Member-only story
Beyond These Shores— A Memoir On a New Beginning
A tale of death and the hope of a new beginning
“How did I get here?”
My breath’s cold— and the air, chilling. Above me, the stars light up the sky. It’s a beautiful night like any other. But in front of me stands the Mediterranean.
“How did I get here?” I said to myself. My legs shiver — buried in wet sands as the water fiercely beats against them. It was almost like the waves dared me to take another step. Fear gripped me. Standing here, on the edge of the Mediterranean in Ganapoli, Libya, I questioned my very existence and my reason for embarking on this journey.
Not far from me stood a floating raft ready to carry the hopes and dreams of young men and women across to Europe. But my fear kept my feet stuck in the sand. As I gazed with teary eyes, I’m dwarfed by the vastness and endlessness of the sea.
They say, “it takes a great fall to know where you stand.” How great, therefore, must that fall be to force a man to have the courage to confront his biggest fear? Standing here, in front of the Mediterranean sea with nothing but a raft — no life jacket, I’m hit with the realisation, that somehow, it was inevitable that I’ll find myself here. Like it was meant to be.
