, who had gathered between the great rocks and the pools.
“Ah, Gorma, Gorma, how happy we are to see you! Class dismissed!” And with that, the young seals dunked their heads under the water – boop! boop! boop! boop! boop! – and were seen next far down the beach, frolicking in the waves.
“What class is this, if I may ask? For, what can you teach the seals?” Gorma asked in happy wonder.
“It’s dance, of course, as all young seals must be taught the joy and grace of moving with the sea. Would you like a lesson?”
“Oh yes, please, a lesson,” Gorma nodded eagerly, and set Saint Thomas, her walking stick, in a safe place out of the water, and there he watched over her bag. She tossed her cloak upon the rocks and stood on the beach, where the surf just tickled her toes.
The teacher was Aqua. Her mother had been a dancer and a sea-woman, too. Aqua had been born into a tidal pool, nourished with the tiny creatures born to the warm and quiet places within the sea. For Aqua was actually a dancing starfish, given the form of a sea-woman by her mother so that she might come and go her way as she pleased.
“A little deeper, Gorma,” Aqua instructed. The water lapped at Gorma’s ankles. “Keep going,” Aqua coached, smiling.
“Farther.” The water brushed Gorma’s knees. “Farther.” The water belted Gorma around the waist. “A little…farther.” The water came under Gorma’s arms, and around her chest.
As a wave broke around the great rocks, it gently lifted Gorma as if she were in the arms of a graceful dancer, then set her down again lightly. Gorma laughed with delight, looking astonished at Aqua.
“Well done!” Aqua called, laughing in return. “One more time! Dance with the sea.” So Gorma stepped in until the water came up under her arms and around her chest, and over and over, Gorma and the sea danced. Soon Gorma was springing to the right, and swinging to the left, and always the sea would catch her gently and set her down lightly.
Gorma danced with the sea until it was midday, the sun was hot, and Gorma was hungry from all her fun. She shared a lunch with Aqua of seaweed crisps and apple slices and delicious cold water with lemon, sparkling in the sun.
“Now Gorma, Gorma, you must stay and watch my students give you a dance recital. Children, it is time for class!”
And – boop! boop! boop! boop! boop! – the little seals returned, all eyes on Aqua, their little whiskers twitching with anticipation. “Children, let us show Gorma what you have learned, shall we?” And as Aqua smiled, a music could be heard, of seagulls and terns, of breezes through the grasses on the sand dunes, of water upon rock, and the strange and beautiful voices of whales, somewhere far off in the mysterious deep.
The seals formed a circle and took turns diving into the center. Their flippers tipped and their noses touched. The twirled ’round each other, smoothly gliding fur on fur for an instant, and then free. Then all together, they swam far out into the waves and back again, as if they had become a wave themselves. Returning to Aqua, she kissed each upon the head, and – boop! boop! boop! boop! boop! – they turned for home.
“Wonderful! Just wonderful!” Gorma clapped and smiled. The seal pups barked their goodbyes.
“Aqua, what might you need for this wonderful school?”
“More students, Gorma, always more students. For all children can be taught to dance with the sea, and with each other. It is the gentleness of touch that lets us dance with all our hearts. And that is why the seals are such good students.”
So Gorma promised to send more students, and she thought of a few children at home, little sea monkeys who might like the dance with the seal pups in the gentle waves. Gorma picked up her bag and her cloak, and waving goodbye, she took up Saint Thomas and walked on, quiet and smiing. She arrived at the next albergue just in time for a bed, for which she was very grateful, and she slept deeply. Outside, the seal pups slipped in and out of the gentle surf, and the great rocks kept them safe from the wild and wondrous waves.
Buen Camino, Aqua.