In Too Deep (7 page)

He was drowning.

There was water in his nose and mouth. He couldn’t find the surface. His board had been ripped from his hands and the turbulent water had carried it away. He felt the pull of the leash at his ankle and it twisted him around. Then there was no more tension and he knew the cord had snapped. The water sucked him down. He was in a hole. He tried to crawl to the top but didn’t know which way was up. Water gurgled in his ears. It filled his nose and mouth. He couldn’t breathe.

He hit the floor with a thud. For a few seconds Josh struggled with his sheets until he realised he was not in the water. He was gasping, pulling in oxygen, thinking he had been deprived of it but it was just that crappy dream again. He let his head fall onto the carpet and waited for his breathing to slow.

He rubbed his sweaty face with a corner of the sheet, which, he noticed, was torn. He must have become tangled in it while sleeping and then ripped it when he’d fallen off the bed. It was a dream, just a stupid dream.

He rolled onto his side and got to his feet. It was light outside and his bedside clock told him it was 8.30 a.m. He might as well get up as he wasn’t going to get anymore sleep.

“Where’s Mum?” Josh asked his father as he made his way to the kitchen.

“She’s gone,” his father said despondently. He sat at the dining room table, staring into a cup of coffee.

“Gone? Gone where?”

“To her mother’s – your nana’s house,” his father said. “She’s staying there for a while. She said she had to get away until she sorted things out.”

Josh looked around and noticed that Cyndi’s things were gone from the lounge.

“She taken Cyndi’s too?” he said.

“Yes, but she said that you’d want to stay here, where you can surf. She took the car, too.”

Josh was stunned. He’d heard his parents fighting again last night, but he didn’t realise that things had become so bad.

“When is she coming back?”

“I don’t know, Josh. Will you stop asking so many questions?” He drank the last of the coffee from his cup and got up from the table. “I’m going for a walk,” he said.

Josh watched him as he walked out the door. He’d always thought of his father as a big man, but he seemed small and defeated as he descended the steps onto the lawn.

Josh left the kitchen. He didn’t feel like eating. He saw his father at the driveway, waving his hand in greeting to someone and Hayden came into view a second later, carrying his surfboard. Josh was surprised. He’d not expected him to come back after he’d stormed off the day before.

“Hi,” Hayden said as he poked his head around the lounge door. “Are we surfing today?”

“I guess so,” Josh said. “I’ll get my board.”

Surfing was much better than dwelling on the dream and wondering when his mother was coming back.

“You got wax?” Josh asked as they made their way off the deck.

“A-huh,” Hayden answered, patting a pocket in his boardies.

“Great, let’s go catch some waves.”

They set off down the road, in the direction of South Piha. As they splashed through the stream, Josh looked ahead to see if he could spot Gina, but she wasn’t on the beach.

He studied the sea conditions. The wind had changed direction overnight and was now coming from the northeast. After days of southwest wind, the swell was still rolling in towards the shore and the offshore wind was acting on the water to from a perfect wave, a long break that peeled away from Camel Rock and rolled to shore without breaks. And he was going to be stuck in the shallows with a grommet.

He decided that if Hayden couldn’t make it onto his board today, then he was going to give up on him and leave him to sort it out himself. But when Hayden made an attempt in the shore break, he was up on his board, balancing with his arms outstretched, not quite standing, but on his feet all the same. He was riding the wave. He continued the short distance to the shore and stepped off the board into the shallow water.

“How did you manage that?” Josh asked him as Hayden came towards him.

“I practised yesterday after you’d gone off with Gina. I got it right in the end.”

“Why didn’t you say something?”

“I didn’t think you wanted to know. You were involved with other things.”

Josh ignored the sideswipe and looked wistfully at the breaking waves.

“I think you’re ready for the real thing,” he said.

“You’re sure?” Hayden asked.

“There’s only one way to learn. You’re a strong swimmer so I don’t think you’ll get into any trouble. The surf’s good at the moment so if you’re going to make it, today’s the day.”

“Right,” Hayden said as he followed Josh into deeper water.

