The Beat of Safiri Bay (4 page)

Once at the gym I roll out my mat, put on my gloves and start to stretch while Lin puts on some music. She likes hard rock and I don’t mind. The only music I don’t really like is rap. She joins me with the stretching. “Why are you so down today?” she asks.

“Me? No, I'm fine,”

“Don’t give me that,” she says as fast as she can. She likes to talk fast. She likes to move fast too. “I spent the night at Matt’s”

“WHAT?” she just about shouts at me.

“No no no, not like that,” I quickly correct. “He broke it off with Chantel and had too much to drink. I just helped him to bed and spent the night on his couch.”

“You... on a couch?” She laughs at that image “We’ll he must have one hell of a hangover,”

“Actually no, he seemed just fine this morning.”

“Lucky guy, I’m never that lucky”. I change the subject.

“So Jay got a new bike?” and I know she will fall for it.

“Yes. His early birthday present, it is so cool” she sounds excited. Lin and Jay have been together for just over a year now. She is one year older than he is and they make a lovely couple. She has a son from a previous relationship but Jay loves him as he would his own. We have finished our stretches and start with the kettlebell warm up. No more talking now, just work it out and sweat, yuck.

As I pack away, she answers her phone “Hi love... That sounds good, let me just think about it I’ll tell you tonight...Love you too,” How sweet. I hope to one-day find someone that will love me as much as they love each other but I know it will be an almost impossible task and I put that thought aside. “Are we running tomorrow?”

“Sure, seven?”

“Okay, make sure you show,” I laugh, “and don’t forget about Jay’s party, Friday, six sharp.”

“Yes.”

I drive back home very slowly. I will have to face my dad tonight. I am not in the mood but he will want to know where I was last night and there is still Christina’s little tantrum to deal with. Ugh, I hope his speech will be brief. I am tired. As I enter through the back door, I see Christina sitting at the kitchen table. Her head is in her hands and tears are dripping on the table. Oh now what? I do not have the strength for her and just walk past her hoping to reach my room unnoticed. “Lane, is that you?” Oh boy, here it comes.

“Yes dad it’s me,” I almost whisper.

“Good, come to my office please,” I hate that. I don’t know why he needs to see me in his office like a naughty school kid. I throw my bag down the hallway in disgust and walk to his office. I don’t knock “Hi dad,” I try to sound sweet.

“Rosie, I was worried. Where were you last night?” Okay good, the easy question first. “I was at Matt’s house. He was ill so I stayed and helped,” I lie. Dad would not approve of my friend’s bad drinking night. “Oh I see, very well then. I have to talk to you about Christina,” I stand up straighter and flatten my wet sweaty hair with one hand. “Dad, I have tried but it’s just not working, she drives me nuts with her little nicknames and she doesn’t understand anything about me. I don’t think she cares for anything but your money,”

“ENOUGH!” he shouts. I jump and feel the blood go to my face. “I will not have you talk about her like that.”

“I’m sorry dad, it’s just,” my words don’t come and I stare at my toes. “Rose” he says in a calmer voice “I have asked her to move into the guest room, for now.” What is this?

“Oh,” I whisper and I look at him. The lines around his eyes looks more pronounced than ever. “Dad, I’m sorry. Please don’t chuck her out on my account. I mean, I won’t even be here for that much longer.”

I see him pull his lips into a line and I frown. I thought he would be happy to hear that. “Lane, I don’t want you to leave,” now what?

“I am not leaving tomorrow dad,” I try to comfort him.

“I know but what I mean is, I don’t want you to leave at all.”

“I have spoken to TUMS and they are more than happy to let you study via correspondence,” what? Whoa. Where is this going?

“Dad, I don’t know,”

“Just think about it please. I will need someone to take over my businesses one day and you have to learn something about it.” “I am willing to pay for private music tuition. Think about it Lane, you in a university sharing a room with messy teenagers.” My throat feels dry. He has a point but what surprises me most is that he wants me to stay. I would never have guessed. Would I want to stay and learn about his business? “That’s all for now,” Oh, he is dismissing me. “Okay,” I turn and leave the office. What was that all about? And Christina moving into the guest room, bah, I can’t believe it. I stop myself just before I start to feel sorry for her, no ways. She really does not belong here.

