Surfer Girls Kick Ass

by Tiffany Manchester

  After being on the road for a couple of hours, we made the turn into her driveway. Sophie’s family lived in a town called Lennox Head, just south of the ever-popular Byron Bay. Her parents’ house is ridiculous in its modern beauty. The spacious, two-storey home was a mere 30 yards away from the beach, accessible straight off the back deck. S had her own self-contained apartment on the beach level of the house, with a separate front and back entrance. The family had moved to Lennox from Manly around three years earlier, and I don’t know if her parents gave her this space as a way to keep her close or to keep a close eye on her. Either way, she was one lucky bitch!

  I followed S through the front door and then veered into her spare room on autopilot. It was the room I would call ‘mine’ for the next three and a half months. S wheeled my hefty surfboard bag to the other end of the apartment and dropped it by the sliding door that faced the beach. It was so good to be in a place that felt like home after having travelled for the last eight months. S walked in and stood beside me as I stared down at the bed in front of me.

  ‘Well, babe, welcome home!’

  ‘Thanks, S. Hey, I think I need to pass out for a while…’ I managed, my eyes already half-closed.

  ‘Go for it, hun!’

  She turned around, closing the door behind her while I splayed face first on the queen-size mattress and passed out almost immediately.

  CHAPTER

  10

  I woke up with a dry mouth, a headache, and the excruciating sound of a car alarm. Ugh! I lazily dragged my arm towards my face and squinted my eyes in order to get a clear visual of my watch.

  ‘Crap… It’s still on Hawaii time!’

  My tired brain didn’t have the capacity to even try to remember the time difference, so I just rolled myself off of the bed and started to rummage through my bag, searching for my toothbrush and other bathroom essentials. Once located, I dragged my ass to the adjoining bathroom, peeled off my sweaty, stinky aeroplane clothes and kicked them into the corner by the sink, before stepping into the shower and closing the glass door behind me.

  Ah, yessss! I took my sweet time, enjoying the warm water as it cleansed and awakened both my body and my mind. After towelling off, I pretty much dumped my bag out onto the floor, searching for some clean clothes. I never got around to doing any laundry during my stint in Hawaii, so a fair amount of my stuff still needed a washing. I settled on a light purple long-sleeve shirt and pair of running shorts, then wandered into the kitchen to get some water and see if anything was going on. Sophie was on her laptop at the kitchen table.

  ‘Well, hello there, Zozo. Feeling better?’ she said looking up and giving me a big, enthusiastic smile.

  ‘I’m not sure yet,’ I said as I grabbed myself a glass of water and plopped down on a chair on the other side of the table from her. ‘What time is it?’

  She glanced down at her screen and came back with, ‘Quarter past four, babe.’

  I looked at my watch and did the math. ‘Holy crap, we’re like 20 hours ahead of Hawaii.’ I don’t know why I was so surprised, because I’d already done this Hawaii-to-Australia thing multiple times before.

  ‘Wowzers, that was quite the nap, and I’d still totally be passed out if I hadn’t been woken up by that car alarm.’

  ‘Yeah, well, better you’re up now anyway, so you can start getting over the jetlag. Besides, my parents are expecting us upstairs for a barbie in a couple of hours, if you’re keen. And I need you to catch me up on this whole Derek thing before then. Gimme the deets. What happened?’

  After first helping myself to some cereal, we went for a walk and I filled her in as best I could. My brain was still super foggy, so even though I left out a lot of the emotional nitty gritty, she got the gist of the situation… which was enough for now. With that out of the way, we returned to the house to kill time before dinner. S did some work on her laptop, but all I could handle was some Netflix on the couch.

  ‘Let’s do this, Zozo!’ S was giving me the five-minute warning.

  ‘Right on! But first I need to brush my hair and change my clothes. I don’t want to look like a surf bum right off the bat you know. Gotta make a good first impression!’

  ‘Ha, it’s years too late for that, mate!’ she said as she put her hand in the bowl of grapes on the table in front of us and proceeded to toss one at me. I was too tired to flinch and it landed right in my half-full glass of water with a big plop!

