Day 298: What is Love?

What is Love?
by
Matt Zurbo

 

Dad, what’s love?
(Girl and Dad walking through bush.)

Hmm. See that baby kid over there using an oyster shell for a shovel? That’s loveable.
(Dad and Girl in distance, Dad pointing to boy ignoring shovel, using a shell to dig sand.)

And that girl filling her hair with flowers, that’s lovely.
Not loveable or lovely, Dad. What’s love?
(Second girl coastal flowers all through hair, smiling to self.)

Well, I love swimming in big surf, and the waves.
(Dad body surfing as wave crashes around him. Girl ahead of wave, laughing and running away from it.)

I love dancing anywhere, any time. Do you want to dance?
(Girl and Dad on rocks over river mouth. Dad doing the twist, girl skimming rocks.)
Sure. But what’s… love?

Love is putting up with someone else’s fart.
(Girl and Dad back in bush. Dad farting, girl wincing.)
Aw, Dad! I mean it!

Love is, like, um… the birds and bees?
(Dad, arms out a they walk through huge trees, kookaburras flying by.)

Come on, Dad. Birds eat bees. What’s love?
(Girl, annoyed.)

Love is a big, hairy monster!
Dad…! For real, what’s love?
(Dad, fingers clenched, back hunched, in stomping monster pose. Girl annoyed.)

I dunno. Best ask your mum.
(Dad farting again as he picks up sticks from the bush floor. Girl walk over log.)

(Dad and Girl, arms full of sticks, walking towards clearing. Mum at camp sight, reading a book.)

Mum, what’s love?
(Girl looking up at Mum.)

Love is putting up with your Dad’s farts.
Mum…!
(Mum talking to girl as Dad in background, bends to put sticks in fire pit.)

Love is… everything!
(Dad starting to cook and Mum and Daughter go for a walk. Daughter looking up at Mum.)

Life.
(Bird feeding chicks, Mum and Girl in background, holding hands, walking.)

Love is the feeling a parent has for their child.
(Wombat sitting, while baby wombats play around it. Mum and daughter in the background.)

Love is doing anything for someone…!
(Mum helping Girl up small rock ledge, small waterfall in background. Frogs everywhere.)

Love is needing to be near them…
(Girl laughing, swinging on branch and Mum smiles and watches. As does goanna higher in tree.)

Love is wanting to be near them…
(Girl and Mum walking through trees, streaks of white, setting sunlight everywhere. Kangaroos about.)

It’s feeling safe around them. Excited, brave…
(Mum and Girl on a rise, watching a brilliant sunset over the ocean.)

Love is being happy just thinking about them.
(Mum picking up sticks. Girl pulling dead branch off a tree, as moon rises through trees behind them. Two large owls about. One hunting a mouse.)

(Mum holding more sticks, walking, Girl rushing, to camp sight, where Dad is by fire with pot on it.)

So what did Mum say love is?
Liking something very, very, very, very much…
(Dad lounging in front of fire. Girl sitting on wood stump next to him, watching fire. Empty plates about. Mum behind them, reading by a small torch light.)

Yeah… That sounds about right.
(Dad, relaxed, watching his daughter watch the fire.)

 

The End
(Wide shot of moon over campfire and bush. Two owls in the air.)