Waves

 Anna took slow, meticulous steps. One foot after the other, left, right, left, right. The evening breeze brushed upon her rose cheeks, as the waves swept and crushed upon her feet in vigorous rhythm. She stepped on the smooth, white sand with care- after all, she almost forgot how the water feels like. As she got closer and closer to the water, she realized her reality could not be further from it. Three whole years without surfing felt like torture. Now it was time for him to feel it.

In Anna’s current reality, two hobbies made sense: One, getting back on the water in any way possible. Two, taking revenge in a very particular way.

She remembered that Tuesday like it was yesterday. Competition day. She practiced carefully, both at high and low tides. Her hair was put up in a ponytail as it danced its way into winning, blonde, luscious, and glorious against the wind. The high tide danced along with her, mingling into shapes of blue and white, and absorbing those golden rays of July 17. Then came him. His presence lingered on her worse than the force of the waves. He was vigorous and strong, dropping in her own magic carpet unapologetically. Anna stayed afloat, battling between her act and the surprising visitor. The huge wave covered her, while her board was struggling to keep up the pace. She thought, as any surfer would do, that he would get away, find another wave to ride. Yet the muscular figure stayed, stealing her thunder.

Now Anna was covered by the wave of surprise, battling against the tide, the current, and her own will. A pointy shadow came closer and closer until finally, it hit her. Her body surrendered, as the glorious board made its way to her head and crossed her whole body to go straight down her leg. Suddenly, the golden ponytail was not golden anymore, but red. Her leg felt non-existent, and her body could not hold it anymore. Her agony lingered for long, perhaps too long. She screamed and cried and called for help, yet nobody batted an eye. The figure disappeared, and Anna thought he might have gone to steal another wave. After a few minutes of cries, she was not in pain anymore; now her whole body felt numb, whilst her mind realized one thing; she had not only lost a competition. She had also lost a leg.

In about 15 minutes which felt like a lifetime, Anna felt surrounded by a crowd. There were doctors and lifeguards and paramedics all around her, while staggered looks of surfers and bystanders completed the scene. She was laying on golden sand, yet she could only feel its warmth on her right leg. In a moment of consciousness, she fixated her face on the ground. As she expected, her entire left leg was dislocated.

He was charged with nothing. Apparently, an injury without intention left very limited room for a charge. The fancy lawyer of his said that he is “An ambitious young surfer, a prodigy at his university, and a wonder in his community.” Anna knew about him at university. She was certain that it was a better place to be in, knowing of him rather than knowing him. He was the kind you actively avoid because you hear a lot about. Spoilt, privileged, untouchable. That kind.

Three years were simply not enough to get used to her prosthetic leg. Yet that was not her biggest pain. Her biggest pain was that the monster got away with it. He took away her sport, her health, her life. Today, Anna was not as hurt as she used to be. For she knew… eventually, life catches up to you.

One, two, three steps more and finally, the water covered her entire waist. The all-familiar saltiness overcame her, and suddenly Anna could feel and see clearly. Her entire body faced the breakwater of heavy stone overlooking the horizon line, though her gaze fixated on something else. Nobody was around except him. She quickly splashed a bit of water, an attempt to get him to notice her. In an all-expected quarter of a minute, he turned to face her. His face signaled feelings of astonishment and awe.

‘Anna…?’, the shocked spectator called out.

‘Hey... yeah, it’s me’.

‘Um I... I’m sorry, I almost didn’t recognize you. Wow, you look…’

‘Different?’

‘Ye -yes! Di-different…’

His voice was cracking, words hardly coming out of his mouth. He wore his surfing suit, and Anna reckoned he would be hitting the waves after this. She wasn’t bothered to ask.

‘So… what brings you back here?’, he asked almost rhetorically, knowing the response would be totally different now than what it would be 3 years ago. His tone, his gaze, his inability to strike a conversation. Anna knew he hadn’t changed one bit.

‘Ah you know, just taking the day off today... plus, I love this beach.’

He looked at her pitifully, almost as if to say- ‘I am so sorry you cannot surf anymore, but not as sorry as you want me to be.’  

‘Oh … cool. Yeah, also chilling here, though I might ride a couple of waves before hitting the bar tonight. Some of us are meeting at Havana. You are welcome to join.’

She knew he said this out of sympathy, not sincerity. A smirk formed on her freckled face.

‘Thanks, but I’ve got other plans.’

‘Oh, what are you doing?’

And before he could say anything else, her hand maneuvered behind her waist and into her one-piece swimsuit. She might have lost a leg, but her arms worked just fine. Anna’s eyes widened and suddenly, the hidden object was pointing at the guilt-tripped, green- eyed monster standing in front of her. His eyes widened too, his shocked expression growing wider, as he begged and inquired her intentions.

‘Anna… please… why are you doing this?’

‘Why am I doing this!? WHY am I doing this??? You know exactly why!!!’’, her voice was shaking, but her hands were steady, pointing the gun at him with great aim. 

‘Oh Anna… it’s been three whole years. I am sorry, truly sorry! We can make a deal! I’ll speak to the best surfing executives! I’ll get you to surf again! Please! Please, don’t do this!’

‘Oh please! Speaking to somebody won’t make a difference! I cannot surf anymore! You took away my life! Do you understand this???’

‘Please, please just hear me out! I’ll help you- we’ll think of something!   Uh uh…I’ll get any charges you want! Just please! Don’t kill me!!!”

She never saw him like this before. Desperate, scared, apologetic. She thought about it, dwelled on the thought of using him to get into surfing again. Yet the truth was crystal clear. Anna could never be the same surfer again.

‘It’s over. You cannot erase the past Dean. What’s done is done.’

And with that, Anna took one last look at the horizon overlooking the sea, the line which separated her past, her present and her future, and in all the strength that had remained in her, she pulled the trigger.