Going to Extreme Measures

Chapter 4

The next morning dawned bright. Johnny was up before dawn and Mike awoke to the smell of breakfast and coffee. "Morning."

"Hey Mike hope you slept well. We have our work cut out for us today." Johnny looked relaxed and refreshed. He was sitting by the fire shirtless, barefooted and wearing cutoff shorts, sipping coffee. He reached over and handed Mike a plate full of more fish and some fresh fruit. "Eat up my friend. You're going to need your strength. Today you will learn to stand up on that board." He smiled over at Mike.

"Strength?" Mike asked looking inquisitively over at Johnny.

"Yep. It takes a lot of muscles and patience to learn to balance on a rocking board Mike. You will probably be tired and sore by the time you get the hang of it."

"Oh." Mike still looked a little unsure.

"Yep. You will have to use a lot of upper body muscles to control your board and push yourself up. Then your legs will control the direction and balance. Your abdominal muscles will get a workout too." Johnny smiled.

"That sounds difficult."

"Nah just takes practice."

The two friends finished their meal and cleaned up. Mike changed into a pair of cutoffs, and they headed to the water.

"Okay Mike show me what you remember from yesterday." Mike proceeded to climb aboard the surf board and paddle toward the center of the lake. Johnny followed grinning. "Great job. Now on to the next lesson. Watch me as I stand up then I'll tell you how it's done." Johnny raised his chest off of the sleek board he was on. He put his hands on the edges of the board about half way between the middle of the board and the tip, pushed up as if he were doing pushups, pulled his knees towards his chest and planted his feet on the board. One foot was toward the back of the board and the other about midpoint. Johnny made it look easy, but Mike knew he would have to work at it before he would be able to do it as smoothly as Johnny. "So that's how you do it. You ready to give it your first shot?"

"No...yes...I um...yeah okay." Mike stumbled over his words. He was unsure of his own ability to stand on his board. He didn't want to be embarrassed, but then this was Johnny. They were friends, good friends. Johnny was here to help him. "What do I do first?"

Johnny explained to Mike how he had placed his hands and body on the surf board. "I think we should start by just getting you on your knees. Then we can go from there."

Mike planted his hands gripping hard on the side of the board.

"Hey Mike relax man you'll leave hand prints in the board. Just grab hold but don't grip so hard. First of all if you grab on too hard you'll offset your balance. You have to be ready to let go fast. Just place your hands like this." Johnny demonstrated again how to place his hands. Mike tried again and seemed a little more relaxed. "Okay that's better." Next Mike pushed up with his arms and chest. He raised his upper body and pushed off the board and quickly fell right off going completely under and coming up gasping for air. His arms were tired and now his chest hurt from coughing up water. "You okay?" Johnny went into paramedic mode in an instant."

"Down boy, I'm fine. Just got some water up my nose." Mike chuckled at the natural professionalism that came over Johnny when he thought someone might need his medical training. He climbed back on the board to try again. Finally after getting dunked several more times Mike got up to his knees. Though he was still a bit wobbly on the board he had achieved success. He was very please with himself, and Johnny congratulated him with obvious pride. They had been at it for two hours, and Mike was exhausted.

"Let's take a break. I think I've turned into a prune." Johnny laughed as he looked at his wrinkled fingers.

"Me too." Mike trudged up the bank, laid his board down on the shore and plopped down beside it. "I didn't realize how hard this was. I have even more appreciation for the abilities of those people who do this for a living. I can't even get up on the board, but they glide through a massive wave like it's nothing. I don't know if I'll ever be able to do that, especially in front of all the other people."

"Aww Mike you will when I get through with you." Johnny had joined him on the shore. "Now why don't you rest here a bit? I'm gonna get the fishing gear so we can have some lunch in a little while." Mike was glad to take Johnny up on his offer to stay put. The truth was he didn't think he could have gotten up if he wanted to. He laid back in the soft grass on the lakeshore and quickly drifted off to sleep in the warm sun. Some time later Johnny woke him up with a hot cup of coffee. "Rise and shine."

After a good lunch of more fish, wild berries, and beans the two friends were ready to work on standing all the way up. "Johnny can you show me how you stand up again? Maybe I can do it better if I can watch you do it a couple of times. You know work out the engineering of it all in my head."

"Engineering of It huh? Like you do with Red?" Johnny laughed at his friend.

"Just shut up and show me again would ya?" Mike laughed with Johnny who was already gliding through the clear blue water with ease. Johnny was up in an instant and guided his board easily through the water. Mike noticed that Johnny could keep his board moving without strong waves. He rocked a little kept his knees slightly bent and moved his body with a grace Mike had not seen before. Johnny was always the one to go first on dangerous climbs on cranes or building ledges. He had seen him balance on the smallest space, but never notice the peaceful gracefulness he now had. He wondered if this was an extension of the bond Johnny seemed to have with nature. After a long trek across the lake standing on his board Johnny lowered himself without getting into the water and resumed his earlier position paddling back toward Mike.

"Well you gonna sit there all day?" Johnny teased Mike.

"No but I think I'll get some sun block before I go again. I don't tan as easily as you." Mike went back to camp to get his sun block. As a Californian he had seasoned his skin to the sun. He didn't tan as easily as Johnny, but he didn't burn like Roy either. Resuming his spot on the bank he poured the lotion into the palm of his hand and smoothed it over his already warm skin. The cool lotion felt heavenly as he rubbed it across his sore shoulders and down his chest. "Man I think I'm going to feel this workout tomorrow."

"I bet you will. I told you that it took strength."

"Yeah I guess you did." Back in the water Mike noticed that mounting the board was getting easier. Thinking about how Johnny had moved to stand on his board Mike tried mimicking the moves. He was able to get all the way up before he fell hard on his back into the lake. Sputtering and coughing he came to the surface again. He was glad to have the leg rope secured around his ankle so that his board was right there for him. Again Johnny looked at him with a paramedic's eye and a cocked eyebrow. "I'm okay." Mike coughed out the answer to the unasked question.

"Okay then by all means give it another go." Johnny encouraged Mike.

After several more dunks in the lake Mike actually stood up on his board and stayed there for at least five seconds. "I did it!" He excitedly yelled. "I actually did it!"

"Yep buddy you sure did." Johnny was grinning widely at his friend. "You sure did."

Mike stood up several more times before deciding he was ready to take another break. "Man Johnny thanks. I didn't think I would ever be able to do that. Maybe I will eventually be able to actually get out in the ocean and not fall off."

"You will Mike, but we're not ready for that yet. Listen we are back on shift in the morning. Do you want to head back tonight or in the morning? It will take us a couple of hours to get there, but we can do which ever you prefer. I've done it both ways, but if we stay tonight I'd like to get to the station in time to shower before shift."

"Well I'm really tired. I would like at least one more of your fish dinners, but I think we should head back tonight. I have to get a clean uniform from my place anyway before shift."

"Okay let's get to catching that dinner then." Johnny rose to get his fishing gear. Mike followed and got his pole too. Together in a short time they had caught enough fish for the two of them. Mike cleaned the fish as Johnny went into the woods for some more fresh berries. After dinner they packed up camp and were headed back toward Los Angeles. Johnny drove this time. Mike was tired and dozed in the passenger seat. The radio was on appropriately playing "Surfin' USA" by the Beach Boys.