The First Sandcastle - Softcover

Delgado, M E

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0980141001 ISBN 13: 9780980141009

Publisher: Barrio City Press, 2008

Synopsis

Marlo Clemente is a young remarkable artist--a prodigy you can say. At age six, he can sketch freehand portraits and landscape settings, though neither his mother nor father ever acknowledge his extraordinary talent. Caught between his parent's constant tribulations at home, Marlo matures only to doubt whether his "sandcastle dreams" will ever live beyond fairy tale legend. 

Desiree Castillo, with dazzling green eyes and clumsy lisp, has big dreams of her own. She even tells of a story of the first sandcastle ever--one which, legend has it, was built long ago, near the Yucatan Peninsula. Faced with a strong fascination towards Desiree and his dream of castles that never fall, Marlo battles his most passionate fears of countless tides, lonely moons, and wishful stars...

About this title

About the Author

M. E. Delgado is a native San Franciscan, growing up in the inner city and, as a child, possessing a talent and vision that would later flourish as a teenager. He began writing his first novel at age fourteen and has continued his hard work on various works of poetry and fiction. A graduate of St. Mary's College of California and graduate studies at Golden Gate University and San Francisco State University, M. E. Delgado is an accomplished high school and college instructor.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

excerpt from: CHAPTER 18

She was not among the infinite faces I saw. The party had doubled in size in the time of my journey. The living room was jam packed, nearly impossible to squeeze through the dancing crowd whose hands waved up and down freely to the sound of booming music. Some of the more conservative guys had removed their ties and had them strapped around their heads. The less conservative gents had ripped off their shirts as they danced and paraded like half-naked madmen. Wildly, everyone shoved and heaved into one another as they slam danced, making the entire room as rowdy as could be. Several times I was pushed into the dance area. A girl I did not know grabbed me by the arm. She appeared dazed and said nothing as she pushed up against me, inviting me to join her provocative dance. Her smile never wavered, and her eyes told me she couldn't care less whether or not she knew my name. Quickly I pulled away and shoved my way towards the back, where finally a set of sliding glass doors led me out to the yard.

The pool shot reflections of moonlight glimmer; my body welcomed and sipped in the vibrant tropical breezes. I followed the meandering concrete path leading up to the gazebo. Desiree stood silent. Shadows crossed over her face but could not hide her pretty features and stunning eyes. Her stare it seemed could read my mind, even behind my unspoken thoughts--silently melting away every inch of me, taking apart my flesh and blood to vividly grasp sight of every complicated, simple, and mediocre composition my soul claimed. Could she read my thoughts? Could she really make sense of this speck of sand whose cries chimed, Marlo?

"What are your dreams, Marlo?" she asked. I felt no need to avert my stare this time around, as I saw myself become suddenly welcomed, accepted.

"Dreams?"

"Yeah, what do you wish for more than anything in this world?"

I thought for a moment, not really sure how to describe my dreams. For how did I say I dreamed of sandcastles which never fell, or wished to be a part of a world that would accept my complications and true identity? So too I could have said I dreamt of spending an entire day with her at the beach, where we could talk and laugh all day...and maybe even kiss like she and Gerard had. But I knew I could never tell her this. Despite her probing eyes, she really had no clue I found her so dreamy and alive. "I'd have to say my biggest dream is to make myself be known--to touch people and show myself through art and craft."

"An artist," she said. "I should have guessed. Those drawings you showed me the other day were incredible. They remind me of something..." She stood quiet, looking away from me as she stared up at the sky, nearly stealing away some of the stars that seemed to spell my name. "Now I remember," she uttered slowly as she turned my way again. "Your friends. I've met them before...You were the one on the beach that day, the one who built that sandcastle."

My entire body felt it lost a blanket that had kept it warm and safe for an entire lifetime. Hushed I stayed as I tried to scrape away my frozen afterthoughts.

"I thought you looked familiar when I first walked into class--though I couldn't quite place you. You were the one who built it, weren't you?" I nodded, forgetting how to say yes aloud. "I've never seen anything like it before," she went on. "Something out of a fairytale book." She looked towards the sky again, as if she really could read my name high above the heavens. "It was more like an image out of a dream you don't want to wake up from. More than just magnificent...It was magical--mystical. I'm sure not many guys can do what you do, even in their dreams.

Edition details

• Publisher: Barrio City Press
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0980141001
• ISBN 13: 9780980141009
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 3
• Number of pages: 272