Josh showed Hayden how to pass through the breaking waves and to stay in the white water away from the surfers that were already up and riding. Hayden kept up with Josh as they made their way out to the backline and Josh relaxed, knowing that Hayden would be able to take care of himself.

Josh chose a spot away from the main body of surfers, straddled his board and waited for Hayden to catch up.

“I don’t know how to tell you how to do it,” Josh said to Hayden as he drew closer. “You’ll just have to try for yourself. You’re going to fall off so when you do, go for the white water, when your board will be ahead of you. If you get into trouble, just hold an arm straight up in the air and the lifeguards will pick you up. There’s only one way to learn and that’s by just doing it. Look, I’ll show you.”

Josh swung his board around as the sea welled up behind them, and paddled quickly to propel his board forward. The swell lifted the board and he was on the lip. He gave one last overarm stroke, then, in one movement, he was up on his board and carving down the face of the wave, his arms spread out for balance. He rode the wave for only a short distance, then flicked out and paddled back to Hayden.

“Go on, paddle,” Josh said as he reached him. “See if you can catch this one.”

Hayden copied what Josh had done, but as soon as he made an attempt to stand, he wiped out. He appeared a few seconds later, coughing and gasping for air.

“You’re supposed to close your mouth when you fall,” Josh shouted out to him.

Hayden, unable to speak, made an obscene gesture and Josh laughed.

“Try again,” Josh encouraged him.

Pulling a face, Hayden paddled forward and tried to catch the next wave. He fell off before he had a chance to stand.

“It’s not as easy as it looks,” Hayden admitted as lifted himself back onto his board.

“Never is, but you need to keep on trying until you get it right.”

“Or give up,” Hayden said ruefully.

“Too soon to give up,” Josh countered.

Josh watched as Hayden paddled forward, only to be thrown off his board again.

“Mind if I catch a few rides?” Josh asked as Hayden came towards him.

“Whatever, I’m not going anywhere,” Hayden replied.

Josh had seen an area of the sea that was building up a great left break. It had to be the way the swell was coming in, breaking over the sand bar and being formed by the offshore wind. Some of the other surfers had seen it too, but he was the closest to it. He paddled over, taking his time to assess the way the swell was building. He was still ahead of the other surfers and they would have to wait until he got his ride.

He watched as the swell as it moved towards him, then turned his board and paddled hard, rising up as the wave formed beneath him. He took off down the face of the wave as it broke, the lip forming at his heels as though it wanted to take a bite of him. .

He felt, rather than saw, the tube open up behind him and he crouched down as the tube drew him into the vortex. He was totally surrounded by water with only the opening in front of him to convince him that he was not totally underwater. The water cascaded like a waterfall from the lip, throwing spray into his eyes. He concentrated on keeping his balance, keeping his eyes open in spite of the chunks of white water that bombarded his face. He was in the womb of the wave. He was about to be born again. He shot out of the tube as it collapsed behind him. He punched the air in delight and yelled at the top of his lungs.

Then he wiped out.

Josh surfaced, still on a high. He was now quite close to Lion Rock. He turned and paddled out again, ready for the next wave. Hayden was still where he’d left him.

“Did you see that?” Josh asked as he got close.

“See what?”

“The tube, man. I rode in the tube!”

“I couldn’t see from here. You just vanished.”

Josh was disappointed. He wanted to share his excitement.

“How about you?” he asked.

“I just can’t get it. I’m always falling off. It was much easier in the shallows.”

“You’ve got T.O.A.D. syndrome,” Josh said with a laugh.

“Toad, what’s that?”

“Take Off And Die,” Josh said and laughed even more.

“I don’t think that’s funny.”

“I do. I’m going to catch another one.”

He was soon catching some great waves and he gave Hayden no more thought.

Much later, when he went back to where he’d left Hayden, he was gone.

“Hey, did you see where Hayden went?” he asked a nearby surfer.

“The grommet? He gave up - couldn’t catch a cold.”

Josh looked to the shore. He could see Hayden walking through the shallows towards where they had left their towels. Someone was sitting amongst them. It had to be Gina.

Josh quickly caught the next wave in. Gina waved at him as he walked up the beach towards them carrying his board.

