Behind the fence

Chapter seven

When we tell Natalia that we don't have a place to stay, or anything really apart from what we brought, she offers as two bedrooms at her own house! Just to think that she has two spare bedrooms, and we had nothing but a one-room house with a few wrapped bails of straw as beds, is truly remarkable. And it's even more so, because apparently Chaffendale is a still war-torn village. 

It's only when we walk down a side street, that I remember my thoughts of the ocean, and I have to blink 50 times before my eyes register the new sight. The massive expanse of blue, blue water, rocking and rippling out as far as the eye can see. "Is that..." 

"Oh, the sea?" Natalia questions.

"It's so beautiful, no remarkable" I sigh. I already love the sea. The further we walk, the loader the crashing sound gets, and the more curious I get, and the more confusing Natalia's look gets.

"What" I turn and face her. "It's just...have you never seen the sea?"

"Err, no"

"Oh" 

But before I can question her remarks, I see a stretch of golden, grainy looking stuff, and then the white, frothy foam, and then the beginning, or the end, I don't know which, of the sea. Before anyone's yells at me, I run for it, those horrible sandals slip off as I run along the hot but dry grain, isn't that just so weird! When it starts to getter darker in colour, it becomes damp but cooler under my feet, even weirder! 

And then the most astonishing thing yet happens. Against the screams of the others back off the damp grain, I run head on into the blue-white froth. I scream in delight as my body cools down in the damp bubbly foam, and as I go deeper, it's like water, but with a strange pulling and swirling attached to it. 

I go out, out to my knees.

I go out, out to my stomach.

I go out, out to my shoulders.  

I go out, out to my neck.

I go out, out, out till my head's underwater.

My heads underwater!

My imitate thinking sends me into a panic. How do I get out? I kick and thrash around, hoping that if I attack the water, it will release me. I doesn't. Instead I actually feel a calm wash over me. It's really unusual, maybe that's just how the sea works? I feel like I can almost breath underwater, and I think I see a little creature, and it's waving at me! I'm so confused, and that's when I feel the tug on my shoulder.

I am pulled to the surface, and stare into Natalia's face. "You almost died!" She screams, "you were under there for about five minutes!" Her voice is hysterical, I can tell she really was worried about me. "I was" I'm laughing now, "I'm fine, I'm so happy" I cry with joy. I love the sea!

.....................................................................................................

When we arrive at Natalia's house, I take in the scene. It's a cottage-like house, two floors, an garden, and pretty little vines crawling over the walls outside. When we've walked over the white pebble driveway, and up onto the wooden deck, Natalia produces a key, and the door swings open with a light creak. 

Almost instantly, a girl that looks about Enyah's age bounds out onto the deck and into Natalia's arms. "Maysie, calm down" 

"Who are they" she indicates to us. "Oh, they are going to stay the night with us, darling, they just got moved here"  The girls voice is sweet and high pitched, "oh, ok mummy, you coming inside or what?"