The Rented Hour

The water splashed in my face as I met the wind and I felt free at last. From high in the air I lunged into the waves while the winds and boats made love to the ocean. I zoomed away from my friend after our idle time together to enjoy the fast moving motorcycle on water. No looking back until it was too late, for I had lost my friend as he became just a small figure to the wonders of the big deep pool. No one in sight as I continued my run. Oh there goes a tiny little speed boat, I jumped their waves as I held on tightly to the handle bars.

The worrisome of looking both ways sped along with my journey. They made us watch a safety video. Don't want to be clobbered by a moving object on my motorbike. Damn, I worried the whole hour of crashing into someone to become either hurt or killed. But the fear didn't stop me from excelling fast and enjoying the moving waters. Moments of feeling free, but the worry really never left.

One hour isn't long enough. Damn, I'm far away. Where is my friend? I stopped for a few seconds to enjoy the short time I had left out here in the big waters. To maybe see a few dolphins like I did last time, but none in sight. Thinking if I had enough time to change my return route instead of the straight line I took to get here to nowhere.

As I headed back, the wind became my enemy as the strong waters shot bullets into my eyes, no matter what speed or route I decided to take back. With one eye shut and the other opened as they took turns, I knew I was loosing face, not sure if I can make the timed hour.

At some point, I closed both eyes together tightly to readjust the wicked salt that flew in them. Moments later, when I reopened one eye, I realized that I was flying dead on into a massive metal buoy. I swerved and missed it by a couple of inches, but the high waves and my sudden left turn jerked me off the wave runner and I flew high in the air and landed in the deep cold water.

I gathered myself and swam to the cycle. I was kind of worried that I might be eaten by a shark. I always had that fear. I noticed a familiar hat that looked like my friend's, floating in the water nearby the slightly invisible buoy. I didn't pick it up nor did I do any further investigations, because I was running out of time and didn't want to be late. But I wondered if my friend was okay or did I just leave him behind?

It took a few times to climb back on the bike, for my right wrist isn't that strong and flexible since my ladder fall. I had to use my forearm in place of my wrist to pull myself back up. I continued on with the strong winds and waters that battled against me and thought for sure that I would surpass my rented hour and my friend was left for dead.

In the end, I never found my friend. I wished I would have at least saved his hat. But I did make it back on time, barely.