This Is Who We Are

by Matt Christiansen

- The Blood Diamond -

  “Welcome to Micky’s, what can I get ya?” boomed an enormous Hawaiian man.

  “Yeah we’ll take two number threes to go, please,” Lee said through the walk up window of the little burger shack. The sun was pouring into the small eat stand, sifting through the thick air behind the window. The burger stand was situated five blocks above the Pier, facing the road that sloped down to meet the highway running parallel to the ocean.

  “That’ll be ten bucks,” said the sweaty overweight man working the stand. Lee exchanged a crumpled up bill with the man and was handed a brown paper bag with a blue M stamped on the side.

  “Thanks!” yelled Moses over his shoulder as he and Lee dashed away on their bikes, surfboards under arm. They pedaled down to the expansive public beach, picking up speed as they flew down the hill towards where the afternoon sun beat down on the waves rolling in. The boys guided their bikes straight into the sand until they lost traction and slowed to a stop.

  They made their way over to a bench carved from a giant log, propping up their surfboards and digging into their bag. Lee produced two enormous burgers and two containers of fries.

  “Mmm-mmm,” Mo said as he took a large bite out of his burger. “Nothin’ like Micky’s burgers!” Lee hummed in agreement as he dug into his own massive burger. In a matter of minutes, the boys had devoured their burgers and had moved on to their fries.

  “Dude, life is so good right now…” Lee said between mouthfuls of fries as he stared out at the waves. “We got a full stomach, the sun’s shining, the waves are big, there’s a slight breeze… We have the entire afternoon to surf and relax… what else is there?”

  Mo, who had finished his fries and was brushing his hands off on his board shorts replied with gusto. “Nothin’ better…”

  He walked over to a large barrel designated for trash and nonchalantly tossed the paper bag in. As he walked contentedly back towards Lee and the surfboards, he heard his name being called from behind. He turned to see Alex running toward him, board in hand.

  “Alex! Right on time!” Lee yelled, holding a hand in the air.

  After joining up with their companion, all three brandished their surfboards and charged down towards where the sea awaited. They met the shallow water at full speed, crashing and splashing their way deeper until they lost their balance, diving into the water.

  One by one they surfaced and began paddling their surf boards out into the ocean, battling the crashing waves as they went. Presently they got far enough out and turned their boards, floating in wait. Moses was the first to go, getting first to his knees and then standing, poised on his surf board as it began to ease forward as a wave passed, carrying him with it. The wave picked up speed and as it did he began to zigzag through the water. The wave grew steadily larger and larger until he was flying back and forth on the side of a watery slope eight feet tall. He turned and started skimming across its length as the wave began to break. It arched over him, curling and crashing just feet behind his board as he screamed past, skimming the wave with his outstretched hand. He rode the wave until it crashed behind him and his board eased to a stop in the shallows.

  As he slowed to a stop, Lee came washing up beside him, having taken the next wave that had passed. They both turned to watch as Alex, clad in red floral board shorts and a red spandex shirt hurled towards them, riding a wave until it crashed down on him unexpectedly. Mo and Lee cheered as Alex emerged a couple feet from his board, water flying off his hair as he shook his head.

  “Dang!” Mo yelled as Alex got his bearings and collected his board. “That might qualify for the ‘sick spill of the week’.”

  They surfed until the sun began to sink steadily towards the oceanic horizon. Back and forth they swam, riding the waves and crashing periodically. They eventually tired and three hours later they found themselves sitting on the bench, staring contentedly out at the waves. The tide was coming in and they watched with tired and heavy but satisfied breaths as the water grew ever closer to where they sat.

  At length Alex spoke. “Well, I should probably be getting home, my mom said supper’s at six. I’ll see you guys around!” With that he rose and gathered his surf board before walking over to where his bike was sitting.

  “Well…” Mo said after Alex had left, “I suppose we should get home too.”

  “Yeah, I can’t remember if we told Mack we were going surfing or not,” Lee replied with a guilty smile.

  “I guess we’re gonna find out!” Mo said as he rose and lifted his surf board under arm and began to stride to where their bikes lay abandoned in the sand.

