Tale of Two Surfers

Chapter 2

I purposefully woke up the next morning early staying quiet so as not to wake anyone up. Walking outside the only sounds I could hear were the birds chirping while everyone was still asleep in their beds or just starting their days. I took off on my bike wearing nothing but my board shorts and a pair of flip flops. I kept a beach towel flung over my shoulder making my way to the beach.

When I got there the sun had just peeked over the horizon in the east. It was the gray area between morning and night that gave the whole stretch of beach the faint light of dawn.

I looked down the beach seeing a figure kneeling over a surfboard rubbing it around in circles. As I continued approaching I could see it was Rob polishing his board.

"Hi," I said.

"Mark, I didn't expect to you see out here so early."

"I thought by chance I come and see if you were here."

"I am here most days. Some of the best waves are in the morning hours."

"Were you still serious about teaching me?"

"Sure I was. Did you want to learn?"

"Yeah."

"You are in luck because I happen to have another board."

He ran back to his pickup truck pulling out another surfboard and handed it to me.

"Here you go. You can use this to practice."

"Thanks," I said with a smile.

"First going to teach you how to stand."

He laid my board down on the sand and said, "Step on it and keep your feet apart."

I did as he instructed standing on the board parting my legs.

"Shoulders back, head up."

He put his hands on my shoulders that gave me a feeling that shot down my spine like a rush of something I had never felt before.

"Rob!" a voice exclaimed.

I turned to see another surfer walking up dressed in a black wet suit. He had curly black hair and brown eyes. He looked at me with a measure of disdain.

"Who's this?" he said. "You know this is our stretch of beach, Rob."

"Patrick, chill out. This is Mark. I met him yesterday and offered to show him how to surf. The beach belongs to everyone."

"Just don't get in my way," he said shooting at me.

Patrick ran back joining others who had just arrived.

I stayed quiet feeling like I was out of place for coming here.

"Don't worry about him. He likes to put on a tough guy attitude all the time."

"Maybe this isn't for me," I said getting off the board.

"That's stupid. Surfing is the best. You stick with me long enough I can help you become just as good as Duke Kahanamoku."

"Khana who?"

"He is like the father of modern surfing," he said with a laugh.

Rob put a reassuring hand on my shoulder that no matter what made my pulse quicken a little.

Rob and I practiced on our boards showing me how to stand and jump up quickly before spending hours in the water trying little waves.

"Why don't we dry off and can show you around? We could go to the Pier."

"Yeah, we are still kind of settling in at home. We haven't had a real chance to explore the neighborhood."

"There is also a surfing museum if you want to check it out."

"Surfing is really big around here is it?"

"Many people see it as just mere recreation or for sports and that is true but for others it's also a way of life."

Huntington Pier was a long white pier that jutted out into the water where several people walked by enjoying the day. At the end of the pier, a few fishermen were throwing their lines into the water hoping to catch something.

"So where are you from?"

"Minnesota."

"Minnesota!" he said wide eyed. "Then this must be a real shock for you?"

"Yeah," I said laughing.

"I don't think I've ever seen snow," Rob said. "What is it like?"

"Feels like it's winter for half the year then a few short weeks in April or May then the summer and come November the snow returns back again."

"But you seem like such a natural with the water?"

"I was also on a swim team back at my old high school."

"Really? You should try out in the fall for the team. I know the coach always is on the lookout for new swimmers. I was a team member for three years."

The whole time running through my mind that the more I got to know the more I liked him. I wasn't sure I was going to make any friends here because it was just a big move from Minnesota. I could tell that Rob didn't have a bad bone in his whole body.

It had been a long first day and by the time I got home, it was dinner time.

"Are you just getting in?" my Mom questioned.

"Yeah, I was out with a friend I made from the beach."

"Making friends already? You see I told you would make friends."

"So who is your friend's name?"

My father's voice asked echoing walking into the kitchen.

"Rob, him and a group of others surf at the beach. He offered to give me lessons."

"That is nice of him," Mom said.

After dinner, I crashed in my room thinking about the day feeling split in two directions. I couldn't believe how I felt when Rob had put his hands on my shoulders to help balance me. When I met him sometimes you just know that you will click with another person though I felt an even stronger connection with him. I didn't know if it was just because I was happy to make a friend or was it about something else altogether.