  ‘Nice!’ I said sarcastically as I got up and turned around to head back to my room. Not three seconds later I felt another grape hit my back. I looked back to give her my half-assed stink eye, but she was too busy laughing at her own hilariousness to notice.

  Such a nutter, I thought to myself, happy to know some things will never change.

  I wore my ‘good’ jeans for the occasion (meaning they fit snug and were fairly new rather than old, baggy and full of holes), along with a black, form-fitting top that was plain but nice enough. I had even put on some gold hoop earrings and some pink lip-gloss. I don’t know why, but I was a little bit nervous to see Abby and Peter – that’s Sophie’s mum and dad – even though they’re like my second family and I know they love me to bits.

  S opened the downstairs sliding doors onto the deck and proceeded up the white staircase to the main house. The first person I saw as I reached the upstairs balcony was Abby. Her hair was blonde, but this time around she had a few extra silver streaks. Judging by the wrinkles on her face, you’d think she was in her 50s, but I’d always found it hard to tell. She loved the sun and had been an avid sailor for over 20 years so her skin was a tad weathered. She wore some cool patterned yoga pants and a plain white t-shirt. But what I noticed most was the gold chain with a turquoise pendant she wore around her neck – something she had made herself, I was sure.

  ‘Zoe!’ she squealed with excitement when she saw me, putting her drink down on the barbecue. She bypassed her daughter, who was standing between us, reached her hands out and gave me a warm hug, which came with a huge whiff of… what was that scent? Lavender, I think.

  ‘Hey Abby!’ I replied with excitement. ‘It’s sooo nice to see you… and to be here!’

  She pulled back to get a good look at me, leaving her hands on either side of my shoulders. She looked me up and down, then stared straight into my eyes, holding my gaze. After a few seconds, I felt shy and looked away. Luckily, right at that same moment S’s dad stepped onto the deck from their living room, holding a wine glass in each hand and loudly stated, ‘Hey, Abby, stop eye-gazing at Z. You’re making her feel uncomfortable!’

  At 6’3”, Peter was the tallest in the family, and impressively fit. Aside from golfing, he was a runner. He had been bald since I’d known him, which must’ve been about 12 years by now. He had dark brown eyes and a big grin. He loved his family more than anything, so it always meant a lot when they were all together, usually for Sunday dinner.

  ‘Hey Peter! Thanks so much for having me…’ but before I could say anything more he interrupted with, ‘Oh please, we love when you’re here. Anytime, love. Anytime, aye…’ And with that he handed me one of the glasses of wine and S the other. ‘Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some cooking to tend to.’ He turned and went back inside the house.

  ‘Geez, S, your parents look amazing.’

  ‘Yeah well, they’ve definitely gotten more sarcastic with age… so watch out Zozo!’

  ‘Oh please, I’m way too boring for them!’

  ‘No kidding, babe. Taking the piss out of you is like shooting fish in a barrel. Ha!’

  We both laughed and some of my wine spilled on my top. Classic, I thought to myself as I wiped the liquid off of my shirt with my other hand. S just rolled her eyes and continued to giggle.

  When dinner was ready, we sat at the table inside the house instead of the deck, as the wind had gotten pretty strong. It was quite a spread. Chicken and
veggie shish kebabs, spinach salad with strawberries, walnuts, and a raspberry vinaigrette, some homemade spicy bread (Sophie’s specialty, made with jalapeño), and of course, more wine. We were just starting to dig in when Sophie’s brother Seth walked in the door.

  ‘Sorry I’m late, I was at the skate park and lost track of time.’

  ‘Just clean up, get your butt over here and say hi to Zoe,’ Peter hollered at him.

  How cool is that? Instead of bitching at him for being late, Peter’s main concern was to make sure Seth gave me some love.

  ‘Oh heya, Z!’ he said with enthusiasm as he put his stuff down and washed his hands in the kitchen sink. He came over to the table and bent over the back of my chair to give me a kiss on the cheek.

  ‘Wow dude, you’ve grown… And you’ve got major facial hair!’ I was bugging him already, as was the norm, but it was true. His scruff scratched my skin when he planted one on my cheek. ‘Wait, how old are you?’