I was hoping that a hot shower would help me sleep better but it seems that nothing can get my mind to switch off tonight. I lie covered with my black and white duvet and all I see is his spiky brown hair and blue eyes. I thought Matt had a special kind of blue eyes but I have never seen anything like Alex’s before. Oh, what’s the use of trying to sleep? I get up and go pick out my black Ibanez. I don’t even bother with switching on the light in the room, it is full moon and there is more than enough light shining through the window. I climb back on to my bed and sit there. Just holding what has become my lifeline. I haven’t cared for anything else but music in such a long time. Sure, there were some cute boys at school but I didn’t ever have the need for one. What would I do with an ever-pressing male at my side always wanting to invade my privacy? No thanks. But I do imagine the day I fall in love as spectacular, on a yacht somewhere in the south of France. What’s the use? No man would want an obsessive-compulsive freak as a girlfriend.

I start playing one of my favourite songs, ‘Belief’ by John Mayer. It has the most exquisite sounds and it move the souls. As I finish I feel tears running down my face. What on earth is going on with me? I know this song is moving, but the tears? I decide to make myself a cup of tea. After that, I must try to get some sleep. I have to be up at six thirty. I can’t drop Lin again.

I am walking on the beach and I see a yacht on the water. Matthew is on the yacht and he is waving at me.  His smile fades as Chantel appears next to him. She is carrying something. It’s a glass, a wine glass. She breaks it on the edge of the yacht and looks at me. Then she turns to Matthew and stabs him in the stomach. I hear him scream, I hear something else while he screams... “Lane, wake up Lane,” he tries to wake me up.

“NO!” It’s me screaming.

“Honey, you are having a nightmare, shh, stop screaming”. I wake up and look into my dad’s worried face, it was just a dream, an intensely crazy dream. “The light, please dad, switch on the light,” suddenly I am back in the safe space of my room. It seems so much better when you can actually see what is going on around you. This is all too familiar. The first year after my mom died, I had frequent nightmares and my dad always came to my rescue. I haven’t had one since. Is this a bad sign? I hope not. I lie back down and my dad traces my eyebrow with his index finger. I never mind my dad’s touch. He hasn’t rubbed my brow in years. It used to help me to fall asleep and it seems like it still works. I drift off into nothing.

My alarm rings on my phone. Is it really time to get up already? I hit the dismiss button and lie in my bed staring at the ceiling. It’s a windy day. I can hear the howling of the wind as it passes through the pine tree lane by the fence. I love that sound. It reminds me of the sea. I get ready for my run and carefully stick a band-aid on the little bit of open skin that has not yet healed completely. I strap on my tunebelt and plug in my earphones. I am looking forward to this run.

I park the Jeep at the gym and walk to the rondawel. Lin’s van is already there. I walk up the grass path to the rondawel and hear voices inside, no surprise there. Lin is always recruiting new members to join her on her strenuous morning runs. As I enter I see him and I freeze. His eyes are even bluer today, is that even possible? “Good morning Lane,” his rough, firm, English accent greets me and I suddenly wonder if he can sing? “Morning,” I say and give him a quick glance before my eyes settle on Lin. “Alex will join us on our run,” she says as if reporting the weather “Actually he will be doing quite a bit of training with us,” she says happily. Off course she is happy, this is her job, and more people mean more money. I am delighted that she will be making more money, but must it be from him? I cannot help but sigh; I will have to get used to him being around, but I hope he goes back to wherever he came from quick.

