Fiction. The Master of the Sea

The Master of the Sea.

The waves had no mercy; strong winds churned up the sea causing mountainous breakers to crash on the beaches. Far on the horizon merchant ships appeared and disappeared as they struggled to cope with the mini hurricane conditions.
The shorelines were crowded with sightseers just watching the unusual spectacle, a strange sight was the creamy coloured foam that washed up, this is caused, (I was informed) by the large volume of rainwater mixing with seawater.
It was nearly full tide and the pounding surf forced it’s way up banks and steps, occasionally spilling onto the lawns below the Surf club where some friends and I watched the powers of the sea from a comfortable position. I never experienced such unleashed force of water before, glad that I had the safety of distance and elevation.
A few brave and hopefully experienced surf board thrill seekers were catching their dream waves, watching them was scary enough, one unfortunate surfer lost his board which floated to shore, next we saw him wave for help, a guard managed to launch a water scooter to rescue him, he was in luck but quite foolish putting other people in danger.
The winds subsided and there was an airy calm, beaches sadly lacked their golden sands, huge rocks appeared and lots of rubble gathered along the high tide mark.
A strip of seashells along the foreshore attracted many beachcombers; also metal detectors were out in force, hoping to uncover some long lost treasures.
The heat and humidity returned with vengeance, proving that the long summer was here to stay a little longer.
Tourists have had to be content with gorging themselves with food along the Esplanade, but now they can go back walking the beaches and trim off those unwanted kilos.
A hint of jealousy entered my mind, all that delicious food and no stress of work, why should I feel this way? being a retired gentleman in this lovely part of Australia , I can enjoy a good lifestyle and amazing climate that lasts all year. As for the stress of work, not a lot with my volunteer job at the Tourist centre, explaining to visitors what to see and do, where the best restaurants and nightlife can be found, thus helping them to enjoy their holiday to the full.