  He kept his head down and ignored me as he walked to the other side of the table to sit down. He’s probably the only person in Oz who I can successfully torment, so I don’t hold back.

  ‘Nineteen.’

  ‘I hear the ladies are all over you these days. Got a girlfriend?’

  He blushed and just shrugged his shoulders.

  ‘Don’t worry. I’ll get it out of you later… one way or another!’ I said with a smirk.

  As we ate, I realized S must have already shared some info in regards to my break-up, as they didn’t bombard me with any questions about Derek. Instead, they kept the conversation light and positive, with much of the focus on Seth. Dinner with my second family was a comforting entry into this new journey I was going on and I was super grateful for it. By the time we were done with ice cream, I could barely keep my eyes open, so I excused myself from the table and took myself to bed.

  It was a surprisingly happy albeit brief first day back in Oz. It was good to be home.

  CHAPTER

  11

  I must’ve zonked out the second my head hit the pillow, because when I woke up in the middle of the night I actually had to pause and get my bearings. I’d say that’s pretty normal for anyone who travels as much as I did.

  ‘Dammit!’ I muttered as I looked at my watch. 2am.

  Recovering from jetlag can be tricky. People have all sorts of theories on how to adjust to a new time change. But for me, the most effective technique is also the most obvious one: stay awake until it’s time for bed, and stay in bed until it’s time to get up. Of course, that’s easier said than done.

  I’d had a long flight with little deep sleep, so it hadn’t been hard to pass out initially. But my body was still on Hawaiian time, which meant that after a few hours of rest it wanted to be awake because it was morning in Hawaii, even though it was the early hours in Oz. Staying true to form, I was determined to stay in bed until I fell back to sleep. My body was stiff and tired from sitting upright on the flight for so long – but I knew I could do it. And I did. Though instead of entering into a deep slumber, I drifted in and out, falling into some crazy dreams, waking up for just long enough to figure out where I was before rolling over and entering into another strange and vivid scenario.

  In one of these scenarios I was alone, staring into a vast blue sky full of white, fluffy clouds. I was in the middle of a spiral staircase, and when I turned around, I saw that the staircase was part of a castle made of dark stone. I turned back and there he was… Derek. He was floating in the air in front of me, with another woman whose face was blurry so I couldn’t tell who she was. They were laughing, oblivious to my presence. I reached out with my hand, calling out to him, but they both drifted away together, and I was left there, alone and crying… feeling abandoned by love.

  In another one, I was watching surfers at what looked like Pipeline, that infamous wave on the North Shore of Oahu in Hawaii, but it wasn’t shaped in quite the same, perfect way. I was in the water too, but not on a board. Instead, I was treading water with my head barely above the surface. Suddenly a surfer on a huge tsunami-sized wave came towards me. She was on my surfboard, driving down the line right past me. She was fierce and unstoppable, and I had to duck under the wave to avoid being run over. I felt jealous of her unwavering confidence.

  I woke up, disturbed by my dreams, and rubbed my eyes; I could see it was still dark outside. I let my eyelids close but this time I couldn’t fall back to sleep. Something felt weird to me, like someone was here. Was it just my mind playing tricks on me after my freaky dreams? I opened my eyes again, making sure not to move my body while I scanned the room. As I glanced towards the window about three feet from the foot of the bed, I saw a figure. I couldn’t see much in the darkness… but I was sure it was the silhouette of a man. Lying there motionless, I was frozen in place while my eyes were glued wide open and my mind raced.

  Surely, I’m dreaming, I decided, or I’m going crazy… or I’m seriously in trouble…

  And then he spoke.

  ‘Be still the mind.’

  The words were softly spoken as they came out of his mouth, and even though he was on the other side of the room, it felt like he had just whispered directly into my ear. As though he was telling me a secret that only I was allowed to hear. Freaked out, I wanted to scream and yell for help, but something stopped me. Instead, quite the opposite happened, and I felt a lovely sense of calm wash over me. I realized I’d heard this voice before. It was familiar. Distinct. Compelling.

  Was it? Could it be…?

