Letters

Letter 11

November 15th, 2004

            This is the first day of work. I worked from the morning ‘til noon and I really didn’t mind the cold at the beach. There were a few people renting some boards, but they looked like they had fun anyways. I don’t know anyone who would do it, but it’s technically not winter yet, so I thought it was fine even though it’s 18 degrees Celsius outside. Pretty cool weather.

            I sat there in the store waiting for more people to come in, and this one particular person asked where he could get surfboard lessons. His name’s Ryan and he told me that he’s only here for a few days before he could go back to Nevada. I told him that I get off in the next hour and that I could teach him personally. He agreed and hopped out of the door. When I left the rental place, he was there sitting on a bench with his board. I grabbed a board from the rental place, paid it off, and began teaching him some basics of surfing. Before I could end the lecture, he asked me to demonstrate on a wave. I said sure, but I warned him that the last time I surfed was a few years ago. I took off my clothes and left my underwear on, and then I got into the water. It was freezing, but I wanted him to see how it was done, so I waited for the right wave. I got to ride a fairly big one, but I slipped and it wiped me out. I sat up and discovered that my underwear was missing. The wave wasn’t that powerful enough to do that sort of thing, but I shrugged it off. I asked Ryan to hand me my clothes, but he told me that he didn’t know where they were. I tried to look around without revealing much, and I couldn’t find my clothes. I started panicking a little, but Ryan offered his pants.

            He was smiling at me the whole time and I felt pretty weird about it. I didn’t want to take his pants, but then he offered his underwear instead. He said that no one would know except us. I felt even more weird, or embarrassed. I decided to take his pants instead and we walked to the house together with our boards. I told him that he could wait on the couch while I put on my own clothes in my room. I tried to hurry before Uncle Alex found out about Ryan being without pants in the living room. As I rushed downstairs, I saw Uncle Alex sitting across from him. Ryan Sat there comfortably with his hands behind his back.

            I stood there awkwardly holding Ryan’s pants and Uncle Alex told me that my new friend was nice. I asked him if it was weird to find him in the house without pants on, and he said “Not as much anymore” I gave Ryan his pants and I sat next to him trying to rest my brain. Before Ryan left, he asked for a hug and I gave one to him. He whispered in my ear “You’re cute without your clothes on” and he left.

            I sat across Uncle Alex and he asked if I liked him. I told him that he can’t just keep asking me if I liked every guy I hang out with. He told me that I brought Ryan into the house, and he found him without pants, so he assumed that I liked him in that sort of way. I couldn’t speak without stuttering after that. I just left to my room and read my book for the rest of the day.

Your son,

Rico