The Curse from the Surf

‘It feels so good.It's cold but it's much better than the sun.But I am not a merman or someone with a gift to hold their breath under water for a long time....'

Dennis resurfaced from the pool to take a breath when he heard his mom shouting his name saying,“Dennis, your break is over! You gotta go!”

He said,“OK Mom”

‘Perfect Timing’,he thought to himself.He likes to talk to himself and he finds it to be soothing.Being a Lifeguard in the beach is what he wanted but he hates it so much.The reason that he still has the job is because his mother wanted him to have it and he loves her so much that he didn't want to hurt her feelings.He then went to the beach and up to the lifeguard tower and started watching everyone.Just then,a sudden Boom startled him and he turned around to find his uncle laughing so hard.

Dennis said,“Come on! I told not to do this uncle!”, laughing a bit.His Uncle Bernet said,“It's soo fun.You get startled all the time!”

‘Yeah...and it sucks to be startled all the time’,he thought and let out a sigh.

He said,“What brings you here again?”

“Well, just wanted to visit my sister”

“Mom is at home”

“I'll stay with you and together we shall go”

“Fine by me”

“So,the beach is all clear?”

“No,nothing ever since that death.”

‘I know why you came today.Because father died this day and you come every year since I was ten.Surfing is kind of fun but accidents do happen.The Surfing board...It killed my father by hitting his spine.Ever since that, surfing was banned in my family’,he said to himself and both of them were greeted by the sound of the waves.And eventually they left the beach and started walking towards his home.On the way, his uncle said,“Why don’t you do me a favor of bringing some avocados?You know that I love'em...”

“Anything for you Uncle”,he said and went to The Open Market and got whatever he needed.He went to the same counter he always goes and there she stood working,with a bright smile, greeting everyone who comes to her…

“Hello,Dennis.How was your day today?”

“It was good.”

“So,you’re gonna pay with cash?”

“Yep.”

“Done.See you next time.”

He started walking towards his home with a smile…

'She is May...My love.I just can't speak up about my feelings to her.I just worry that she won't like me.She has a daughter whom she named as April...ha ha, quite funny.She’s a widow who lost her husband to a car accident. Her life is a twisted fable.She thought that she had the perfect family but the car accident made her realize that her Marriage was built on a lie.She found that her husband was cheating on her.She met the woman who had no idea about her or her family on the day of his funeral.Both of them felt betrayed but they felt happy that he died.If he didn't die,his double life wouldn't have reached the light…’

He reached his home but stopped short by hearing some noises coming from the inside…His Uncle said,“Martha, you cannot do this to him!!”

His mom on the other hand said,“I am protecting him..!"

Dennis stood in front of the closed door hearing their scuffle…

His uncle said,“What are you exactly protecting him from?”

“From THE CURSE!”

“Martha, it's just fate...you are just mixing your idiotic beliefs to the reality…”

‘Alright, it's time to step in…If not, tonight's dinner will be full of sorrow' thought Dennis and went inside saying,“I am back...Is Dinner ready?”

His mom said,“Welcome back darling...It's ready."

The three of them sat in the dining table and Martha made a gesture to hold hands to pray…

She prayed saying,“Oh God, thank you for this blessed day.Save us from all the trouble and from the curse that haunts my family.Amen...”

His uncle let out a sigh and said,“How's life Dennis?”

“It's good.”

‘I know that my uncle could sense that I am lying.’

His Uncle further said,“Did you confess to May?”

Dennis said,“Uncle,not now!”

His mom coughed and said,“What? Is this true? Why didn’t you say about this?Finally,someone is all grown up.You know what? I will be so happy for you.She has a daughter right?Oh,do you want me to talk to her?”

Dennis said,“Mom,no!!!!You can't do that!”

His Mom said,“Bernet, I’m going to call her for dinner tomorrow.Would you mind joining us?”

He said,“I would love to join.”

Dennis said,“No way this is happening!Come on!”

Martha said,“It will be a friendly dinner.So,when are you going to propose to her?”

Dennis said,“I’m still thinking about it.”

His uncle said,“Well, you better hurry up”

‘I wish that she will accept me’,thoughts crawled around the mind of Dennis as he finished his dinner and hoped that the next dinner would go well...

The next morning,he went to the regular place of his sorrow,The Graveyard…

He stood near her tomb,staring at it...

‘Hmm...Is there any way to forget this?’,he thought...

‘I wish I can go to the past and prevent myself from committing this horrible crime…no,no,no...It's not my fault…Stop blaming yourself Dennis,you can't live like this...’

Aurora,a pretty and a wonderful soul fell in love with him but a petty lie took her life…

“Hey Aurora.I know you can’t talk to me but who would listen to me?Guess I will talk to myself.After all, that is what I do the most”,he said looking at her name carved in the stone...

‘I didn’t know that she was in love with me.June 15th, a day after the death anniversary of my father.I was having a regular day on the beach,patrolling it.And then she came to me saying that she was sorry that she couldn’t attend the anniversary...She said,“I will do anything for you Den”.And I playfully told that I want to see her surf…She told that she knew how to surf better than me and headed straight to the water...I kept an eye on her as well as the others...She couldn't surf properly but then she did it..!She surfed but she didn't last long as her leg rope snapped and she fell in the water losing her balance...She resurfaced and she gave me a thumbs up but she didn’t know that the surfing board was travelling towards her and then it hit her right in the head.I immediately ran towards the water so fast to get to her but it was over...She was gone...I finally managed to take her body and laid it on the sand.Everyone gathered around and an ambulance was called...’

