The day took on an air of spontaneity; it's the 4th anniversary our Dad's passing away, and we decided it was time to sprinkle his ashes on the sea. So Mum, my brother and I went and did just that.
This afternoon, we gathered at Tankerton Slopes, with the intention of walking out onto 'The Street', the shingle strip that's exposed at low tide. Dad was always intrigued by this unusual phenomenon of nature, so we thought it was a fitting farewell. Unfortunately, even though high tide was at 1:10pm, by 5:30pm it was still under water with only 2 hours left before low water. Although we've all lived with 'The Street' for most of our lives, none of us had actually timed just how long it's exposed for!
So we changed our plan. We went to Hampton Pier, just to the west of Herne Bay.
Dad often launched his little Zodiac rubber boat near here, so it was a good fall-back plan.
The wind was coming from the north-east, so we chose the west side of the pier.
With the sun low in the sky, shimmering on the windswept water, Dad slipped into the sea, one last time.
We scattered peach-coloured roses onto the water, a fitting glimpse of the sunset that would see him on his way in an hour or so. As we watched the roses float round the end of the pier and out to sea, the gulls on the wing were more cacophonous than melodic.
But it was nature, saying farewell to a man who was, at times, similarly jarring to the senses, and yet just as capable of infinite kindness to total strangers.
The evening gave way to more family time, on a more convivial note, as it was number 2 nephew's birthday. His request? Fish'n'chips! It is Ramadan, and I am fasting, but I think I just about made it to sunset before taking my first bite… or maybe not. Guess that's another donation to Medecins Sans Frontieres, then.
"Happy Birthday!" - and tomorrow it is nephew number 1's turn.
"Happy Birthday!" - and tomorrow it is nephew number 1's turn.
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