We do a warm up walk to the gate. Lin and Alex chat about the effects of running on the body overall. He seems to know what he is talking about but I pretend not to listen and fiddle with my earphones. “We’ll take it to the beach and back Lane,” she half asks half says. “Okay,” and off we go. I let Lin and Alex run in front of me but she soon takes off and he hangs back with me. Before long, we are running side by side. I just look straight in front of me and concentrate on my strides, he makes me feel something I have never felt before and I can’t place it. He doesn’t run with music and I am aware that he can hear my breathing. It’s unnerving in every way. I am not used to running with a buddy. Maybe if I act as if it’s someone ugly I won’t be so uncomfortable. The road is quiet as it always is on a Thursday. The tar road is uneven and the sides have given in at some places. You can’t just relax and run, you have to be alert at all times. I am alert, but mostly aware of the crazily good-looking guy running next to me. I feel his arm brush against mine and the strange sensation startles me so I run a bit faster.

It’s a beautiful run. The black of the tar road is such a strong contrast to the grey blue sky and the almost unnatural green indigenous forest. The trees hang over the road and in some places trees touch each other from either side of the road and it makes a beautiful dark green arch. Looking into the forest you can see only green plants and smell the river. It runs into the sea at the little bridge on the way to the estate. We reach the beach and spot Lin at the tap outside the ablution block. I remove my earphones and we walk the last fifty metres to the tap. “You have a nice style,” he says without looking at me, “excuse me?” I look up at him but just, he is not that much taller than me. “Your running style, it’s good,” he says more clearly.

“Oh, thanks,” I say and smile more to myself than at him but for what reason I don’t know.

“How was that?” Lin asks and looks at the two of us.

“Good,” I say and walk over to the tap she left open for my convenience. “She’s fit,” Alex says to Lin.

“So she should be, I don’t give her much of a choice,” she gives him an evil grin and I choke on the water.

“I am standing right here,” I remind them once my coughing seizes. “Hey, we are not talking to you,” Lin says in her abrupt way, she thinks she’s funny when she acts all tough, I do too so I just roll my eyes and leave the water running. Alex takes over ownership of the tap then and I step away. “See you,” she says as she shoots off into a fast run leaving me alone with Alex.

I have nothing to hide behind because my earphones are hanging around my neck and I suddenly feel very nervous. What will I say to him? “Care for a quick peek at the beach?” he asks with a look that makes me nod when I meant to say no but it’s too late. I think of some way to get out of it. “I have to get going soon, I have music at nine,” I try my best to make it sound important.

“I know, we won’t be long.”

I follow him up the flattened dune and there it is. The water is almost as blue as his eyes but not quite. The sand is a beautiful gold and the sun is slowly rising higher in the orange morning sky. Its low tide and we walk down towards the water. “I have an idea,” I say and immediately regret it, what was I thinking? I can’t think of a way to back out of it so I will have to say what I wanted to. “Sounds exciting,” he says with a spark in his eyes.

“You don’t even know what I want to say,” and I frown at him but he is smiling and my heart jumps around like a wild horse. “I know of a different route back to the gym.” I suddenly feel giddy and shy for saying that but don’t know why. “So what are we waiting for?” he challenges and I point down the beach to give him the general direction.

We run along the open stretch of beach on the hard sand for what seems to be forever. The water moves up and down the sand at our ankles and we jump to avoid its cool, wetness. The sun has moved higher into the sky, my heart beats faster in my chest as I realise that I am alone with a man whom I don’t know and who doesn’t have any idea of who I am. At last I spot the little fisher’s path over the dune and point towards it. He slows down and I follow suit. I remove my earphones. “Can we stop here for a minute?” he asks softly.

“Not tired are we?” I enquire sarcastically. He smiles and lifts an eyebrow at me. My heart skips a beat, no, two beats. “A month ago, I thought my life was over and now here we are on this breathtakingly beautiful beach with not another soul in sight,”

“Yes, well if you put it that way I would much rather get going,” 

“Already?”

“I do not know anything about you; you might as well be a serial rapist who keeps nineteen year old girls in a cage in the back of his house.” He laughs but its sounds more like a giggle and I can’t help but laugh at that.