Seaside Rush

One: Breathe And Believe (edited)

PHOTO OF MELANIE ON THE SIDE

One: Breathe And Believe

            I hold on closely to my surfboard as I pass through the wave channel. This is the last chance to show them my best. I am the only one left to present the tunnel trick and if I don't make it out of the tunnel in time, Loraine is sure to take my spot in the championships. 

            I remember what Seth used to tell me when he's teaching me how to go through this.

            All you need to do is to breathe.

            I take a handful of oxygen as I breathe in the air, in the atmosphere of Hull Bay. The salty ocean air was like a drug and it made me feel ecstatic.

            Close your eyes and listen to the current.

            I fasten my eyes shut and all is left for me to see is darkness, but as soon as I heard the splashing of the tides against the shore, the sound of seagulls flying far above and the wind whispering in my ears, I don’t regret closing it.

            Connect with the waves, touch it, feel it.

            With my eyes still shut I fiddle my fingers through the water and feel a bond between me and the ocean, sending a rush of encouragement to my soul. There, I feel determined to win the competition. 

            Surfing has been the very core of my life ever since. It feels so near to touch the waves of freedom and to let go the splashes of predicaments and the other pains that you thought would be forever glued to your heart. Riding on that board is like waiting for the water to gobble you up and carry you with its tide, but you’re not letting her do so. It’s as if I belonged to the sea before and she wants to get me back.

            Seth taught me everything I have to know. And I will never forget one thing that he only told me once. “You don’t belong in the ocean, Mel. The ocean itself and all the creatures of the deep belong to you.” From that moment, I don’t really understand what he was trying to say. And even up to now, I could not get the thought out of my head. It’s stuck there, just waiting to be cast out by someone like him.

            But he hasn’t come back, yet.

            In the remaining years he has left me with, I spent them here in the bay. I spent every passing day thinking about him and how we used to be when we were younger. I spent every second trying to stop myself from tearing up again. I miss how we used to tease each other, all the time, whether competing on who's the best chess player in the whole world or who can make the biggest sand castle. We grew up together in St. Thomas, a place in Virgin Islands just in front of Hull Bay.

            And I can still recall how his eyes glimmer in a sudden burst of hysteria during that rainy day when we first met. We were five back then and we both thought that we’re going to have the greatest adventure ever if we become friends. And surely, we were right. His father, who is a fisherman, came knocking on our door one Sunday morning. From that moment on, my father, who is working as a marine biologist, became good friends with Mr. Conry. 

            But Seth and I were better. We turned out to be best friends. 

            Open your eyes.

            I draw myself back to reality and I notice that the water subway is still surrounding my figure. It was getting smaller and smaller as I moved farther away, wrapping me in its running water. I squat even lower because the water above me is almost touching my head.