Re: Alvin Ever After: Alvin in the Fourth
Day 11
I must have at some point fallen asleep there on the beach because I woke up to the ocean lapping at my feet. I quickly jumped up and returned to the cave only to find that Meek wasn’t anywhere around; neither was his board. I assumed he’d gone out alone.
“Good for him!” I said to no one.
Despite the fact that it was very early, I thought it good that Meek was able to feel confident that he could master the ocean alone.
A quick scan of the horizon told me he was out there quite a ways. I couldn’t see him or anyone.
I made a quick change, but kept my same shorts despite the fact they were soaked with pee. I then picked up my board and headed out of the cave. I’d thought of spending some quality time with the ocean too, but once I was near the water I just couldn’t get myself to go in.
“John couldn’t be alive? Could he?” I thought aloud.
Of course, you the reader already know that it wasn’t John, but his brother Gil. However, at that particular point in time, I didn’t know this bit of news and thus my heart was crying all over again.
I tried to remember what it was Grandfather had said, but I was such an emotional wreck that it was all too blurry in my head right then. All I could get was Grandfather calling John Bill…
“No, not Bill.” I thought aloud, “It sounded like Bill buttttt…”
Try as I may, I couldn’t recall the name. Maybe I just heard him wrong.
Eventually I found myself standing like an Australian bushman, with my left foot planted solidly on the sand with my other leg bent and my right foot braced against the side of my left knee. My board, the tail of which was stuck in the sand, was being used to keep me from falling over.
I was looking out across the awakening beach absent mindedly watching a figure, who I assumed was Meek, jog back up the shore line after having come in way down at the far end.
It was then that I again saw… well it’s hard to say really. At first, I thought my brain and eyes were playing tricks on me. On the other hand, perhaps the morning sun had crated shadows and caused me to see someone that wasn’t really there. I rubbed both eyes with the backs of my hands and thus ground sand into my eyes. Oh man, that hurt. By the time I was able to see again I’d all but forgot about seeing John standing on the rocks just above and behind Meek.
“You been crying?” Meek asked as he came up to me and dropped his board.
“Got sand in my eyes!” I moaned and blinked.
“You know, you should avoid doing that.” Meek chuckled, “It’s not good for your eyes.”
“You do alright out there alone?” I asked.
Meek chuckled, “Best time ever! Wasn’t even scared… well maybe just a bit at first but once I did like you said and calmed myself, it was actually kind of nice. Had a great time talking with God out there.”
“I suppose Jesus was walking on the water next to ya then was he?” I joked.
Meek smiled, “Nah, he was hanging ten!”
“Jesus hangs ten?” I chuckled, “Now that I’d love to have on a T-shirt!”
With that, the two of us walked up to the cave where we had a healthy junk food breakfast.
Meek then asked, “Are you ready to head for the competition?”
With everything that had happened I honestly had forgot that we needed to be down that way first thing in the morning before we were called or we’d automatically be disqualified.
The two of us did a quick change; me into a swim diaper and again the same pee soaked board shorts, and Meek into a T-shirt and dry shorts. I didn’t put on a shirt just then, but did tuck one into the back of my shorts, just in case we went somewhere where I’d need a shirt. We then hooked our boards under our arms and did a fast jog all the way.
You might ask why I kept on the smelly, pee soaked shorts. Because, I knew the salty ocean would wash them clean.
We arrived just in the nick of time too. We’d no sooner got within earshot of the PA System then we both heard them call my number and fake name.
I kicked off my sandals while still running and ran for the water; my board tucked under my right arm.
“Yau brau, show ’em how it’s done.” some guy said as I trotted past him.
I turned and seen it was one of the guys who’d given Meek and I a ride yesterday. With a quick wave, back I hit the water running.
Okay, so normally I completely forget about everything on land when I’m out in the water, but for some reason I couldn’t get the thought out of my head that I had seen my dad… I mean John, or perhaps his ghost had come back to watch over me here. Then again, how could I explain Grandfather talking with him? My mind began to go mad with the stupidest ideas such as the fact that maybe Grandfather could see and speak to ghosts. Maybe Grandfather is possessed by some sort of spirit that allows him to talk to the dead.