TWO YEARS EARLIER
“Wake up! Wake up! Don't do this to me!!”,shouted Dennis but she stayed motionless on the ground and the medics declared her as dead...The Funeral was kept and Dennis sat near her father.Her father said, “Did you know that my daughter was very fond of you?”

“I didn't know about that sir…I am very sorry”

“I guess she didn't have the chance to say to you…She wanted to learn how to surf and hoped that she could do it with you...”

Dennis realized that she had lied about surfing and she would have been alive if she had told the truth...With the death of the head of the family and this innocent girl,his mother strongly believed in the curse…

Present day...

As he strolled through the beach,his day was the most regular one.Taking a break and then patrolling the beach again was his task.Not that he wanted anything to happen,but boredom became his friend...He waited impatiently for the dinner to happen but he didn’t want it to happen.Later that night,he went to May's home,to walk her and her daughter to his house since their houses are nearly 20 feet apart...He went to her house in his best dress and rang the doorbell.Both mom and daughter greeted him...

He said,“Shall we?",and held his hand to April…

“Of course”,said April and took his hand...

“Well, that was easy”,said Dennis and the trio chuckled…

They went to his home and Martha greeted them joyfully with her brother and they all sat together to have dinner.It was a nice.While eating the dessert,Martha said,“What do you like in Dennis?”

‘Oh no! Why is Mom doing like this? Everything was going well!’,thoughts raced in the mind of Dennis.

May said,“Well...He’s a very good person.And even children like him a lot.He is smart and helpful...”

“That's good to here...I am proud of you Dennis”,said Martha looking at Dennis and he smiled in return...

“And he is even good in surfing..I can assure you that if there is any competition,he will be a Champ”,said May and an ‘Oh no' expression was seen in Bernet's face and in the face of Dennis…

‘Oh no,I am certainly doomed...What am I going to do now..???’

Dennis stood up and said,“I think that Robert called me…”

Uncle Bernet said,“I will accompany you”

“Sit down both of you”,said Martha, smiling viciously and continued,“Darling, what was it?”

“He surfed last month and it was quite a show...Everyone loved it but you missed it Miss Martha...”

“Yeah,I was gone on a solo vacation and I missed it.Why didn't you tell me Dennis?”

“Mom,I can explain"

"Explaining how I could have ended up with a dead son!?”,shouted Martha and luckily,April was distracted by seeing her favourite show on the TV without noticing the fight…

“Is there any problem Miss Martha?I am sorry if I did something wrong…”

“It’s not you, dear.You did nothing wrong.Differences aside,I will tell you something.My husband died when he was surfing and more to that,my father died while he was surfing too…”,tears came down her cheeks and May started to console her...Dennis stood up and said,“What? Uncle Bernet,I was told that grandpa died in his sleep...Mom,what are you saying?”

His Uncle said,“You were small and you loved him so much and we didn't want to burden you because you loved surfing too...And after Aurora’s death,she confirmed that there is a curse on this family!”

‘Oh no...This is getting worse…Much worse...’,and Dennis didn't know what to do...

May said,“I don't think that this is a curse Miss Martha...I think that this a coincidence because they loved to surf and they died while doing the thing that they loved...Be happy for them because they would have been happy for Dennis too...Not every surfer dies…Give Dennis a chance…”,she looked at him with sparkling eyes…

“No,you don’t understand.I don’t want my son to end up like them.I’m afraid”,said Martha,crying along…

“Miss Martha,If you think like this,then I am supposed to be cursed too...If my husband hadn't died,I would have been living a relationship built on a lie...But look at me...I am happy…April is the best thing that happened in my life...”,she looked at her daughter with a smile and continued,“I am very happy that she is with me...Everyone have hardships but that doesn't mean that people are cursed...Take your mind out of the curse thing and see life in a new perspective...”

Martha said,“I don't know what to say...part of me wants to accept what you said but another part of me is still afraid...”

“Trust God as I did...”

Uncle Bernet said,“Martha,he loved the lifeguard job but he hates it because you didn't want him to surf…He didn't want to hurt your feelings too...He loves you so much..Now you gotta show that you love him more...”

Martha said,“I am sorry Dennis,I have not been a good mother to you.”

Dennis said,“No mom, you are the best...”

“Do whatever you wish dear...I won't be stopping you...”

“Really?Thank you mom”,and hugged her and smiled at May and his uncle showing his gratitude…

‘I guess that a Woman knows another Woman better…This is the best day ever',thinking about this made Dennis even more merrier...

“What happened? Is mom and Dennis getting married?",said April gleefully..

May said,“Dear...no,nothing like that”

Dennis said,“But,I do wanted to say something...guess I will do it now...”,he took a bunch of flowers and said,“May, will you do the honor of being my wife?”

May couldn't believe what was happening...She was feeling star struck and said,“Is this real?Oh my God!!!Yes!!!...”

‘The marriage happened the next day at the beach,with a small gathering but it was lovely...May didn't want a grand one and my mom wanted to make the marriage a simple one...Great minds think alike and the marriage was done perfectly...My mom saw me surfing the same day and was quite happy with my talent...Three best things happened at my marriage...

May became my wife and I became a Father to April and I officially became a Surfer, relieved from the curse...’

-Ameera_Fouzi