Here’s my next offering, a story that I first had an idea for in 1979, I had a dream of the wave and the beach and the people, and it all fitted together, as if I had lived it somewhere. I didn’t do anything about it for years, but it kept nagging away at my mind, every now and again I would have the dream, and mean to write it down, but somehow life got in the way. Eventually, I got around to putting it on paper and realised that, although the basic idea was interesting, I needed something, apart from just the wave, so I tried to construct a bit of a relationship around it. I think it got a bit rushed at the end, probably because it was my original intention to have it as a descriptive piece.
It’s called When the Wave Comes.
When the Wave Comes.
Rik was scared, he told his mother:
“Mother I’m scared” he said,
Why? She asked,
“When the wave comes, I’m scared that I’ll run, and then I’ll be a Keldav and I wont have a family or a future and I will have to slave all my life” the words came out in a rush.
His mother put her arm around him, he was small for his age, and it was true that he was not physically imposing, like his father or brothers, even the younger ones. But he was her favourite for his quiet intelligence and willingness to help.
“Now then:” she told him, “it’s natural to be scared, everyone is and the wave will prove that you’re an adult and then you won’t be a Keldav.”
“But Dror says that I will run, or that I wont even dare to turn up at the Ancestors wall,” Dror was of an age with Rik but large, loud and outwardly confident, everything that Rik was not, naturally he was looking forward to the wave, to prove his manhood, no-one doubted that Dror would not run.
“After the wave you will be able to choose a second name” said his mother ” everyone will know that you faced the wave and did not run, I will be even more proud of you, and your father will take you into the craftsmen’s guild. Take no notice of Dror and be strong in yourself”.
Rik left his dwelling and walked through the city streets, unconsciously heading towards the wall of ancestors that lay at the eastern edge of the island city of Keth
There were three days to the wave, already the wall was thronged with people, scraps of parchment had been pushed into the cracks in its brickwork, prayers for those who would take the wave, and some for those who had vanished or failed in previous years.
Dror pushed his way through the crowds until he stood in front of Rik “hello small one” he grinned, “You’re early, there’s three days to go yet, or are you just working out which way you will run?”
“I’m not frightened of the wave or of you” said Rik, but his expression gave away his real thoughts.
Larris, the daughter of his neighbour joined them before Dror could reply “Hello you two” she said “are you excited yet?” She looked at Rik with interest, they had grown up together and it was expected by there families that they would eventually marry, Dror however had other ideas, “Hello Larris, you wont be quite so interested in him when he runs, you would be better off with me than that Keldav”.
Larris sprung to Rik’s defence, “Well I think that he will stand, and when he does, it will prove him worthy, you will have to stop teasing him then”.
Dror’s gaze narrowed, “You don’t think that he would be man enough for you do you?” he sneered, “You would be far better off with me, he will never stand.” There was contempt in his voice.
Rik felt tears welling up in his eyes, he turned and ran away, Dror’s jeers ringing in his ears, “look at him its not even here and he’s off”.
That night, Rik lay in his bed listening to his parents talking, “I worry for him” said his father “For I don’t think he will be strong enough to stand, he is too small, look at his brothers, they were bigger and yet they could not survive”
“Be still, said his mother, There is a strength in him, It’s is just that he doesn’t realise it yet” Rik felt comforted by her words and slept, his dreams filled with waves and taunts.
Rik kept away from Dror and Larris for the next two days, it wasn’t fair, Dror had everything and made him feel small by his presence, and he knew that Dror thought that he was just not up to the challenge of adulthood.
It started in the ocean deeps, halfway around the world, the moons alignment pulled the oceans up and the spin of the planet sent the wave racing around the world.
The first the inhabitants of Keth knew was the lowering of the tide, instead of its usual ebb, the water level sank lower than it had been for a full cycle, and the Ancients watching signalled the arrival of the wave, the chance for all those brave enough to prove their manhood.
Rik was awoken from sleep by his father, “Come now son its time to go to the wall”, his father had had six sons, four had already stood for the wave, only two had returned.
Rik roused himself and prepared for his ordeal, he dressed simply, nothing was allowed that would help him stand, except a staff of green wood. Rik had cut and trimmed his own, as was the custom, if he survived it would form part of his proof that he had stood.
As he made his way to the wall the crowds thronged around him, he hadn’t realised that there were so many people in the city.
The City Elder started the ceremony as the water level started to rise, standing on top of the wall, he called down the spirits of the Ancients to bless the passing of boys into men, and prayers for those who would not return.
Next he called a list of all those who were of age to stand, Rik and Dror answered there names but there were several who were not present. At the end of the calling the Elder Declared “All those who have not answered are now Keldav, I declare them slaves to those who stand and return”. He gestured to the horizon, a faint dark line was visible on top of the sea, “Take your places as boys, return as Men” he chanted, and the crowd began to repeat the call, there voices swelling in the morning light.
Rik and Dror were side by side on the beach, there green wood staffs dug into the soft golden sand, angled toward the horizon whilst the crowd chanted at there backs “Go as Boys, Return as Men, Go as Boys, Return as Men, Go as Boys, Return as Men”,
Over there chant a soft hum could be heard, growing louder as the wave neared, the water level was rising fast now, it lapped around the feet of the group of boys, now around there ankles. As a group they lent forward into the face of the onrushing wall of green water, backlit by the sun.
Suddenly to the left of the group three boys turned and ran, dropping there staffs they fled up the beach and into the safety of the city behind the wall. The crowds chant changed “Keldav, Keldav” they cried, the chant of the coward, these were as bad as the ones that had not arrived, they had failed to become men.
Dror turned to Rik “About time you ran isn’t it” he said, his voice faint over the roar of the wave, it was slowing now in the shallows, but it was rising, now it towered above them, and started to break.
“I’m not going anywhere” replied Rik, and the wave hit the group.
It felt to Rik as if all the air was knocked out of his body, he was pushed backward, his staff was almost torn from his grip and he felt himself tumbling head over heels. He felt another body bump into him and he clutched at it, whilst trying to anchor the staff back into the sand
The water was filled with swirling sand, blinding him, but he could make out the sun above him and could feel the force of the wave weakening as he managed to push the staff into the sand, holding the limp body with his other hand.
His head broke the surface and he sucked in a deep breath, the wave had passed and he was alive, he had stood. He could hear cheering and crying from the top of the wall as the water level dropped. Looking around him, he made out a small group of men, not boys now, but very few of them. He realised he was still holding a body and looked down, it was Dror and he was unconscious, he shook him “come on Dror, wake up”, but the boy didn’t move.
Larris came running down the beach toward him, “Rik” she called” I’m so proud of you, Dror was lost but you held him”, she flung her arms around him. Beside them Dror jerked, coughed and spluttered and moaned weakly. Kneeling; Rik and Larris helped him to sit up. His hair and face were covered with sand, but his eyes focused on them as he regained his senses. “Thank you Rik” he whispered” I will never doubt you after that, I thought I was gone but you saved me”.
On top of the wall Rik’s mother and father gazed down on the scene below, “I told you” said his mother “He was as brave and strong as any, he only needed to find it for himself.
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