Into the blue

An old acquaintance of mine was angry that his girlfriend wouldn't marry him-at least right then. so he went out into the desert and shot himself. his death haunted her, my good friend (whom will also remain nameless), for a long time. after a week or so of absence from school, she returned teary-eyed, head bowed and emotional as can be in such a situation. somehow, in the midst of her comforting friends, i was able to get some alone time with her. i asked her if there was anything i could do. she, of course, said no.  But if you're a friend you obviously don't stop there.  i asked "are you sure?"... same response. Then i thought i should offer her something she would want, and something most could not give. "Can i draw you anything?"  i know, weird offer for the situation at hand, but i guess if that was all i could do then...there you have it. she accepted, and then thought for a bit... "Mermaids" she said. "oh no" i thought. "how corny, how cliche. Ive never drawn mermaids!" i asked her if she was certain what she wanted, and "why mermaids?" She responded, "[My boyfriend] would always draw them for me." so i went to work and for some reason the piece felt like it created itself while i just moved my hands around. the composition just happened without any thought about symbols or the meaning behind the mermaids positioning. a few days later i finished drawing it. i brought it to school but she dropped out -right on time, i know. i asked her friends if they could give it to her but she had cut them off completely. i hear she turned to drugs for a while. i dropped the piece off in one of her classes hoping that if she did come back, the teacher could give it to her for me. still nothing. summer passed, and on "meet the teachers night" i went by that classroom and asked for it back. Soon i found out where she lived and dropped it off with her mom. a few weeks passed and i went by again to ask her mom if she got it. she said that she had, but I recieved no details on her reaction.   Now i know why the peice seemed to draw itself-i had help.  after studying the picture of it i can tell now what it all means.  the mermaid was in the very act of letting go of the merman-he who held her down.  the light on the surface of the sea was her goal now, or at least should be.  simple, i know, but very profound.  my friend, if you somehow get the chance to see this, may God bless you, and i hope you have a GREAT life!