That Beautiful Thing Called Life

Born a Mermaid

 Annie 

The sun streamed in through Annie's balcony window. She groaned and tried to roll over and shove her head under the covers. It was too late...she was already wide awake. I really need to invest in block-out curtains, she thought. But as soon as she dragged herself out of bed, the panorama of a blue ocean bordered by white sand immediately changed her mind. Who on earth would ever want to block out that view? She threw on a baggy tee shirt and a pair of floral shorts and quickly fashioned her hair into a messy braid. It was time to get the boring stuff out of the way. Breakfast and emails.

Annie hated technology. Checking her emails was a necessary evil, however; it becomes essential when it so happens that one is the owner and property manager of a 3.5 million acre working cattle station. She loved that place, but it was no longer home. At least, not yet. Not until she could move past the ever present pain she lived with daily. And owning it and running it alone sometimes weighed heavily on her. It was a lot of responsibility for a 24 year old. She opened her inbox and began scrolling.

One email jumped out at her. It was from Waverley Council, which she had subscribed to upon moving to Bondi. She opened it, and the first headline caught her eye. Lifeguard Trials this Saturday. Applications due by  5 pm Thursday. Annie's mind raced. This was the type of job she had always wanted. Saving lives on the beach...it didn't get much better than that. She clicked the link to the application form, filled it in and submitted. And for the first time in a long time, Annie left the house with a smile on her face. 

Time to hit the beach.

Chappo

I should have asked for her number, Chris thought as he stood on the beach staring at the swimmers in the south end of the beach. As soon as she had left the tower, he had regretted it. He didn't normally have trouble with that kind of thing. But the conversation had been deep, and he felt vulnerable opening up. Maybe that's how it's supposed to be, he thought. He hoped he'd see her again, although the beach was long and filled with 30 thousand people. Even if he didn't, she'd definitely made an impact. 

He shook himself into the present, as Maxi radioed from the tower that a swimmer needed assistance in the rip. 

It was time to stop thinking about the girl, and turn his attention to the Lifeguard Trials on Saturday. 

Annie

Annie arrived at the pool half an hour early on Saturday. Better to be early than late. She had never really like pool swimming. It was too calm, too artificial. She loved the wild unpredictability of the ocean. It had a ferociousness, a beautiful violence that equal parts scared and calmed her. Ocean swimming was her strength. But she was confident in her ability in the pool too. Slowly, the rest of the lifeguards, as well as the new applicants, began to arrive. Her heart began to beat faster as she realised that Chris was going to be there sooner or later. A few of the boys greeted her as they walked in.

"Annie? Is that you?" Maxi ran from across the room and enveloped her in an enthusiastic hug. 

"It's so good to see you!"

"I didn't know you wanted to be a lifeguard!"

"Good luck!"

Whippet, Jesse and Kerrbox had joined in the welcome party. Annie felt immediately at ease, and all her nervous butterflies flew away. That is, until she heard a soft, slightly surprised voice behind her.