Everyone else in the cafe laughed at the size of the waves. And they were massive for this time of year. Torrents of water assaulted the breakwater, the seaweed embedded within like a giant miso soup.
We were safe behind the glass with our mochas, and could enjoy nature’s spectacle without fear.
‘I would probably give it five minutes before going outside,’ the cheery barista said. Another laugh.
My boyfriend smiled.
‘Perhaps we should get an ice cream if we are stuck inside for a while,’ he said.
I clutched my necklace, and did not respond. This was my fault.
My previous summer holiday had been such fun. Cocktails and constant heat. Before this relationship, so plenty of hook ups ensued. But on the last day before flying home, I wanted something different. Something with an element of culture. So I headed to the older part of the town. Touched walls that were a thousand years old, and wondered who had built them.
This still was not enough. I slipped down the alleyway that hid from the sun's light, and entered a shop that smelt of fermented vegetables. Although most of the shelves were like those found in any small grocery, a mucky cabinet stood near the counter. One object lay within. It glistened, and had no price tag.
The woman at the till had fingernails painted gold. She laughed when I pointed to the cabinet. I did not understand the exchange rate, and handed over five notes.
‘Neptune,’ the woman said, and laughed again. She locked the clasp of the necklace near my hairline. The thin green bar at the bottom was heavier than a gold nugget.
The dreams started when I drifted off during the flight back. Angry horses in the waves. A ginormous fish tail rising from the foam.
I have been to the beach a few times since that holiday. And each time the waves rise up. So far I had escaped to car parks and country lanes. But today the cafe has one door.
My poor boyfriend. He had no part in this.
The waves splash against the window, and a shadow looms on the horizon. A flicker of doubt appears on the barista’s face. And the necklace has never been heavier.
