Thunder struck hard on that morning. It sounded as if the bad weather was right above. The clap clap of water pouring down was unbearable and deafening. The little wooden house bounced on itself as if it would fall apart any minute. Paul half opened one eye and fell dead asleep. The time between then and the morning appeared very short to the sleeper though hours drifted by in reality...
Paul climbed off his single bed to open the shutters. A bright sun shone from a sheer eight degrees in the sky. Streaks of clouds slithered through an azure ceiling, stretching behind palms and mango trees. The lodge was built on some sort of cliff with a great view on the seaside. The atmosphere was really heavy, loaded with the heat and humidity adding up. Paul looked about him and could see the room of a teenager: posters of rockstars hung on the walls along with movie stars, surfers, a topless model all brown and tanned. He could discern a baseball cap and five to ten cups and medals on the sideboard. In the corner there was a baseball bat, but mostly there were surfboards. When he opened a cupboard he realized swimsuits, shorts and teeshirts outnumbered any other clothing. Paul put on a teeshirt and went outside.
When he was going down those big massive wooden stairs he could see familiar faces waiting for him. There was a giant wood table filled with fruits and an impressing choice of bakery for breakfast. Was it intended to be a brunch? Given the high position of the sun in the sky, Paul wasn't sure. Despite the richness of the meal they didn't spend much time there, limiting their nurture to a healthy feast. One face among them looked even more familiar.
“Today is the one day we've been waiting for the whole year through, man,” the youngest started animated by an odd enthusiasm “come on, let's fetch our belongings and meet 'em on the boarding,” he waved with a towel on his elbow and a surfboard under his arm.
Full of excitement the five boys kept running towards the shore. One behind another, their footsteps treading a difficult path across a sandy ground, their legs hitting the bushes and surrounding trees. Their tennis shoes hit upon rocks and roots, their faces headed straight on their objective. They quickly reached the quay stretching out unto the silent bay. There were several boats – some big and shiny, some worn-down fishers' motors – the boys reached their tugboat resting at the very end of the platform.
“It ain't the size that matters, buddy, and the smaller it is the lighter it'll be!” the eldest began. “And the easier for us to reach it, my friend,” a small boy in shorts wearing an Astros cap called out “for today we're going to meet the great Kaloa!” Suddenly bright smiles illuminated the faces of all five.
When the boat left the bay, Paul looked back light-heartedly. There it lay behind him, this cozy haven he had left for good now. No return in sight. Those folks are going to live there, with fruits and juice on the table in the morning, with smiling faces and clear blue skies, everyday routine will eventually settle in. Paul would no longer be part of their world, but to whom would that matter anyway?
Then he turned his head and looked out onto the seaside. There was that great ocean of blue stretching as far as his eyes could see. His friends had all stood up with their surfboards in their hands, ready to jump. Jim had just killed the motor and their tugboat was floating randomly under the motion of the waves. Suddenly they could feel the boat turn a few degrees west pointing southwards as the currents rebelled underneath. Excitement was at its peak as the boys felt the wave rising under their feet: “Now's the time, boys, ready? Jump!” the brown-headed guy with the baseball cap screamed across the wind.
No sooner had the boys dived in the sea than a big wall of water swallowed the boat and eventually blocked their view. In that wave, and during the very short minutes following it, some of the guys appeared trying to step on their boards and ride away. Paul managed to do so and stood rapidly on a 66 feet height, looking puzzled and dumb-founded.
Reason versus his inner thoughts. Paul realized the insanity of his deed, reason told him to be aware of the danger of such a wave. And yet he felt so different up there, riding at nearly thirty miles per hour. He felt as though he was standing on the threshold between life and death,as if he possessed special knowledge. This vision enabled him to see things from a different perspective and still he knew what was left behind and what he would never see again, for certain. His mind was so focused on his past he could hardly grasp the present. He felt as if knowing his past would help build his future. But now as he was riding that giant wave in Hawaii all of his concepts – whatever concrete – were shattered and disseminated in the water surrounding him. The four friends from the boat were long gone now and Paul stood there all alone. Alone to face the world. Alone to face his own future. Alone. A sudden splash hit him in the face and Paul woke up from his daydream. The cushions surrounding him were all wet from perspiration and he could still feel the salty touch in his eyes.
© 2017 Matt Oehler
No comments:
Post a Comment