“That would explain why he’s so evil!” I said allowed while huffing from paddling so hard to get out further, faster than anyone else could.
See, I told you I was going mad! At any rate, I could not get it out of my head.
It was a double run and the judges award you the best score of the two runs. My first run I cannot remember whatsoever and apparently it wasn’t very good because I was awarded points for my second run, which was flawless. As I’d been about to paddle out for my second run I could hear my father speaking to me. I’d later find out that it was my Uncle Gil, but what I’d heard him shouting was…
“Alvin! Get your head out of your ass!”
Truly inspiring words, no? Well it worked. I did just that and to be honest I don’t think I have surfed that well in a very long time! However, when I came back inland Meek was standing there with a pained expression.
“What?” I asked with a huff as I tried to catch my breath.
“Ay! You there!” Some walking-talking muscle called out as he came toward me, “I don’t care if the judges didn’t call it… that was poor sportsmanship, and you know it.”
He had reached me in mid-sentence and was jabbing me right in the chest with his hard finger.
“What the hell are you talking about?” I asked while attempting to swat away his finger.
Meek was on his feet and amazingly standing alongside this muscle mountain who poked me again.
“You totally put number 87 into the drink.” Meek said, mildly angry with me.
I had no idea what they were talking about. Right then this tall guy, who looked to be around fourteen or fifteen in the face, while the rest of him looked to have spent a few months on a medieval torture rack being stretched to unimaginable lengths, came jogging up and stopped beside the mountain.
“Adam come on; you’re going to get me disqualified.” he said stepping between the mountain and myself.
I had to take a step back to allow him room between us.
Meek spoke up again, this time addressing the walking stilt. “Sorry my brother cut you off like that. I’m sure he didn’t mean it.”
The stilt turned and looked down on me and for a moment, I thought there was something familiar about him, but the thought vanished in a millisecond because Adam said, “It’s cool. I guess when you’re the Great Alvin Holloway you get special treatment from the judges.” he then nodded his head, “Yeah that’s right, you can bleach your hair and go by any name you want but everyone here knows who you really are!”
Adam, the muscle mountain reached around the stilt boy and jabbed me once again with his finger, “Why don’t you go back to the east coast? Because you sure as hell don’t belong here anymore.” They both started to turn away as Adam said to Stilt boy, “Let’s blow out of here Scotty.”
I turned to Meek after Muscle Adam and the walking stilt, apparently named Scotty, departed, “What the heck was that all about?”
Meek proceeded to tell me how, as I was out there, I had completely cut that guy off and sent him into the depths all because I wanted that choice wave. This news totally floored me.
“Meek, I swear I didn’t see him. I didn’t have a clue!” I said almost shouting and not waiting for a reply, I ripped across the sand to catch up with Stilt Boy to apologize.
“What the hell do you want now?” the mountain said as he got between me and The Stilt.
“Listen, I swear on my father’s spirit that I didn’t see you out there! I am sorry and I would never do something like that on purpose.”
They were both still quite upset with me and were not buying into my apology.
“Come on guys! What can I do to make you believe me?” I pleaded.
“Drop out!” the mass of muscles said with a really hard finger right in the center of my chest. I swear I heard the clung of bone against bone!
Stilt boy stepped around the mountain and was nodding his head in agreement.
Looking around me at the ground like I was going to suddenly spot something that would help me I exclaimed with despair, “I-I-I can’t do that!”
The mountain then looked around to see if anyone in the crowd was watching our little exchange; there must not have been because a split second later he brought up his knee into my groin.
I began to double over in pain while moaning, “I’m okay!”
However just as those words came out of my mouth, stilt boy kicked my right knee sending it backward with a painful pop.
I cried out, “I’m less okay!” as I went down in a heap followed by a cry that came out sounding much like a whale impersonation.
I guess the noise I made had drawn the attention of everyone around me. However, it was too late; Scotty the stilt and Adam the muscle had made a hasty retreat into the crowd.
Meek broke through to get to me, “I saw everything!”
“I just figured it out!” I moaned.
