C O C O + L A L A
A STORY
Coco and Lala were map makers of oceans. They sailed the seven seas, charting all they dreamed and discovered aboard their old sailboat, the Mata Hari.
"People think it's just sky and sea out there but it's so much more" Lala always says of their work.
They sung as they scribbled their observations in notebooks and drew maps of the ocean floor and ceiling. Once in awhile they argued about silly things but always made peace in the end. They loved each other like sisters.
An old rusty compass and the stars were their guides as well as the trusty instincts of their pet parrot Charlie. He only had one leg and one eye but he could still fly. And more importantly, he was honest and loyal.
One fateful day, while drawing kelp giants in the Sargasso Sea a storm blew in out of nowhere. They held on to each other for dear life as the wind ripped into their sails and Charlie screamed into the night.
They truly believed for a moment that they might drown. The waves swallowed them and spit them out again and again but they kept holding on. They held onto each other, onto the rope that they tied to their boat, onto Charlie's only leg.
They held on and they survived.
When the storm finally passed they finally slept and when they finally woke they realized that they were very lost. Lost in another time, in another ocean that they didn't recognize.
The Mata Hari, broken and tired, drifted along with the currents for a very long time until it sank off the coast of a dusty strange land they didn't know. The moon was low and the evening was cool. They took what little belongings they had left and with the help of a friendly school of dolphins they swam to shore.
Charlie flew.
When they reached the sandy beaches of San Diego, California they turned back and waved goodbye to their beloved Mata Hari as she took her last breath and the dawn broke on the horizon.
"We're only here temporarily" Coco says of their new home.
Coco and Lala are currently building a new boat they have yet to name and Charlie is recovering from a bad case of mal de débarquement. Doctor says he'll be fine.
Say hello at carratkake@gmail.com