The Ring

Part 7

Dominique thought about the Frederick in her dream. She could feel the dichotomy of his two lives; the tension between his feeling of place and responsibility verses his deep connection with the grand estate and the other Dominique, who was as much part of the land. The little beach had set the atmosphere for the story and while it still retained it's wild beauty, the atmosphere had subtly changed to a colder and less forgiving place. Maybe the little bit of magic that she initially found there had worn off? She hoped not, but it was time for a change.

The next day Dominique drove her car to the small town not too far from the estate. She wanted to explore this simple little place, where people's lives seemed to have fewer worries. It was a surfing town and the houses were quite small, and of wooden or similar cheap construction, but painted in many bright cheerful colours. It was clear that the people who lived here cared less about the houses in which they lived and more about the place itself. There were café's by the beach and the white sand seemed to be creeping into the town. It was everywhere; on the footpaths and on the roads, seemingly claiming the town for itself. The sun and salt spray had bleached many of the buildings and structures and corroded metal. Dominique had the impression that this town was almost portable, that they could just pack it all up and move to another place at a moment's notice.

There was a road directly behind the main beach that probably had the best claim to being the main street of the town. Dominique parked her car and decided to have a stroll down the street. She hadn't seen many other people for a couple of weeks and so needed to mix with the local population a little more, rather than just stay lost in her thoughts. The street held many different types of shop, from those selling beach clothing to those selling antiques, and maritime trinkets. Even the general store was here. The road ended approximately near the end of this section of beach after which the land became more hilly and wild, matching the rocks that appeared in the water and further along the coast as the hills swept violently up and down. At this end of town there were few shops, mostly just individual houses. As she was about to turn around she noticed a small house with a painted sign outside, advertising Rembrandt surfboards. She could hear the loud sound of a power tool operating, which was coming from a shed beside the house. The shed was open and the inside seemed filled with a white dust. There was a person, who she thought she vaguely recognized, leaning over what looked to be a white plank, energetically carving or shaping it into a surfboard with a loud electric powertool. He was wearing a mask, but must have noticed Dominique standing outside, as he stopped what he was doing and put the power-tool down and waved. It was Samuel.

Samuel took off his goggles and dust mask and walked over to where Dominique was standing with a huge smile on his face. He greeted her and asked how she was and then without the slightest hint of formality, he asked if she would like to have lunch with him. Dominique was glad for the company, so accepted. He took her to a small café just down the road and ordered a couple of hamburgers, some french fries and a couple of soft drinks. Dominique thought that it was good that she was not a vegetarian, because he didn't even bother asking her what she liked. Well at least he asked what she would like to drink. She laughed a little to herself. Rather than eat in the café, Samuel took her across the road to the beach. There was a picnic table and benches there, but he chose to avoid them and just walk out onto the beach and sat down in the soft sand. Dominique sat next to him and looked out at the small waves rolling in to the beach. Samuel said that it wasn't the season for good surf, and with the cooler weather, the entire town seemed to be in hibernation. Dominique thought that the weather was hardly cold, but guessed that the fact that it was not the holiday season explained the apparent emptiness of the town.

Dominique spent a pleasant lunch with Samuel and he enthusiastically told her about where the best waves were to be found and other trivial facts, that she wasn't really interested in. Afterwards he invited her back to his shop for a tour. The main part of the shop was inside his house and it was there that she got somewhat of a shock. Samuel used the front rooms of his small house as a show room for his surfboards, but the interior was something to behold. Instead of just a simple room painted in bright beach colours, she found rooms painted somewhat like the Sistine chapel in Rome. The walls were covered in murals painted in the style of the renaissance masters. Samuel smiled at the look on Dominique's face and said that explained the name of his shop. In addition to the walls, the surfboard designs also looked like renaissance masterpieces. Samuel explained that he was also a painter and he really loved the old masters, so he decided to combine his two passions into this small surfboard business. He told her that he also did individual art works and that currently he was working on some pieces that were to be displayed in the old manor house. Apparently the owner was in the rather slow process of renovating the old estate house and wanted some painting that looked to be of the same period. The odd thing was that Samuel had never met the owner of old estate, he had just received a letter commissioning the work together with a rather large cheque as a down payment. A large smile once more appeared on his beach-weathered face as he said the cheque was probably more than he would have charged, had he been asked.

Dominique spent most of the day wandering around the town after leaving Samuel. She met a few more of the local people, who all seemed quite friendly, and she came to the conclusion that this town really did move at a slower pace compared to the city life that she was used to. Life was slower and less complicated, but while that felt good now, Dominique was not sure that such a quiet sleepy town could hold its attraction for too long.

Dominique arrived back at the cottage in the evening, having spent a very enjoyable day. Her mother immediately gave her a letter that had been delivered, thinking that it looked important. When Dominique read the letter her heart sank ever so slightly. Her most recent blood test had indicated that the disease had gained control. An appointment had been made with her doctor in order to discuss the results. Dominique sank into the couch and just hugged a blanket. Her mother looked at her and told her not to worry. She said that the sea had blessed her and that it would look after her. Dominique took no notice of her mother and just got lost in her own thoughts.

The doctor told her that the drugs she was taking were no longer working and that there were very few options remaining. She asked about the prognosis and the doctor just shrugged and said that the disease was in control now and that she should prepare for the consequences. Dominique got a little angry with the doctor's evasive answers. She asked directly how much time she had left. He apologized and told her, no more than six months. Strangely this didn't have much affect on Dominique. Much of the shock had already passed and she had stepped in to a simpler headspace where she just appreciated each day with a heightened awareness of all the subtle nuances. She felt strangely more alive than she'd ever been.

The next day she returned to her little beach and sat in the soft sand and wiggled her toes into the sand until they were covered. She picked up a piece of sun-dried driftwood and felt it's smooth surface, and she looked out towards the horizon, to where there was a door to a different realm, to where the spirits were waiting...