“Hi, Gina, do you want to go back to my place?” Josh asked as he picked up his towel and dried his face.

“What’s at your place?”

“Lunch,” he said, thinking quickly.

“Yeah, sure,” she replied as she stood up.

“I suppose I’m not invited,” Hayden said, frowning.

“Well … um …” Josh stuttered.

“Don’t worry, I know when I’m not wanted.”

Hayden picked up his board and ran into the water.

“What’s wrong with him?” Josh said, staring after him.

“Lovers’ tiff,” Gina said with a laugh.

Josh playfully flicked his towel at her, but she laughed as she side-stepped so it missed her.

He bent down to pick up his board and said, “I’m starving. Let’s go.”

“Is Hayden going to be alright?” Gina said, watching him push his way through the waves.

“He’ll be fine. He’s a strong swimmer and if he gets into trouble, the lifeguards will bail him out. He needs the practice.”

“Okay, then,” Gina said as she slipped her arm through his as they walked off the beach onto the road. “I saw you in the tube.”

“You did?” He thought no one had noticed.

“Yeah, it was awesome. How long have you been surfing?”

“Since I was about eight.”

“Ever thought of going pro?”

“Me? No, I don’t think of it like that. I just like to get out onto the waves. I’m not interested in prizes.”

“Ever got into trouble out there?”

Josh shook his head. It was only in his dreams that he got into trouble.

“No, I just know it so well. It’s only the visitors and grommets that get into difficulties.”

“Like Bevan?” she suggested.

“Where is he? I thought he’d be surfing today.”

“Some guys chased him off. They didn’t like him dropping in on their waves. I think he’s given it up. Besides, he’s met this girl, Debbie, or Denise or something.”

Josh smiled at the news, but Gina frowned as she said it. For a moment he felt uncertain and then a car horn went off right beside them and made them jump.

“Hey, guys, want a lift?”

Josh recognised the black convertible and his heart rate quickened, but Bevan was not in the car, just his brother Rhys.

“No thanks, Rhys, we’ll just walk,” Gina said.

“Whatever,” Rhys said and drove on.

“What does Rhys do?” Josh asked as he watched the black car disappear down the road.

“Something to do with the internet and computers. Don’t ask me what, but he’s making a ton of money.”

“And Katie wants to be a model,” Gina said. “She got an agent when she was in the States. She’ll make it, too.”

“You think so?”

“Yep. The whole family knows how to make money, except Bevan. He’s the middle child. I think that’s why he’s such an asshole – Middle Child Syndrome.”

Josh didn’t think Bevan needed any reason to be an asshole. He just was.

“Come on, you can meet my dad,” Josh said as he turned towards the bach and stood still in horror. There was smoke coming from the door and open windows. He dropped Gina’s hand and ran across the lawn while he shouted, “Dad, Dad, the bach is on fire!”

“Not the bach,” his father said as he opened a window from the inside to let more smoke out. “Just the fry pan.”

“What happened?” Josh said as he ran into the house.

“I thought I’d cook hamburgers for lunch,” his father said. “But I think I had the fry pan on too high. Next thing I knew, there were flames to the ceiling. I put a couple of wet tea towels on it to put it out, but now we’re left with the smoke.”

“You could have burnt the place down!”

His father slumped into a chair. “Is that all you care about, Josh?”

“No … I mean, are you hurt, Dad?” Josh said, coming closer and peering at his father through the smoke.

Gina followed Josh in and stood just behind him.

“I burnt myself a little bit,” his father said and held out his hand, where part of the skin was red.

“You have to get that under some cold water,” Gina said when she looked at it.

“I know. I’ll just sit here for a while. I got a fright.” He looked at Gina. Josh turned towards her.

“Dad, this is Gina.”

“Hello Gina. Sorry about the smoke.”

“That’s okay. I’ll cook the burgers. Josh, you look after your dad.”

“Nice girl,” his father said as they made their way to the bathroom. “Where’d you meet her?”

“Here at the beach.”

“Ouch!” his father exclaimed as cold water poured over the burn. “I’m such a useless cook.” He hesitated and said, almost to himself, “I wish your mother was here.”

This was just what Josh was thinking as well.