Rating G
Synopsis: Tessa finds new entertainment

Perspiration rolled down her face as Tessa made her morning ride. The warm summer California days had turned unseasonably hot.

As she rode down the beach, she decided to dismount, take off her shoes and walk in the surf. Even Chico seemed to enjoy the cool water boiling around his hooves. She started to run down the beach and Chico followed like an overgrown puppy.

Suddenly she spied something in the water just beyond the wave crest. It looked like a plank that had been ripped from a shipwreck. As she watched, the plank crested the wave and shot toward the beach just in front of her. Upon closer inspection she saw that it about seven feet long and two and a half feet wide. One end was slightly rounded while the other was pointed.

Looking at the plank and then the waves she thought. "I wonder."

She peeled off her clothes down to her chemise and pantaloons and pushed the plank towards the crashing waves. Hanging onto the blunt end of the plank, she guided it past the wave crest and climbed on. Lying prone she paddled with her hands away from the waves.

When she found calm seas, she cautiously knelt on the plank to gain her balance. Getting cocky, she stood up and promptly fell off. As she came to the surface she swore that she heard Chico laugh.

A few more tries and she learned to balance while standing and even change direction by shifting her weight. All of a sudden she realized that she had been carried to the crest of the wave. Fortunately she was facing the beach.

"Oh no!" she yelled as the board and Tessa shot forward. Putting her arms out to the sides, she balanced herself and rode the wave to shore. Jumping off she cried out,"That was fun." Turning the board around she did it again and again and again. Coming over the crest she accidentally stepped backward and aimed the board through the wave with the wave crashing over her. She crouched down to keep from getting knocked off. "Hey, I just shot a wave curl."

Finally, she jumped off and headed for shore. Then she realized that she was not alone. Several children whose parents worked for Tessa were lining the beach. They clapped as she came ashore. They crowded around her.

"And what do you think you are doing?" came a man's voice from behind her.

Turning she saw Doctor Helm.

"Why Doctor, I love the surf as it crashes onto the beach. This board was being carried to the beach so I guess you would call it a surfboard and I had to ride it."

"I guess that makes you a what, a surfer girl? But the next time I would suggest that you wear something different."

Startled, Tessa looked down to see that not only had the cool water affected her body, she could see everything as the flimsy wet white material clung to her body. Embarrassed, she ran to her clothes and got dressed.

"Is that better, Doctor?"

"Well for propriety's sake, yes. From my perspective as a man, no."

A flush rose on Tessa's face and as she opened her mouth to respond she found she was speechless.

"Pardon me Senorita, but I could not resist. May I escort you home?"

In her mind she thought Pig. Instead she responded. "Gracias, Doctor that would be nice."

A few days later, Tessa again rode out to the beach. She had pestered Marta so much that the poor Gitana had agreed to make an outfit Tessa could swim in. It was a black sleeveless pull over blouse and pants that ended just below the knee. Marta had used more Roma swear words than Tessa had ever heard.

As she dismounted and went to get her board. It was gone. An exhilarating yell caused her to glance at the surf. There, riding her board was a figure that was trying to stand up. At the crest of the wave, the board shot forward and the rider was tossed into the water.

Sputtering and coughing the figure struggled to shore as Tessa retrieved her board. She laughed as the drowned rat bore a distinct resemblance to Doctor Helm. He was shirtless and his pants ended at the knees.

"That was fantastic," he said grinning from ear to ear.

"The object, doctor is to stay on the board, not to fall off. Watch." She grabbed the board and paddled her way through the surf.

"This will teach him," she said out loud.

She stood and rode the wave. She tried to duplicate her previous ride and leaned to the right and through the curl she went.

Moving to the right again, she misjudged and slammed into a wall of water.

Sputtering and coughing, she came up for air as Doctor Helm went to help her.

"Is that the way it is done, Senorita expert? It appears that it is now you who is the drowned rat."

"Maybe, but it is fun. Care to try again?" she said grabbing the board and once again heading for the waves. "Surf's up!" she yelled.

Several hours later, two drenched and sunburned riders acting like school children approached the Alvarado hacienda and ran into the head school mistress. Marta.

"Alright Marta, we know we look like drowned rats, but we had so much fun." She giggled.

"Glad you enjoyed yourselves, but the word I was looking for was lobster not rat. You both will pay for your fun tomorrow. Come; let me apply some aloe salve I use for burns."

She took each one by the arm and the three went towards the door. "After you," said Marta with a wicked gleam in her eye. She stepped back and planted a hand onto each back as hard as she could. Right between the shoulder blades.

The end.

©Surfer Girl - James Guy - April 2001