The Big One

“Help! I don’t want to die like this!”

“Honey it’s okay, I'm coming!”

The curtains swooshed open, exposing me to my mother. She stared at me, tucked into the corner, shaking with fear, trying my best to avoid the splashing beads of water falling down from the shower head.

“Maybe next time Jacob, next time.” 

She reached out her hand to assist me out of the shower.

“Leave me alone”

“Jacob please, or you’ll be late for school”

“I said, leave me alone! I can get out of the bathtub by myself! My mom shouldn’t have to see me naked in the shower, I’m 14!”

She stared at the wall in silence, trying to hold back tears. As she turned around, I felt a ping of guilt but at the same time anger. What’s wrong with me? Is it really that hard to take a shower?

I carefully turned off the water, trying not to touch the drops of liquid that were previously pelting my skin. As you might have heard, my name is Jacob and I have aqua-phobia, I think it’s pretty obvious what I’m afraid of, so I won’t bother to say it. 

I was allowed to shower on my own when I was ten. I felt like the happiest kid alive when I got the news but my first time was a nightmare. Without my mom there it was almost impossible not to have a panic attack. After some time sometime I got used to it, but once in a while a while, I get the same feeling again. I personally don’t think I’m scared of the water but more of what it can do to me.

A few years ago, my dad died. because. It’s not like I don’t love my mom but I looked up to my dad 10x more. We were all having dinner when the ground began to shake. We all went outside wondering if we were the only ones who felt it. Sadly, we weren’t. I could see all the way down our street and every single person was outside their house. And suddenly, a red Toyota sped by and a little girl stuck her head out the window yelling,

“Run!”

We already knew what was coming, but before we could get the car started we were washed away with the rest of the rubble. 

I wasn’t the most athletic kid, but I gathered my strength and with the little experience I had when it came to water, I doggy paddled my way to a floating car and pulled myself to the top. My lungs were on fire and my muscles were burning, But out of the corner of my eye, I saw a familiar face. 

“Mom”

“Jacob where are you”

“I’m right here mom, this way!”

“I see you, honey, I’m coming, just wait right there!”

I was about to say, “where else am I supposed to go,” but I knew now was not the time for attitude.

As I helped her up a thought so frightening came to my mind that I almost dropped her,

“Dad!”

“Jacob!”

“Oh, sorry mom.”

“It’s okay, and don’t worry too much, we’ll find your dad.”

I sat there in silence wondering what kind of trouble he was in, wondering if he was even alive.

30 freezing minutes later a boat came to our rescue. I should have been happy, but it didn’t feel right boarding that boat with my dad. We stayed in the community center for about a week until we were allowed to leave. Since my aunt’s house was still in good shape, we stayed in her guest room until my mom was able to get us back on our feet.

They never did find my dad, and I cried every day for weeks nonstop. I know I wasn't the only one who lost someone they loved, but that’s why none of this makes sense. How come this hit me so hard individually? 

When I arrived at school, my best friends Alyssa and Kristen were waiting for me outside. They were the first one to talk to me when I moved here. 

“Was today any better?” Alyssa said,

“Nope”

“Did you get the text I sent you?” Kristen added

“Yeah, here are the answers to the test, but this is the last time, okay”

“Fine”

I knew it wouldn’t be the last time, at least that's what I thought before 5th period.

As I joined my friends at the cafeteria in our usual spot, right in front of the bathroom, a familiar stench filled my nostrils, and it wasn’t the toilets.

“Hey, Jacob.” The voice said mockingly

“Not now Dax, I just want to eat my lunch in peace.”

“Shut up turd! You want some water with that meatloaf, I got some for ya.”

Just in case you didn’t know, the whole school was aware of my situation, and unfortunately so did Dax. The meanest, smelliest, most revolting human being on the surface of the earth.

“Hey turd, heads up!”

Then before I could react, a bucket-load of water was making its way towards my face. Splash! I was drenched in water and screaming for my life. That’s right screaming, in front of the whole school. The supervisors were so shocked all they could do was stare. And they weren’t the only ones, every single student had come to see what had happened. And there I was sprawled out on the floor, rolling and shaking like I was having a seizure or something.

Alyssa and Kristen both knew what to do because it wasn’t the first time this has happened. Every time I freak out over water, they’re the two people that know how to calm me down. I taught them the procedure right after the first incident in grade 2. The procedure is something my mom learned right after I was diagnosed. Having to bring your friends to your house for your mom to teach them how to take care of you, was kind of embarrassing, but now, they’ve become pretty good at it.

When I got home I tried my best to keep the floor dry, but failed miserably. My mom stared 

“Jacob! What happened?!” my mom yelled, as she stared at me in confusion.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” I said with a sigh

“You don’t have to honey, but let’s get you some dry clothes.”

After I got dressed I decided to join my mom in the living room to watch TV.

“Hey, mom.”

“Hey, anything you want to talk about.

“Not really” my mom already had enough on her mind, she shouldn’t have to worry about my life at school. So I took out my phone and began to text Kristen.

“Hey” After 30 seconds I started to get worried. You might think I’m overreacting, but Kristen always had his phone on him. It would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Kristen not to have his phone on him. So I tried Alyssa.

“Hey”

“I’m bored” I said

“Hello? Please answer” Not Alyssa too!

“Hello” she replied.

“Hello?” she said again “Run!”

“What?”

“I said run, or drive, just get out California!”

Before I could reply, my mom grasped my arm.

“We need to go now!”

“Grab all your favorite belongings cause were probably not coming back”

“What is everybody talking about, can somebody explain?!”

“I’ll explain in the car, but because of all your yapping, there is no time to pack anything, we have two minutes. Grab your backpack, fill it with food and get in the car.” She looked out the window with the expression that she just saw a ghost.

“Forget about the food, just get in the car, I can see it!” I didn’t even bother asking questions, because I knew there wasn’t going to be an answer. We were on the road when I noticed a large blue wall in the distance coming closer and closer by the second.

“Mom we need to go faster, a lot faster!”

“Hold on honey make sure your seat-belt is on tight!” 

As I was pressed up against my seat, the giant blue wall of water was right on our tail. It would be insane to think that we could outrun a tsunami. So me and my mom said our last prayers together. It was one of the saddest moments of my life. Sitting in the front seat of that Toyota Corolla was a memory that I will never forget. I knew that at any moment, we could be split apart by that giant body of water, so I took the opportunity I had in that small amount of time to thank my mom for staying strong, for staying with me even when the thing she loved the most was washed away years ago. 

“Oh Jacob,” she said, “I didn't stay because I had to stay, I stayed because I wanted to, I stayed because of you Jacob.” I looked at her, being ten times more thankful than I was this morning. 

 I knew I couldn't run away anymore, I couldn't keep fearing this thing. I had to deal with it face-to-face no more running away. 

“I love you mom” I said, as I gave her the biggest hug of all time.

Before she could grab me I jumped out of the car. It didn't hurt as much as I thought it would, so I got up, I looked it in the eye and yelled,

“Come and get me!”

In that split second I saw the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. A 1000 foot wave, ready to devour me. Nothing had changed about it. Nothing had changed at all, nothing except for me. So this time I didn’t run.