  • • •

  “Hey Lee, you got a letter in the mail today…” Mack said as the boys walked through the door.

  With a look half of surprise and half of relief that he had not wondered where they had been, Lee walked over to where Mack sat at his work bench. “I got a letter?”

  “It’s addressed to you…” Mack said with a smile as he handed his adopted son the envelope. Lee took the letter and thanked his father before turning heel with Mo and crashing up the stairs to their room.

  Once in their room, Lee took a knife and slit the envelope across the top, reached in and produced a tattered looking piece of paper that he unfolded and began to read. As he read his face fell from excitement to sobriety. He stared at the paper for what seemed like an eternity before setting it down on the small table in the middle of the room.

  “What is it?” Mo asked cautiously, picking up and examining the envelope that he noticed had no return address.

  “It’s from her…” Lee said with a twinge of fear. “It’s from Abeba.” He handed the letter over to Mo.

  “What?! How do you know? There’s no signature…” Mo said, trying to rationalize for his friend. “How can you be sure?”

  “It’s her handwriting. I’d recognize it anywhere. See the curves on all of her lowercase b’s? And look how it’s signed…” said Lee grimly. “Love, yours. That’s what she used to call herself. No fancy pet names, just mine.”

  “But how would she… I mean, Wha-“ Mo started before he was silenced by Lee, who had closed his eyes slowly.

  “She wants to meet me on Thursday night. At Astoria Park.” As Lee spoke Mo could tell that he was thinking hard, trying desperately to decide what to do.

  Moses, who was just finishing reading the letter looked up at Lee. His eyes were closed and his hands were shaking. At length he opened his eyes and said “I’m gonna do it.”

  “Why?” Mo protested. “Dude, this sounds like a trap. I mean… what are the odds…”

  “Yeah… I know,” Lee said, sounding appreciative but resolved. “I have to go, though. There are so many questions that need answers. So many gaps that need filling. I have no doubt in my mind that Adeba wrote this letter. I have to go. And you might be right, this might be a trap but I have no choice but to spring it. I need closure…”

  “Okay, man…” Mo said, unconvinced. “You know I got your back…” He then smiled as he said “I have an idea…”

  • • •

  Lee stood alone in the dark, waiting silently for his confrontation. The stars were out and the sun’s final glow had faded from the western sky. He glanced upward often, gaining what little reassurance he could from the mystical points of light that had accompanied him through his nightmarish journey through the African Congo those many years ago. As he waited, concealed by a shadow cast from the far off streetlight, he heard a noise.

  His eyes scanned the darkness for movement and caught on a figure moving slowly but steadily towards him. As the small figure grew near, he could make out the silhouette of a slender girl with soft dark skin and jet black hair. She reached a spot ten feet from where Lee stood in the shadows.

  “Lee?” said a soft and innocent sounding voice through the darkness. “Is that you?”

  Silently, Lee stepped from the shadow out into the light cast by the street lamp and faced Abeba, his face set in st
one. “I’m here…”

  “Lee!” Abeba exclaimed, starting toward him but was stopped short by a look shot by Lee. “It’s been so long, I can’t believe I found you!”

  “What?!” Lee replied, his voice raising. “Do you remember the last night I saw you? The smell of fire and death in the air? Do you remember the voices of our tribe as their princess betrayed them and had them slaughtered? Do you remember that?”

  She drew close to him now and he locked his eyes with the pair that he had never been able to erase from his mind. They were so dark, so beautiful, so enticing.

  “Lee…” she began, her voice shaking as though she were on the verge of tears “you don’t know what happened after you escaped. I tried to save the village, after seeing your eyes ice over, I broke down. I tried to get Kifo to stop, but he wouldn’t.”

  “Kifo…” Lee said solemnly. “So he has a name…”

  “Lee! I tried to stop him but he tied me up and made me watch. It was horrible!” she cried, bursting into tears and falling into Lee so that he had no choice but to catch her. “When everybody was dead he took off in search of you and left me there alone to die…” she continued between sobs.

  Lee, who had come to Astoria Park with every intention of reaming Abeba with every ounce of malice he could muster, found the wind emptied from his sails. Try as he might, he couldn’t bring himself to hurt her seemingly tortured soul.