Life saver

^source

Lara decided to go to the beach as the sun was about to set. It was her favorite spot to relax after a hectic day at work. After all, her house was very close to the sea.

She trailed slowly through the short path that led to the beach as the wind carried her hair, she inhaled and exhaled. There were only a few person's at the beach that evening as usual. It wasn't open to outsiders; it was only meant for the residents of the estate.

On getting to the beach, she sat on a rock very close to the water to admire the beautiful sunset that glimmered over the flowing water then something caught her attention which left her eyes fixed at that spot waiting for the next move.

There was an obese under fifty year old man who was walking slowly into the terrific sea. He looked starving and had gloom written all over him. He kept walking lazily up into the water. At some point he'd stop and say a few words which of course couldn't be heard by even the closest person to him if there were any at all.

Lara looked on and wasn't finding the scenario funny anymore. He didn't look like someone that was at the beach to have fun or find peace but he looked like he had something else in his head. Lara couldn't hold herself anymore; she took to her heels so she could reach him on time before he's swept by the waves.

"Stop, stop, stop, please stop", she shouted at the top of her voice while gasping for air due to running. She went closer to him. With a beautiful smile on her face, she said "I'm Lara" her eyes fixed on his face trying to read the emotion in him. "Let me help you, the waves are getting bigger. Let's get out of here, you can count on me". A bead of tears dropped from his eyes when he looked at her. He relented a little before giving in. He gave her his hands and they both walked out of the water to dry land.

"I'm sorry I had to bother you Lara, I'm gonna be fine now thank you for saving me….", "no, no, psst, it's no problem at all" she interrupted. "Really? Oh! Thank you! By the way, you look so much like my daughter". When he said the last words tears flowed freely down his cheeks. He put his hands into his pocket and brought out a picture which he handed to Lara.

"What happened to her"? "She drowned in this same sea two months ago. She loved coming here a lot and one evening when she came here just like you did, she never returned and her body was found after three days just right there" he pointed to a particular spot. His face had gone red from crying and wiping.

Lara pulled closer to him and hugged him like she would hug her father. "She was all I had left after her mother died. I took full responsibility for her when her mother died after giving birth to her. We were really close and sometimes I come here whenever I miss her so much and today's was the worst. I just wanted to end it all and go be with her". He sobbed.

Lara was already tearing up but she had to hold herself together and console the poor man. She promised to treat him like a father and would always stop by at his place to say hi to him after work. She walked him home and made sure he felt better before leaving him.