Marine

Abe is a six-year-old boy. His mother's been ill and he works for the Peyton's instead of his mother. Some kids bully him and break a bottle of medicine that Abe's just bought for his mother. A young lady stops their fight. Knowing Abe doesn't have enough money to buy another bottle of medicine, she gives him a piece of earring. Abe tries to give it back to her saying "I can't be given anything from a stranger." "I've known you, Abe. I've met you before." says the young lady.
Abe shows the earring to a pharmacist and asks if he can buy a bottle of medicine for it.
The pharmacist tells him that the earring is made of silver and very expensive and recommends Abe give it back to the young lady. He gives a bottle of medicine to Abe for free. Abe gets out of the pharmacy immediately, but she's gone. Abe returns home and tells his mother he met a pretty lady. He's decided he will give the earring back to her when he meets her again.

Three years have past since he started working for the Peyton's. Didi, who is Mr. Peyton's daughter and of the same age as Abe, is nasty to him. One day, when he is looking at the sea by himself, the young lady appears. He tries to give the earring back to her. She says he doesn't have to give it back to her because she doesn't have the other piece of the pair. She says she's left it on the ship. "Are you from a faraway place?" asks Abe. She says "I'm from the sea." Abe asks what her name is. She answers her name is Marine. "You have beautiful blue eyes, Marine." says Abe.

A schoolmaster asks Mr. Peyton to help Abe study more and go on to high school. Even though Abe is a top student, he can't afford to go to high school. Mr. Peyton agrees with it. When Abe's mother dies, Mr. Peyton allows Abe to live in Mr. Peyton's house.
Abe studies hard and does housework for the Peyton's. Didi and Abe go to the same high school. Didi is always nasty to him. Abe hates being supported by someone. He wishes he had money. When he is in the seaside thinking of going to a faraway place, Marine appears.

Marine: How are you, Abe? Are you thinking of something?
Abe: Nothing. Do you live in this town?
Marine: No, I don't.
Abe: I'm jealous of you. You are a grownup. I wish I could become a grownup very soon.
Marine: What do you want to do when you become a grownup?
Abe: I'll be free! I won't need to be supported by someone.
Marine: You are going to be a grownup.
Abe: Are you going to be an old lady when I become a grownup?
Marine: No, Abe. I won't become so old. I'll wait for you until you become a grownup.

Marine almost sheds tears. "I'm sorry. Please don't cry, Marine. I'll be old enough very soon. Please wait for me without crying." says Abe.

Didi: You shouldn't come home so late. You must've hung around with the delinquent boys.
Abe: I met with a girl.
Didi: Who's she?
Abe: That's none of your business.


Abe thinks he should've asked Marine when she would come to this town next time.

Terry is a tennis coach. Even though he is hired by Mr. Peyton for Didi, he learns Abe is a gifted tennis player when Abe plays tennis for the first time. Terry was one of the top four tennis players in England. Abe joins the tennis club at school. When he wins a game, he finds Marine standing in the forest. He runs to her.

Abe: Did you see it? I've won the game!
Marine: Of course. You're great!
Abe: I've become fairly tall, haven't I? I'm as tall as you now.
Marine: Amazing!
Abe: I've always got this earring with me. It's my treasure. Will you come again tomorrow?
Marine: No. I can't come to see you as I like, but I'm always thinking about you. Just about you. I'm in love with you."

Didi sees them talking in the forest. Didi calls Abe from the verandah in the evening when Abe comes home.

Didi: Who's the girl who you met this afternoon?
Abe: That's none of your business.
Didi: I asked you a question.
Abe: She's my acquaintance.
Didi: Does she know my father supports you? Does she know you have no money and you don't own tennis shoes or a racket? She seems to be a daughter of a wealthy family. I doubt she really loves you.
Abe: Look at this earring. She gave it to me when I was six. She says she's always been thinking about me and waiting for me. She's already known everything about me.

Didi screams at the verandah. She says to her parents Abe tried to do something to her. Mr Peyton gets upset. Terry decides to take Abe to his place to make him a professional tennis player.

Terry: I'm sure you're innocent. Didi is hysteric.
Abe: Will I be able to get money by playing tennis?
Terry: Do you want money? I'll make you get money as much as you like.

At the age of 16, Abe becomes the top tennis player in England. He plays to get prize money. One evening, Abe meets Marine on the seashore.

Abe: I play tennis for money. Do you despise me?
Marine: No. I love your playing tennis. You are going to be the world champion.
Abe: Are you a prophet? I wonder why you look small. You used to be very tall.
Marine: That's because you've become very tall.

Abe kisses Marine and promises he'll become the world champion. Didi sees them. She recognizes Marine.

Marine: It's my first love. I didn't know what love was until I saw you. I lived like a puppet until then.
Abe: It's the first time you tell me something about you. You will wait for me until I become the champion, won't you? Then we...."

Marine starts crying and runs away.
Abe draws at the next game.
Didi comes to see him. Didi states Marine is a student of the same school as she and that Marine is three years their junior. "She's only 15." says Didi. Abe is puzzled. Didi says "Marine's real name is Theodora Victoria Fieldsbury. She is Earl Fieldsbury's only daughter. She's engaged with Vincent Clarke. You have no chance."

Abe runs toward the seashore to see Marine and calls her. Marine appears. Abe asks "Is your name Theodora Victoria? Do you have a fiance? You won't get married to him, will you?" Marine says nothing. Abe slaps her.

Abe: Then why did you come here to see me? I've got enough money. Is my class another problem?
Marine: I wanted to know everything about you. I wanted to touch everything you touched, see everything you saw. I wanted to hear your voice and look into your eyes. I learned what love was when I first saw you. I've never been afraid of anything since then. I only love you."

Marine disappears and never appears again even though Abe shouts to the sea that he wants to see her again and go to a faraway place with her.

At the interview after Abe wins the world championship, he learns Vincent Clarke is the amateur champion and he is going to get married to Theodora Victoria shortly. Didi informs Abe that Theodora Victoria quitted the school to get married. Abe says to her "Get out of here!" "You have no chance." says Didi again to Abe.
Terry advises Didi she shouldn't speak in that way if she wants Abe to notice she loves him.

Abe and Terry are invited to the wedding reception of Vincent and Theodora Victoria. Terry asks Abe if Abe is in love with Theodora Victoria. Abe wonders when he became taller than she and why she came to see him. He's decided to go to the reception.

The wedding reception is held in a boat and Vincent and Theodora Victoria are going to travel all over the world by the boat. Vincent welcomes Terry. Terry introduces Abe to him. Vincent's friends make fun of Abe saying he won the championship by his love for money. Abe says he plays tennis for money and that's why he plays a thousand times harder than those who play tennis for fun. Vincent's friends suggest Abe play with Vincent. Abe and Vincent agree.
Abe's wild and powerful play overwhelms Vincent. Whey they are playing, Theodora Victoria gets into the room and sees Abe for the first time. Abe sees her when Vincent falls down on the floor.
When Abe is on the board before going to bed, he hears someone crying "The bride's dived into the water!" One of the sailors hands a piece of earring to Vincent saying it was left on the board. "We've just married! Stop the boat!" cries Vincent. Abe takes the earring from Vincent's hand and compares it with the one that he's always got with him. It's the other piece of the earring that Abe was given by Marine when he first met her at the age of six. He recalls what Marine said to him.

Abe says to himself, "Marine's first love started today. She met me some hours ago for the first time. Her dream came to see me over and over from the bottom of the sea."