A Short Story By Cody Craig
The bright morning sun assiduously threw its brilliant rays against the bedroom window, a sliver of gold crept through the gap between the drapes and fell across Tanya's face.
She awoke, happy, the glorious morning outside greeting her with one of it long slender fingers. She rolled over to where Mark once slept, a hollow feeling snuck into her heart, sadness, anger and a sense of helplessness.
Where had they gone wrong?
They had been happily married for three years, and then it all started to cave in around her. Constant squabbling quickly replaced their conversations, their lovemaking ceased and Mark moved into the guest bedroom. It was a rapid fall from wedded bliss.
Was it her inability to conceive?
They had always wanted to start a family together, but an ovarian cyst had abruptly put an end to that dream. Of course they had discussed adoption, but Mark wanted a child of his own flesh and blood and that was the end of the discussion.
Tanya crawled out of bed and walked over to the window, she opened the curtains. The sliver of gold had hinted of a beautiful day, but Tanya was delighted at the actual clarity of the blue sky, a crystal clearness that could only be compared to the diamond engagement ring that she still wore on her ring finger. A symbol of the love that they had once shared.
I have to end this, I can�t go on living like this. I need finalisation, one way or the other.
She felt better now that she had decided to confront the situation, it was like a heavy load had been lifted off her chest. But how would she breach the subject with Mark?
Still staring out of the window at the glorious day, she remembered back to happier times, long days spent soaking up the sun at the beach on days just like this. Terminating in a romantic walk or hours of sensuous lovemaking.
The past. It was time for a new beginning, at twenty-four she was still young enough to start afresh. Still had her looks. If they couldn't work it out between them, she believed that she still had a couple of years to find her soul mate.
Over breakfast Tanya had persuaded Mark that they would take a trip to the beach, just like they used to. At first he just grumbled and groaned at the idea, but he soon warmed to the idea once she had told him that they really needed to spend some time together and try to salvage they marriage.
Tanya was surprised. Maybe he still cared about her? Maybe they had a chance of working it out? But even if he did want to work through their problems, did she? Could she risk spending the rest of her life unhappy, how would she cope ten, twenty years from now trapped in an unloving marriage? Would she still have her looks?
The twenty-minute drive to the beach was tense, conversation was non-existent and there was an air of anticipation at what the day may reveal.
Tanya popped the trunk and grabbed the bag containing the beach towels, sun tan lotion, and her novel that she would read while soaking up the sun. Together they walked over the grassy concourse to the steps that lead down onto the sand. Tanya surveyed the sandy stretch, for ten o'clock in the morning the beach was quite busy. Families sat in small groups, the parents cautiously watching as their kids waded in the shallows; couples laying dangerously close to each other; swimmers risking the moderate swells. She spotted a quiet spot about a mile or so up the beach. They proceeded down the steps.
The sand had already heated up sufficiently to burn their feet as they hastily crossed the powdery dry sand to the waters edge. An incoming roller dashed up the beach and met their scorched feet, instant relief. At the waters edge where the sand was hard and wet they turned and walked towards the quiet spot that she had seen from the concourse.
Still conversation had only been minimal, just common courtesies. It was like she was at the beach with a total stranger who had nothing in common with her, not with her husband who she had spent the last four years with.
They reached the deserted spot and Tanya tossed the bag to the sand, she turned to the sea and watched as the huge rollers crashed onto the sand. Obviously this area was deserted because the surf was much larger here than anywhere else on the beach. It didn't bother her though, she was a strong swimmer. Mark on the other hand would probably not even venture into the water, he had been inflicted with a fear of water all of his life. His phobia was so deep that it even plagued his nightmares, constantly waking up in a cold sweat, only able to remember that he had been drowning in his dream.
Tanya stripped off her T-shirt, and stepped out of her denim cut-offs, revealing her skimpy white two-piece bikini. She looked good in it, all the curves in the right places. She noticed that Mark was staring at her, a flame in his eye that she hadn't seen for quite some time.
She turned away from Mark and ran towards the surging sea. Looking back over her shoulder she could see Mark watching with a concerned look on his face. She continued wading through the shallows until she was thigh deep, she dived under a wave, surfaced and started to swim out to deeper water.
Mark unpacked the bag and spread the towels on the sand, never letting his eyes leave his careless wife for more than a few seconds. He was genuinely anxious, a knot formed in his stomach, which tightened with every stroke that she took.
He gulped down a mouthful of bitter saliva as he watched his wife's arms shoot towards the crystal blue sky, and then she was gone. She surfaced momentarily, arms flailing and then vanished again. Mark jumped up, not wasting any time to strip out of his clothes he sprinted down the beach and into the surly sea.
Tanya stood up, in the waist high water, just in time to see Marks head bob under a wave for the very last time.
She smiled. Who would have thought that there would've been a sandbank out this far?