A Bad Day at the Beach by Sandy Zelka

Author:Sandy Zelka [Zelka, Sandy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781614680963
Publisher: BookBaby

When morning came for the group, the rustling awoke Jack. He reached for my leg in an attempt to wake me.

“Molly, wake up hon. You fell asleep in the chair.” Jack was rubbing my knee trying to get my attention. His touch was gentle but firm so that I would be aroused by the movement. I raised my head out of its sideways slump and realized how tightened my stretched neck muscles had become.

“I’m awake Jack. I haven’t slept.” He was startled when I immediately responded. I stretched my limbs, still sitting in the chair and heard the plastic of the chair creak from my movement.

“Here, lay down now,” he said offering his bed space.

“No. I’m good. This storm is not letting up. It’s maintained its fierceness all night. I don’t think we’re getting out of here today.” I rose from my chair, stiff from being in the same position all night and erased the #1 and date from the blackboard. In its place, I scribbled, Day #2, October 18, 2005.

The crowd was stirring, brushing their teeth and spitting into the latrine buckets. Two large men worked at opening the rear door and, holding each other in a chain, carefully emptied the buckets so as not to have the contents fly back into the room. The wind was unbelievable. It howled between the slats of the windows, passing between the walls and sweeping over us like ghosts, it was finally sucked back through the window slats of the opposite set of windows. The rain continued, so heavy that it gave the room a jungle-like feel. The clothes we had hung on the fan blades were still heavy with dampness. Thankfully, the rush of air between window slats kept the humidity at bay.

I sat with my hands on my stomach, not realizing I was sitting in a slightly bent position.

“How are you feeling?” Jack asked nodding towards my abdomen.

“Better,” I lied. Before dawn, I had made my way to the latrine area and by the light of my little flashlight I had managed to change my “dressing”. I was still bleeding heavily and the cramps had now spread down my legs. I had wrapped the mess in a bag and hidden it behind our travel bag so as not to burden anyone in the group. I could feel my insides draining down through myself, but there was nothing I could do about it but survive it so I tried to put it out of my mind the best I could.

“Good. What can I make you for breakfast?” Jack smiled. He hated talking about “female” issues. He had lost his mom five years earlier from breast cancer and had had his share of dealing with girl stuff. His typical nature was to understand everything and stand in anyone’s shoes to understand their circumstances, but when it came to stuff like this, he rather play ostrich then eagle.

“How about a peanut butter sandwich and some soda?”

“You know, that’s the most normal thing I’ve heard in a couple of days.

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