Shark Lover (21 page)

“Mom,
this isn’t good. I have a bad feeling about this,” He said as he felt his
intuition taking over. “I have to go there and see if he is okay.” He pulled
his car keys out of his pockets and started heading for the door.

“Marc!”
She yelled calling after him. “Please don’t do this. I don’t want to see you
get hurt. I’m sure he’ll be fine. He’s with three or four of his friends.
Please don’t go there as well. I’m already worried enough about him, I can’t
imagine having to worry about both of you.” Her eyes glared at Marc, pleading
for sympathy.

“Mom,
I have to go check on Dad. He’s too reckless and fearless sometimes. He thinks
he can fight Mother Nature even. I have to go save him, from himself.” He took
a few steps closer to the door, announcing his exit and his need to go check on
his father.

“Marc,
please don’t do this! Don’t get in that water!” She cried out as tears started
running down her face. “I don’t want to lose you.”

“You
won’t. I’m just going to go see if he’s okay. This is just something that I
have to do. I’ll be back, Mom.” He said with his hand already on the door. He
walked out and started running to his car. He loved his mother and he wanted to
listen to her, but in his heart he felt as if this was the right decision. A
bad feeling enveloped his system as he opened the car door and started the
ignition. He knew he would have to get there as fast as possible. He didn’t
know if it was just a son’s intuition or a sign from God, but whatever it was
he knew it was bad. It was one of those feelings, that told him today wasn’t
going to be a good day.

He
was on the freeway and he opened the window on the passenger’s side. He needed
to feel the cool breeze to calm him down. His father had a fiery passion and he
couldn’t deny his talent to surf, but sometimes he wondered about his common
sense. He had a wife and a child to care for, he shouldn’t be risking his life
like this. Stinson Beach had been closed all week. He didn’t tell his mother,
in fear of worrying her more. But he knew that it had been closed. Tony told
him earlier in the week at school. Tony had wanted to go to Stinson Beach with
a bunch of friends, but he wasn’t going to risk his life for it. Marc had been
glad he hadn’t had to convince him out of going. He had always been the voice
of reason and it felt nice to have Tony decide not to go on his own.

If
he would have known earlier that his father was going to Stinson Beach, he
would have stopped him. It would have been a hard task since his father was
unstoppable, but he could have managed it. Marc would have hidden his keys even
in order to stop him from going. He figured his father purposely left early
without telling Marc the location of where he was going. He knew that Marc
wouldn’t approve of him going into shark invested waters. His father never
backed down from a challenge, which was a quality that Marc was really starting
to dislike about him.

Marc
was nearing the beach, he started to see the rocky surroundings that seemed to
have been abandoned by mankind. He figured his father and his crazy surfing
pals would be the only ones in the water. Nobody else would have been foolish
enough to try something like this. He knew his father didn’t take no for an
answer, but he would have to today. Once Marc got there, he would make sure
that he got out of the water. He wasn’t going to lose his father to something
so irrational and imprudent. His father’s pride would have to simmer down as he
needed to put his safety first and his family’s well-being.

Marc
had entered the beach now. He parked his car and ran out as nippily as he
could. In his heart, he felt as if he was running out of time. Running down to
the beach, he stopped in his tracks. He could see the waters from the cliffs,
but he didn’t see any surfers in the water. His heart was pounding double time.
Looking around the parking lot, he spotted his dad’s car. He had to be around
here somewhere. Marc had to get down to the beach and fast.

Rushing
down to the beach, as quickly as his feet could take him, he was running out of
breath. He knew he couldn’t stop here. The hunt wouldn’t stop until he found
his father. He threw off his shoes in the sand dunes and continued his brisk
running pace. He would run this entire beach if he had to. His father needed
him and he knew it. In the distance, he could hear a siren. The blaring noise
was getting louder and louder by the minute. Another bad sign. His father and
his friends were the only ones on this beach as he predicted. How or why they
got in the water was beyond him. He knew the worst was coming.

