Surfing

She felt herself settle as soon as her toes dug into the sand warmed by the afternoon sun. The wind gently rustled the palm trees far above her head. She inhaled the balmy ocean air, strands of hair blowing across her back. The board hung heavy under her arm. There were no clouds in the cerulean sky, just the sun and the white spots of seagulls. The seagulls flew in formation, searching for fish lying just under the surface of the ocean. The waves were tame today, gently curling over in long strokes of blue. Sunlight glinted and sparkled over the ocean like gems. A pelican traced the wall of water. The brown tips of its wings came close, so close to the surface of the wave as it grew, unbroken and unblemished. The girl marveled at the control of the pelican as it swooped up just as the wave began to froth and curl.

What freedom and power it must have to fly like that, she thought.

As the white water reached the shore, a rainbow of rocks and stones was drawn up and crashed down. The symphony of clack, clack, clack tickled the girl’s ears as the rocks fell against each other and drew back as the ocean pulled against their weight. She could pick out the umber, brick red, and deep green colors of the rocks beneath the clear surface. She walked to the edges of where the water could reach, marked by the dark line in the sand. The wet sand was firmly packed and notably cooler. There was a slight shock as the cold water ran over her toes, clumps of foam being left around her. 

Hello, Daughter, the ocean called in her infinitely deep voice. You have been away a while.

The girl suppressed a shudder as she began submerging up to her calves, then her waist. She brought her board down to the water and threw herself on top. She propelled herself forward with each dip of her hand. The first wave rushed to meet her, starting to crackle before breaking. She shifted her weight forward, dipping the nose of her board into the wave, using her foot to press down and submerge the back of the board. Everything went quiet for a moment before she resurfaced and continued. Soon, her arms and back grew warm and heavy with exhaustion. When she was past the bulk of waves, she stopped paddling, pressing herself to a seated position.

In the distance, she could see a few boats gliding gently by. Behind her, the orange cliffs framed the ocean like the sides of a bowl, dotted with vegetation. Further out, purple mountain peaks formed a jagged silhouette. More birds flew overhead. The girl tracked them as they beat their wings. One flew up higher and higher, before pressing its wings tight against its sides and diving, sure as an arrow. There was a soft splash as the white bird disappeared beneath the surface. It reappeared, digging in with all its might to bring itself out of the water with its prize. The bird rejoined its flock with a silvery minnow clutched in its talons. The girl squinted at the horizon searching for the dark shadow of the next wave set. A piece of kelp entwined itself around her leg. 

From my waters all life began. So, too, does it all return. 

In the distance, she now saw the darker shape of an incoming wave. The girl leaned back, popping the tip of her board out of the water, her steed rearing back. She positioned the board toward the shore with a circle of her foot. She could feel the pull of the ocean as the wave gained momentum. The girl paddled quickly, cupping her hands to keep the water from slipping through. She looked over her shoulder, making sure she was aligned with the dip of the waves crest. Finally she was sucked up, the wave holding her at the top. On her next inhale she pushed her shoulders up and shot her left foot back. She leaned her body to the left, letting herself fall in line with the direction the wave was traveling. Her stomach tumbled as she looked down over the wave and tipped her board forward and left. She shot down and forward across the unbroken wave. The constant force propelled her forward and she felt light, as if she were floating across the surface. She reached out her hand, just grazing the glassy surface. A smile bloomed across the girl’s face. So much power and freedom gliding on the ocean. She heard the rush of water behind her as the wave broke and gave her one last push toward shore. 

The girl jumped off her board. The rush of excitement had dulled the cool touch of the sea. She watched wave after wave follow in her wake, summersaulting and dissipating. When the water stilled again, she threw herself down. Again, she paddled toward the horizon.