Page 1 of Josh’s Play

Chapter One

Josh

I don't remember ever seeing a day like it. It was hot for that late in the summer but with that occasional ocean breeze that made things bearable. High tide was cresting as it lapped at my feet. From my vantage point, there wasn’t a cloud visible, just the murky dark blue of the ocean meeting the crisp, lighter blue above the horizon. At that moment, there weren’t even birds peppering the sky, nothing to interfere with all that blue. I could hear the waves crashing at my feet and the chatter of my family behind me, but it felt like I was hearing it through a filter as I stood alone, in my own blue-on-blue world.

A child whizzed past me.

“Vera!” At least three of us screamed: my mom, my oldest brother, Jamie, and me. But I was closest, standing at the edge of the surf, my feet buried deeper in the sand with each successive wave. She ran past me, a boogie board hugged tight to her chest as she fearlessly met the waterline.

I could sense her father behind me, but I didn’t wait, following her as the biggest wave we’d seen in a while devoured her. I dove in, grabbing onto her ankle as the water consumed us.

Gasping and clinging to her skinny leg, I surfaced, grasping with my other hand to try and support more of her body, the boogie board coming between us and slapping me in the face. We tumbled to the shoreline, me desperate to keep hold of her as I swatted at the foam board. As we tumbled, my fingers got caught in the leg rope. Instinctively, I grasped it, hoping it would help keep my niece and me from being separated. It twisted and twisted as Vera and I were pushed around in the waves and knocked to the sand.

At the same time the surf began to calm, I could feel my niece being pulled from me. I panicked as pain fired through the one of my hands not desperately trying to cling to the child. Flat on my stomach in the sand, I could see Jamie as he swooped down and picked up his daughter. The boogie board’s leash was still attached to her tiny ankle, and as he pulled her up, a second surge of pain flowed through me.

I cried out as I rolled over.

Above me, Jamie set his daughter down, holding her waist in his hands to keep her steady and in one place. From my prone position on the sand, I watch him look her over with concern, my mother and my brother AJ standing over his shoulder doing the same before turning their attention to me.

Vera sputtered and hugged her father, but almost immediately, she was grinning like a devious cat.

“Can I try again, Daddy?”

Jamie had no words as he wrapped her in his arms. AJ leaned down to release the Velcro cuff from her ankle and replied, “Not right now, little one.”

Aware that something was off but not yet having fully processed exactly what, I started to right myself by pushing off the sand. While I was in motion, I began to scream in agony as I watched my left arm rise without my permission, my hand still attached to the cord AJ was tugging.

Muttering out the word “shit” before yelling over his shoulder, “Caid,” AJ threw the board down as he and my mom helped me to my feet.

Jamie led Vera away from us to where other members of our family sat in a cluster nearby, a typical if rather large group, sitting on beach chairs, lying on blankets on the ground, some under a large umbrella, others eager to catch some rays, coolers and books and beach bags peppering the sand.

Vaguely, I knew something was wrong as Mom grabbed me by the shoulders, examining my face like it held all my secrets.

“You're hurt.” It was a statement, not a question.

“I think …” I started as the pain emanating from my left hand began to dominate. But AJ was ahead of me, gently grasping my left wrist as the cord dropped to the ground.

“Shit, man, your finger.”

The pain came back in full force as if seeing it made it real. The three of us looked at my hand, held up in my brother’s gentle grasp.

“Ow, fuck!”

I fell to my knees, staring at my hand in amazement, my ring finger twisted, swollen, and bent, my mind now fully aware of the pain.

“Caid!” my mom yelled, echoing AJ and calling for another of my brothers, a medical student. Caid was kneeling in front of Jamie, examining a drenched Vera, who sat in her father’s lap. Caid held her head in his hands as he talked to her. The urgency in Mom’s tone had him to me in a flash, and he took my wrist from AJ, looking at my hand quickly before looking back at AJ, a firefighter who was well-versed in injuries and first aid. The two of them were clearly communicating with their shared looks of concern.

“Free up a plastic baggie and get me some ice from one of the coolers” Caid demanded of AJ. “And something to wrap it in, a towel or a T-shirt. Mom, collect up Josh’s stuff. Mine, too, please.

“This looks broken, bro,” he sympathized as he gently placed my hand on my opposite shoulder. I winced. “I’ll drive you to the hospital.” Hearing the word “hospital” triggered Mom into action.

Caid walked me back to the group, shooing our brother Vance from a beach chair and leading me to it. I went to move my hand, but Caid put a gentle touch to my forearm. “Try not to move it.” Vance took in what was happening and went to help my mom, who shoved a T-shirt in his hands.

Mom then showed up in front of Caid and me waving two sets of flip-flops. We nodded in answer to the unspoken question, confirming they were ours. AJ was right behind her, makeshift ice pack in hand. Caid slid into his shoes and took the pack from AJ, placing it in my good hand and slowly guiding it to the deformity resting on my shoulder while my mother bent down and put on my shoes. It was very awkward, being fussed over while I sat there in pain.

From the corner of my eye, I could see my brother AJ getting dressed as well. “Dad, keys,” he barked.

“Shirts, Vance,” he ordered. Then to me, said, “Do you have your wallet?”