A Short Timers Memories: A Surfing Story
We met at the beach front on a cold February morning. The Atlantic was full of blues, greys, and purples. The sand looked grey and black, it was drizzling. He handed me a wet suit, I am sure was made for a much taller and wider person. I zipped up the back and there was gap, but I was ready for some adventure. He smiled at me as he zipped up the back of his. The temperature outside was in the 40’s and we chatted about how high the waves were, and that we would not have to venture far out. Which was good for me, I had never surfed the Atlantic Ocean before. My body was used to warm Pacific waters.
He stood there looking off in the distance for a minutes, as if he was charting his descent into the rough waters. He was tall, with light brown hair, brown eyes and a slightly crooked smile. I asked him, almost interrupting his thoughts, “Are you ready?” He smiled big and said with enthusiasm, “Hell yes!” with that he grabbed my left hand and squeezed it. When he let go we grabbed the giant surfboard, ran straight ahead into the cold waters. When my chest touched the coldness of the Atlantic something woke up deep inside of me, it was enthusiasm mixed with fear. I lay my belly on the surfboard, paddled out until I found something I could confidently catch. My body pushed itself up into and slightly bent position. The cold salty water and made it’s way in the back of my wet suit, giving me the push to stay up longer. My arms helped me balance myself on this unknown waters, as my excitement rose I was knocked over into the water. I fell hard, and it felt like I was 12 years old falling off a skateboard ramp onto a hard surface only this time I was not landing. I was deep under and my body remembered my arms reached up until my face surfaced about the waters. I saw the surfboard not too far off and swam to it.
In the distance I saw my companion upright on his board until the wave died out. I got back up in mine and paddled out again, I spent the better part of two hours up and down in the cold salty Atlantic Ocean. My heart wished I could stay there forever. My companion and I did not talk much during those two hours, other than one of us asking the other if we were okay. When we decided to ride in for the day, I wasn’t sure what was next. I was content to slip out of the wet suit, but my clothes back over my bathing suit and get a taxi back to my barracks. He smiled as we toweled off, and invited me to shower in his barracks room so I would not have to ride back wet and cold. I accepted the offer.
As we showered, separately we talked. We laughed and hurried as to not get caught. When we were both dressed we headed out to walk around. I learned where he was from, that he loved surfing and was glad to be so close to the beach. He learned where I was from and that I was just glad to be so far away from home. When I headed back to my base, he said he’d come find me soon and we’d have dinner. He gave me a warm hug and kiss on the cheek as I set off.
A couple weeks later he came and found me. We had dinner and he told me he was being sent to the west coast, the desert. Not really close to any beaches. I wished him luck as he said he wish he had more time to get to know me.
