Whale Tide - 10thDoM RoM The Faint Trace of Ambergris

The Whale exhibit was on the furthest side of the aquarium away from the jellyfish. They didn't stop to visit the starfish and stingray petting pool, the North American rivers exhibit, or the Asian sea creatures exhibit, although Elle made a mental note to head there next if there was time. As much as she enjoyed being at the aquarium, there was actually very little that truly interested her; she simply enjoyed the ambiance of the watery azure surroundings and watching the silvery white reflections weaving their tentacled fingers along the sky and cobalt halls.

As they traversed through the now crowded halls, John stopped suddenly, causing Elle, in her usual state of being happily oblivious, to walk right into his back. It was only a split second, but Elle's nose brushed against the grey hood of his sweatshirt, and her nose burned in exhilaration at his scent.

She was immediately transported back to the Saturdays of her childhood... Incense burning, windows and doors open so the breeze could flow through the little apartment she shared with her dad. Saturdays had been usually reserved as cleaning day or softball tournament days in the summer, often both, and Elle's mind played with her olfactory senses as time machine in the present. She was thrown into a happy bliss of sensory overloaded memory as she could instantly recall the waxy lemon scent of the furniture polish and the eye-burning clean smell of the dish soap. She could feel the breeze flowing from the front to the back of the long duplex, from the living room door, down the long hallway to her bedroom and out the back screen door. She could see bright sun filtering through the billowing sheer window coverings and feel it's warmth through the cool breeze. She could hear the Rolling Stones playing on the big speakers. She could taste the humidity resting on the invisible streams of mountain air. But mostly, Elle could smell, feel, see the incense burning on the living room mantle; they had always burned incense on Saturdays.

Elle's dad was a fountain of useless knowledge, and the sensory tornado that John's simple musky scent had just created in Elle's already overactive mind also brought on a barrage of miscellaneous trivia her dad used to bestow upon her while he worked his daily crosswords in the old yellowed and torn chair in the living room. She remembered that early incense was made from whale vomit.

At that very moment, Elle noticed an inconspicuous part of the whale exhibit, near the emergency exit, underneath the giant life sized replica of the blue whale suspended by wires that were a little too conspicuous for Elle's taste, but that was neither here nor there. She grabbed John's hand, wrapping her palm and closed fingers crisscrossed against his, and pulled him towards the previously overlooked fixture.

It was ambergris. The whale vomit that had been the original incense. It was a fairly large piece and was covered with a mesh material so you could still smell it. Elle inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. It was a unique and earthy scent but it was still reminiscent of many other scents of her past. John was talking, maybe wondering what the thing was, maybe asking Elle a question, maybe just talking about nothing in particular. Elle wasn't paying attention. She simply turned to him, buried her nose in his sweatshirt and drew in a deep breath.

There it was - the faint trace of ambergris. As the barrage of memories came back to her, she noticed she hadn't let go of John's hand. Instead of letting go, she turned her hand a little and interlaced her fingers through his.



Summer days
Running through my veins
I feel it now in the air

Steamy rain
Soaking through my shoes
Cooling off the hottest days

I got caught in your scent
It always takes me back
That faint trace of ambergris
Always brings me home

Nighttime breeze
Curtains billow in the wind
While I sleep through night sounds

Morning dew
Running through the grass
Barefoot in the summertime

I got caught in your scent
It always takes me back
That faint trace of ambergris
Always brings me home

It’s when all the time is free
And time moves lovely
It’s our time, you’ll see
In our time we are set free

Summer days
Running through my veins
I feel it now in the air

The faint trace of ambergris
Always takes me home