Waves of Joy. Waves of Fear. (Short Story)

"It is beautiful!" Anabelle squealed with joy as she gazed at the majestic white sand beach. She had only been to the ocean once before, but she had dreamed of it every night since that glorious day. She loved the sand and the salty ocean water as it touched her lips. Anabelle was seven, but if you asked her, she would firmly state, "I'm almost eight!"

Her bouncy curls quickly laid across her forehead. She tried to brush back her hair, but the more she tried, the more her curls stuck to her round face. Her mom had tortured her by applying what seemed like seven layers of sunscreen. This child could not resist the urge any longer. Enough was enough! Anabelle quickly ran to the crystal clear waters with floaties in hand. A warm splash of the waves made her giggled with glee. She was in paradise. The ocean was just as she remembered.

Hours passed which led to more torturous applications of sunscreen, but Annabelle would "permit" her Momma to torture her all day for a few more moments in the ocean. Lunch was a simple but satisfying. "You know you gotta wait 30 minutes before you can get back in the water," an older cousin yelled. Annabelle was the sole child waiting on the bench. She was the last one out of the water. She would be the last one back in. Her heart could hardly wait. Annabelle defiantly refused to wait the entire 30 minutes. She only waited for 27 minutes and 59 seconds. And with the biggest of grins, Annabelle was back in the water.

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A big wave was coming so Annabelle ducked her head into the water right before the crest crashed on her head. She tumbled in the water a bit, but when she stood to her feet she felt like she had conquered the world. The ocean might be able to knock her down, but they could not break her spirit.

As she was about to call out "Momma look at me," Annabelle noticed the scurrying that was taking place on shore. She scanned the beach front to find her mother who was calling out her name. She had drifted to the right several hundred feet as the waves naturally pushed her down the coast.

Annabelle's mother was calling her by a nickname that meant she was in deep trouble or that something was wrong. "Anna B! Anna B!" "That is not a voice of angry," Annabelle thought. Her heart dropped because she sensed the fear in her mother's voice.

In the water, no one knew, but everyone on shore had felt the earthquake, the kind that not only shakes your body but also shakes your core. Annabelle and her family were too far away from town to hear the tsunami warning sirens, but it was clear that this was a big quake. "Everyone out of the water! Get out of the water now!"

There was no hesitation. There was no resistance. Annabelle immediately headed to shore. The defiant girl who had only waited for 27 minutes and 59 seconds just a few moments ago could only think of being hugged by her Momma and Daddy. At first, she struggled against the strong undertow, and then there was nothing. Only wet sand beneath her feet. How majestic this experience would have been if only she hadn't known what was coming.

Annabelle ran past the picnic site. Bread, peanut butter, and chips were still scattered on a blanket to protect them from sand and children's feet. The bodyboard her Momma and Daddy gave to her as an early Christmas gift lay at the base of a palm tree. Any other day, Momma would have cleaned up after her rowdy clan, and Annabelle would have tucked her gift safely in their van. But today none of that mattered.

Annabelle heard her father's voice. "Anna B! Anna B" When their eyes meet, Annabelle felt a glimmer of hope. Her father picked her up as though she was a feather, even though he was sore from playing in the waves and burnt by the rays of the sun.

Annabelle's father had also been gentle with her, but their abrupt stop at the van jarred her little body. He practically shoved her in. She felt a bruise on her shoulder as he closed the driver side door and started the engine. Her Daddy was driving like a professional race car driver. She was impressed but still scared. The sand that has caused problems arriving at the isolated beach seemed to be ancient history, minus a fishtail or two.

But all of the families that had played that day were still a half mile from the main road with her family's van pulling up the rear. There was no "Drive slower!" from Momma. Little brother was not complaining about getting carsick like he did earlier that day. Even Annabelle was quiet. On any other day, she would have squealed with delight for the bumpy rollercoaster ride she was about to experience. But "the wave" was coming.

Patrick, Annabelle's father, pushed this car harder than he had even driven a car before. They were moments away from reaching the main road. They were almost safe. And as sand and rocks gave way to cracked asphalt, Patrick accelerated faster and faster, creating as much distance as he could.

They were indeed far enough way to avoid disaster. The ten-foot tall at the shore line wave was now inches tall. The monster wave battled inland for nearly a mile despite the 40-foot incline between the beach and the main road. Her family and friends were safe, but her heart continued to race. No one in the car said a word.

Questions starting flooding Anabelle's mind. Why had her family been saved? What about the quiet village that was nestled in a cove down the beach? Were those mommies and daddies able to get their children out safely? No answers, just questions. The beach and the water would never be the same again. That first wave was not able to break her spirit, but that last one ... it may take a while to heal.

Background Information

My family and I lived in Indonesia for more than 10 years. There was a secluded beach that we often visited. We called it our "private" beach. We made so many memories there. Once we turned right off the main road, the bumps grew bigger and the giggles grew louder.

And although this story is fiction, it could have been real for my family. We are blessed that we never had to run away from a giant wave like those who were surprised by the tsunami what struck the Sumatra and Java shorelines on December 22, 2018.

My families thoughts and prayers go out to the families who have lost loves ones and for those who are still looking for missing loved ones.

@SumatraNate