Smoke and Mirrors (19 page)

But like every other first-time surfer, I think, I wasn't really prepared for what was going to happen next. The nose of my board plunged into the flat water at the bottom of the wave, driving the board and me down under. I took it face first, and the impact felt like the skin was being ripped off my face. And then I went under, holding my breath, the cold of the water shocking my system. When the crashing wave slammed down on top of me it seemed like I'd been hit by a bomb. Then I was twisted around like a pretzel, punched and pummelled and held under long enough to make me come to the conclusion I was about to drown.

At which time, my arms did a wild frantic dance and pulled me to the surface. The wave had passed. The sun was shining down on me and my board was only a few feet away. I dragged myself back up on it. The set of waves had passed. The water was now momentarily calm. I could see my own marbled reflection in it as my
lungs gulped for air. But I did not feel bad. I felt great. I think there were several doors in that haunted castle of my brain opening and closing at once.

I saw Thumper sitting on his own board further out to sea, waving at me to paddle back out. “Good one, dude!” he shouted. He had a big grin on his face. With some difficulty, I figured out how to turn my board around and lie on it without falling off, and I began to paddle back out to sea. My heart was beating wildly in my chest and I was still gulping for air when a large grey and white seagull swooped down over my head, close enough to momentarily blot out the sun. He swooped low, and I felt the air compression from his wings as he rose back up into the sky. And the sound of the gull's voice was the unmistakable sound of laughter.

As I steadied myself on my board, I saw this kid walking down the beach, a tall, lanky, pale teenager with a great shock of hair that stood straight up. I squinted my eyes to get a better look. I couldn't help myself when I realized who it was. I yelled his name as loud as I could and waved frantically.

He stopped in his tracks and looked out to sea. I waved again and began to paddle towards shore as if my life depended on it.