Status: Completed
Julie
Julie
I was sitting on the beach, watching Julie wave at me on her surfboard. I’m happy I finally came out here with my little sister. She had been begging me to bring her for days.
Julie was a phenomenal surfer. Better than I was. And she liked to show off. Being a teenager will do that to you, I guess.
No one else was on the beach. Probably because you could see the storm clouds in the distance. Some people say it’s not safe to swim during a storm. To Julie, it’s the best part. It makes the waves bigger. It makes for a better surf. It also makes me nervous, seeing her out there on the huge waves in the ocean. But Julie was an amazing swimmer. That she let me know every time I had something to say about it.
She yelled my name, and I looked up and waved at her. She was about to paddle towards the wave she wanted to take. She tried to surf it, but it was too big. One she obviously couldn’t handle, and fell off. She came back up, cursing at the wave and her surfboard, making me laugh. But she kept trying.
And then it started to rain.
I suggested we go home. I made some comment about not wanting her to get sick, which she laughed at replying that she was already wet and a little sprinkle wasn’t going to make any difference.
And then it started to rain harder.
It wasn’t the hardest I’ve ever seen it rain, but it was hard enough for me to want to go home. I kept telling Julie to some on. That we were going home. She said no.
We were out there for a little while longer, Julie trying and failing to catch a good wave she could stay on until the end. The rain slowed down, and eventually stopped.
I told Julie it was getting late. The sun hadn’t gone down yet, but it was going to in an hour so. She pleaded to try once more, and I obliged, saying one more time, and then we’re going to home even if I have to get in that ocean and drag her out myself.
Which is just what I did.
Julie was on her surfboard, her surfboard on that wave. And then she fell off, as she had so many times that day. Only this time, she didn’t come back up.
I waited a few seconds, and then started calling her name.
I got no response.
I ran out into the ocean, taking my shirt off the whole way there. I ran during the shallow part, and the deeper the ocean got, the faster my heart raced.
I swam and swam. I dove under the water a few times, unable to find Julie. So I swam a little further out, and little past her board. And then I was walking again. A sandbar.
There she was. Lying on the sandbar, which was just deep enough to keep her a little under the water. Her eyes were open, unblinking. I grabbed her and put her on her surfboard when we got to it. I paddled all the way back to the beach.
When I got there, I picked her up and laid her on the sand. Her eyes were still open. She was staring at me. Her chest didn’t move. I couldn’t hear her breathe. I gave her CPR and nothing happened. After a while, I stopped, giving up. She was gone.
My Julie.
My little sister.
As I look down at her, I shut her eyes. Her hair was stuck to her face, wet. Her freckles beautiful on her face.
I put my forehead against hers, taking her in for the last time.
I knew I was going to have to call someone. But for right now, she was mine. All mine. This was the last time we were ever going to be alone together.
And I’m going to cherish it, whether she’s alive or not.
Julie was a phenomenal surfer. Better than I was. And she liked to show off. Being a teenager will do that to you, I guess.
No one else was on the beach. Probably because you could see the storm clouds in the distance. Some people say it’s not safe to swim during a storm. To Julie, it’s the best part. It makes the waves bigger. It makes for a better surf. It also makes me nervous, seeing her out there on the huge waves in the ocean. But Julie was an amazing swimmer. That she let me know every time I had something to say about it.
She yelled my name, and I looked up and waved at her. She was about to paddle towards the wave she wanted to take. She tried to surf it, but it was too big. One she obviously couldn’t handle, and fell off. She came back up, cursing at the wave and her surfboard, making me laugh. But she kept trying.
And then it started to rain.
I suggested we go home. I made some comment about not wanting her to get sick, which she laughed at replying that she was already wet and a little sprinkle wasn’t going to make any difference.
And then it started to rain harder.
It wasn’t the hardest I’ve ever seen it rain, but it was hard enough for me to want to go home. I kept telling Julie to some on. That we were going home. She said no.
We were out there for a little while longer, Julie trying and failing to catch a good wave she could stay on until the end. The rain slowed down, and eventually stopped.
I told Julie it was getting late. The sun hadn’t gone down yet, but it was going to in an hour so. She pleaded to try once more, and I obliged, saying one more time, and then we’re going to home even if I have to get in that ocean and drag her out myself.
Which is just what I did.
Julie was on her surfboard, her surfboard on that wave. And then she fell off, as she had so many times that day. Only this time, she didn’t come back up.
I waited a few seconds, and then started calling her name.
I got no response.
I ran out into the ocean, taking my shirt off the whole way there. I ran during the shallow part, and the deeper the ocean got, the faster my heart raced.
I swam and swam. I dove under the water a few times, unable to find Julie. So I swam a little further out, and little past her board. And then I was walking again. A sandbar.
There she was. Lying on the sandbar, which was just deep enough to keep her a little under the water. Her eyes were open, unblinking. I grabbed her and put her on her surfboard when we got to it. I paddled all the way back to the beach.
When I got there, I picked her up and laid her on the sand. Her eyes were still open. She was staring at me. Her chest didn’t move. I couldn’t hear her breathe. I gave her CPR and nothing happened. After a while, I stopped, giving up. She was gone.
My Julie.
My little sister.
As I look down at her, I shut her eyes. Her hair was stuck to her face, wet. Her freckles beautiful on her face.
I put my forehead against hers, taking her in for the last time.
I knew I was going to have to call someone. But for right now, she was mine. All mine. This was the last time we were ever going to be alone together.
And I’m going to cherish it, whether she’s alive or not.