  ‘Yes, Zoe. It’s me, Teo.’

  I took a moment to let it sink in before sitting up, unafraid now, even though there was a strange man in my room who had appeared out of thin air. I was confused, but calm, a strange emotional combination. It was one of the weirdest experiences I’d ever had.

  ‘You have forgotten about me for some time now, Zoe, but I have been with you always and everywhere, since the day you were born.’

  ‘Confusing’ seemed to be the word of the day, alongside ‘strange’. All I could manage was, ‘Um, huh?’

  ‘I am your guardian angel, Zoe.’ Teo was not fazed by my uncertainty.

  I was squinting, desperate to get a clearer view, but his silhouette was so faint he looked more like a ghost. My efforts were useless. He continued before I could say anything else.

  ‘When you were a little girl, we had countless conversations. You accepted my presence without question, for you did not distinguish between the physical and non-physical realms.’

  Physical and non-physical realms? What’s he talking about? I couldn’t get my head around any of what he was saying.

  ‘Soon enough, however, you began to learn the ways of your environment. You listened to your elders; people like your parents and teachers, who encouraged and even demanded that you to pay attention to their rules, perspectives, and beliefs. This is normal. This is how the mind becomes deeply influenced by the physical realm, or life on Earth, as you know it to be called. Your ability to see beyond began to narrow, eventually blocking out the non-physical spiritual realm, of which I am a part.

  The influences of your immediate surroundings began to consume you, and by the time your 5th birthday was upon you, you were no longer able to see me. But now, dear Zoe, your recent circumstances have caused you to begin questioning many perceived realities. Your mind is more open, as is your heart, which means you are now willing to remember.’

  Remember what? I wondered.

  ‘Remember what you already know…’ he replied with a soft whisper.

  I still had no clue how to respond, but in that moment I was wide awake, and felt so very alive in the quiet of the night.

  ‘I must go now, Zoe. That is enough for now. But I will see you again. In the meantime, you needn’t worry about deciphering this conversation, or my presence. It will all become clear to you with time. For now, simply believ
e there’s more to life than meets the eye.’

  And then he was gone.

  CHAPTER

  12

  I woke up bewildered, as the memories of my middle-of-the-night visit from Teo came flooding back to me. I sat up suddenly, wondering if it actually had happened. Was it real or was it a dream?

  Then I remembered Teo’s request: believe there’s more to life than meets the eye.

  Well, I wasn’t ready to discount that it was a dream, so I decided, at least for the time being, it could be both.

  I wasn’t sure what ‘believe’ really meant, but I did come to the conclusion that in order for me to believe there was more to life than meets the eye, I’d have to ditch the doubt. Okay then. So what doubts did I have? The first one that came to mind was fear. I was afraid of what would happen if I believed in an experience that was so inexplicable. It was beyond the realm of my understanding and I wasn’t sure how I felt about something I couldn’t control.

  Whew! It was all too mind-boggling to deal with right now, especially this early. First things first – I needed to get salty. I put on my bikini, board shorts and hoodie, grabbed a chocolatey energy bar from the kitchen and threw it in my backpack with a water bottle. I found my wetsuit, some wax, grabbed my fins and a fin key, and stuffed them all into my bag as well. Finally, I pulled out my 5’10” round pin and opened the sliding door that overlooked the beach.

  ‘Ah!’ I inhaled the fresh early morning air as I closed the door behind me and made my way around to the main road. I jogged up to the parking area, which was the easiest way to access The Point.

  As a self-proclaimed introvert, I prefer to get my day started while everyone is still sleeping. I’m not one to thrive in the hustle and bustle of crowds and voices and chaos, so it’s always better for me to hit the surf for dawn patrol, when it’s still relatively quiet. One of the many reasons I love surfing is because the ocean feels cleansing to the soul, and I’ve learned that when I feel anxious or frustrated or angry about some silly drama, or when I can’t make a decision about something, jumping in the ocean for a surf or just a quick dip always lightens my mood and clears my head. So if I was going to sort this ‘belief’ stuff out, I most definitely had to get out of my head… and into the ocean.