Picking
up the pace to the fastest that he could go, he could feel that he was nearing
where his father was. Marc heard screaming in the distance. Loud, pinching high
voltage screaming. He knew that something bad had happened. He was right.
Figures emerged in the distance. He could see four or five figures gathered
around someone on the ground. His feet wanted to fail him, he could feel his
knees giving out. Crashing down into the sand, he took in a mouthful full of
grains. Burns could be felt throughout his entire body. He ached while trying
to get up. Forcing himself out of the sand, he started running away from the
mound as fast as he could. He wasn’t going to stop now. Not when he was needed
so desperately.

As
he started nearing the group, he could see that they were all male. Another bad
sign that his father and his friends had probably been the ones who were out
surfing. Please don’t let that be my father, he silently prayed in his mind.
Please God, don’t let that be my father. He kept repeating the thought over and
over again in his head. He didn’t want anyone else to be hurt, but if his
father was hurt it would be the end of the world to him. Marc couldn’t think of
living in a world without his dad. It would be way too painful.

Marc
had finally reached the group and touched one of the men on the shoulder. The
man was kneeling down towards the ground, covering the body of the injured.
When he turned around, Marc realized that it was Ernie, one of his father’s
best friends. Ernie had an expression of true fear as if he had just seen a
ghost. Marc looked up at him with fear himself, afraid to ask him what had
happened. But somehow he managed the courage to ask.

“Ernie,”
He said breathlessly. “Where’s my Dad? Who’s on the ground?”

He
gave Marc a look of desperation. “I don’t know how to say this! The worst thing
ever has happened!” He yelled out in panic.

Marc
could tell that Ernie was losing it, which was an even worse sign. “What
happened?” He cried. “Please just tell me what happened!”

“There
was a shark. I saw it in the water. I yelled to the rest of the group to get
out of the water, but it was too late. It already had attacked. Now we are
waiting for the ambulance. It’s taking so long, I don’t know if he’s going to
make it.” A few tears ran down his cheek as he stood up and held Marc.

“Who?”
cried Marc as he embraced the hug quickly and let go.

“I
don’t want you to see him like this Marc. If these are his last moments, I
don’t think he would want you to remember him like this.” Ernie cried as more
tears ran down his face.

“My
Dad?” He pushed Ernie aside and started pushing through the rest of the group
to see his injured father laying on the ground. “I have to see my Dad! Dad!
Dad!” He yelled in panic as he got down to his knees. He finally pushed through
enough to see his father and from what he could see, his father was not in good
shape. His stomach had a large gap missing from it and Marc forced himself to
look away in order not to cringe. It was hard for him to see his father in
pain. Tears flew down his cheeks as he felt the pain that his father was
feeling. It was as if they were connected as one, just like his father had
always wanted Marc to do with the waves in the ocean.

“Marc?”
His father gasped out. He choked on the words, unable to speak fully. He
coughed up some water and held his side as blood gashed out of his stomach. The
blood was pouring out now. Marc took off his shirt and tied it around his
father’s waist in order to save more of his blood.

“It’s
me Dad. Hold on! We will get you some help. Ernie said he called the ambulance
and I heard it while I was running so I think it’s coming soon. Just a little
while longer.” He tied the shirt tighter around his father’s waist. He didn’t
want him to lose any more blood than he already had.     

“What
happened Son? I remember surfing then I blacked out after that.” He said so
softly it sounded like a whisper.

“You
were attacked by a shark. Dad we are getting you help. Just stay awake. Please
just stay awake!”

“I
don’t have much longer, Son. I have to tell you something before I go.” He
choked out the words as he held his stomach and winced in pain.

“Don’t
say that Dad! You’re going to make it! The ambulance is just around the corner.
Don’t give up now. You can’t give up now. You never give up. Come on Dad, you
can make it another minute if you just try!” He said through tears.

“You
have a lot of hope Son. The only thing I can feel is my heart. Now let me tell
you one last thing.”

