Stars and Seashells

Written by Amihan del Rosario for character development of Amihan del Rosario

Legends say that in the distant past, the sky was also a sea—a twin to the ocean that still exists now. Perhaps this was no longer the case, but Amihan still liked to pretend that the two expanses still paralleled each other, and if the sky had stars and comets, then surely the millions of seashells were the oceans’ reflection of that.

Whenever it was hard to sleep and she could feel cracks creeping up the metaphorical walls of her sanity, the navigator found herself wandering across the beach. The nighttime sky was a comfort to her with its dark expanse dotted with millions of sparkling jewels that sketched out tales and cultures simply by floating out in space. It was a near constant in her life.

Searching for seashells brought a different kind of comfort. They beckoned forth childhood memories of sneaking out of her master’s house with her brother and sister. They would sprint to the seaside, racing to collect as many shells as they could. It didn’t matter if the shells were dull in color or cracked in half—they were each a treasure that the children were determined to collect. Back then, the del Rosario kids scooped their findings up into their arms and proudly presented them as gifts to their mother.

Amihan wasn't able to do that now, for she was in Puerto Dorado—miles away from home. But mimicking the little ritual still eased her mind. Each seashell she found was collected into a jar, bottled up like all her wishes, dreams, hopes, and prayers. One day she would pour them out to her friends on the isle, and then the process would repeat. Collecting and sharing. Stars and seashells. To Amihan del Rosario, these small moments were peace.