The wind was getting up. We put a towel over father so he wouldn’t get cold. The wind was driving waves into the bay and we jumped over them when they began to slap against the beach. Then we grew more daring and ran out into the water.

When the wave came along we rode with it until the sand was scraping our tummies.

The further out you went the bigger the waves.

For a long while the bottom was out of toereach and then suddenly came a current.

I was just about to jump on a wave when the current dragged me seawards. I went under and surfaced again. Arms and legs tired quickly. They waited for a wave but they were broken up by the current that was trying to get away from the beach. The current wanted to be free to play in the sea.

Bror ran to father. Tore the towel off him and screamed he must rescue me. Pointed towards the foaming surface of the water and ran out into the waves to show the way.

I saw my brother in the shore breakers. How father ran after him. His belly shook with each step. Swung from side to side and his thighs did as well. They cleaved the water and drove the fatherbody as it crawled through the sea to save me. He had to stop now and then to tread water and take deep breaths.

He got to me at the moment my arms felt they couldn’t splash about anymore and the wave roared above my head and when he 95reached out he grabbed my hair. My scalp hurt as he pulled my body towards his and said to hang on with my arms around his neck. He swam on his back. I held on to him. His feet touched the bottom. The wave flowed back out.

Then we lay down on the beach. You can’t see that in the painting.

We were lying on the sand and father held me hard with sandy hands and my swimsuit rubbed against my shoulder.

96

SEVENTEEN

I lightly smacked john’s arm to wake him. The gesture wasn’t friendly. He sat up scratched his tousled hair with both hands. Wiped the sleep from his face.

Goodmorning he said. You look cross.

I wasn’t. Only focused. I was drawing strength from my anger in order to get things done. Get things said without cowardliness making me back off.

I’ve seen the painting I said. How do you know what happened by t’sea.

He got out of bed and went to the loo. In passing he squeezed my shoulder as if feeling sorry for me. The fire had to be lit in the range and the coffee made. Then he sat down with his saucer and lump of sugar.