“Stop
Dad! You’re not going to go anywhere but that ambulance. Look they are over
there now! They are coming out with the stretcher for you.” He pointed to the
lot nearly a mile away in the hope that his dad would fight harder to live.
“You can’t give up Dad! This isn’t your time to go. You have more years left.
You’re healthy and fit. You were born tough and I know you won’t give up now!”
He moved his father’s head into his lap to comfort him and give him support.

“You’re
the man of the house now. I need you to be strong Son. Take good care of your
mother for me. She needs you. I love you Son. You were my greatest pride and
joy. Don’t give up surfing, the legacy lies on you now. Make me proud.” His
eyes closed and Marc knew in his heart that he was gone.

He
just didn’t want to believe it now. “Dad! Wake up! Look the stretcher is almost
here! It’s only a few feet away! Please Dad, I need you. You can’t die!” He
shook his father in an effort to wake him up, but he knew it was no use. His
father was gone.

“Marc,
it’s okay. You did everything that you could. We all did. It was just his time
to go.” Ernie leaned down to give Marc a hug.

Marc
pushed him away again. He didn’t feel like hugging. He didn’t feel like doing
anything. He just wanted his father back. He didn’t know how he would go on
without his dad. He hadn’t even gone a week in his life without seeing him. Now
he would have to go an entire lifetime without him. Marc looked down at his
dad, laying so peacefully in his lap. Tears started streaming down his face.
His father had died right there in his lap. Life would never be the same ever
again.

           
He
awoke from an edgy sleep still tired and traumatized from his nightmare that he
had dreamed up. Marc was breathing hard as he put a hand to his heart and
realized that the beat of it had speeded up double time. He looked down at
Cathy sleeping on his chest. She looked so peaceful sleeping, almost like an
angel. Her hair was sprawled out across his body and was a complete mess.
Running his hands softly through her hair, he felt more relaxed that she was
still here with him. He was glad that he hadn’t had to wake up alone after his
terrible nightmare. The worst part was that it wasn’t just a nightmare, it was
real life.

            Cathy’s
eyelids fluttered as she started moving her head slowly. Her eyelashes wavered
as her eyes finally opened and he could see the deep blue color flashing him a
sign of concern. “Are you alright? I could hear you breathing heavy as I was
sleeping. Your chest was going up and down so fast.”

            “Yeah,
I know.” He sighed. “The last thing I looked at was that red surfboard. It
probably brought all of those bad memories back. The funny thing about that
board is that I don’t even know how it made it back in one piece and he
didn’t.”

            She
turned her head up to look at him more closely. “Who didn’t?” She asked sitting
up in bed after pulling the covers over her body.

            He
paused for a moment thinking of the best way to say it. “My father. He was
attacked by a shark on Stinson Beach years ago. I didn’t witness the attack,
but I was there when he died. He died in my arms.”

            “Oh,
I am so sorry Marc. I didn’t know he died surfing. That makes sense now why you
gave it up. It must have been so painful having to recover from something like
that.” She laid back down in the bed and held him closer to her body.

            “It
was very painful. That is why I gave up surfing. The last time I surfed was in
high school. It was after he passed away. It was freeing and it did feel so
right, but it also felt wrong too. I just couldn’t bring myself to ever try
again. It got even worse as I got older. I couldn’t even imagine trying when I
was in college.” A sadness enveloped his voice as he hid his face in the
pillow.

            “I
know it was painful having to see that. I know how you feel. Believe me I know
what it’s like to lose a father. Even though I know the whole story now, I
still think you should try again.” She looked across the room at the red board
lying beside the dresser. “Maybe you should even think about using that board
again. In honor of your father who has passed away. I think it would bring him
pride and joy to see you surf again. Even if he can’t be here to witness it,
just from the way that you describe him I can tell that he would be proud.” She
said as emotion filled her eyes. He could see tears forming and he didn’t want
her to cry. Not now. He would end up crying too.