I Sing the Body Electric

He swallowed the hot dogs in silence. “Next time,” he said, finishing, “don’t order more than you can use. Helluva waste.”

“Here,” she said, unscrewing a thermos, “you must be thirsty. Finish our lemonade.”

“Thanks.” He drank. Then he slapped his hands together and said, “Well, I’ll go jump in the water now.” He looked anxiously at the bright sea.

“Just one more thing,” she said, just remembering it. “Will you buy me a bottle of suntan oil? I’m all out.”

“Haven’t you some in your purse?”

“I used it all.”

“I wish you’d told me when I was up there buying the hot dogs,” he said. “But, okay.” He ran back, loping steadily.

When he was gone, she took the suntan bottle from her purse, half full, unscrewed the cap, and poured the liquid into the sand, covering it over surreptitiously, looking out at the sea, and smiling. She rose then and went down to the edge of the sea and looked out, searching the innumerable small and insignificant waves.

You can’t have him, she thought. Whoever or whatever you are, he’s mine, and you can’t have him. I don’t know what’s going on; I don’t know anything, really. All I know is we’re going on a train tonight at seven. And we won’t be here tomorrow. So you can just stay here and wait, ocean, sea, or whatever it is that’s wrong here today.

Do your damnedest; you’re no match for me, she thought. She picked up a stone and threw it at the sea.

“There!” she cried. “You.”

He was standing beside her.

“Oh?” She jumped back.

“Hey, what gives? You standing here, muttering?”

“Was I?” She was surprised at herself. “Where’s the suntan oil? Will you put it on my back?”

He poured a yellow twine of oil and massaged it onto her golden back. She looked out at the water from time to time, eyes sly, nodding at the water as if to say, “Look! You see? Ah-ha!” She purred like a kitten.

“There.” He gave her the bottle.

He was half into the water before she yelled.

“Where are you going! Come here!”

He turned as if she were someone he didn’t know. “For God’s sake, what’s wrong?”

“Why, you just finished your hot dogs and lemonade—you can’t go in the water now and get cramps!”

He scoffed. “Old wives’ tales.”

“Just the same, you come back up on the sand and wait an hour before you go in, do you hear? I won’t have you getting a cramp and drowning.”

“Ah,” he said, disgusted.

“Come along.” She turned, and he followed, looking back at the sea.

Three o’clock. Four.

The change came at four ten. Lying on the sand, the woman in the black suit saw it coming and relaxed. The clouds had been forming since three. Now, with a sudden rush, the fog came in from off the bay. Where it had been warm, now it was cold. A wind blew up out of nothing. Darker clouds moved in.

“It’s going to rain,” she said.

“You sound absolutely pleased,” he observed, sitting with arms folded. “Maybe our last day, and you sound pleased because it’s clouding up.”

“The weatherman,” she confided, “said there’d be thunder showers all tonight and tomorrow. It might be a good idea to leave tonight.”

“We’ll stay, just in case it clears. I want to get one more day of swimming in, anyway,” he said. “I haven’t been in the water yet today.”

“We’ve had so much fun talking and eating, time passes.”

“Yeah,” he said, looking at his hands.

The fog flailed across the sand in soft strips.

“There,” she said. “That was a raindrop on my nose!” She laughed ridiculously at it. Her eyes were bright and young again. She was almost triumphant. “Good old rain.”

“Why are you so pleased? You’re an odd duck.”

“Come on, rain!” she said. “Well, help me with these blankets. We’d better run!”

He picked up the blankets slowly, preoccupied. “Not even one last swim, dammit. I’ve a mind to take just one dive.” He smiled at her. “Only a minute!”

“No.” Her face paled. “You’ll catch cold, and I’ll have to nurse you!”

“Okay, okay.” He turned away from the sea. Gentle rain began to fall.

Marching ahead of him, she headed for the hotel. She was singing softly to herself.

“Hold on!” he said.

She halted. She did not turn. She only listened to his voice far away.

“There’s someone out in the water!” he cried. “Drowning!”

She couldn’t move. She heard his feet running.

“Wait here!” he shouted. “I’ll be right back! There’s someone there! A woman, I think!”

“Let the lifeguards get her!”

“Aren’t any! Off duty; late!” He ran down to the shore, the sea, the waves.

“Come back!” she screamed. “There’s no one out there! Don’t, oh, don’t!”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be right back!” he called. “She’s drowning out there, see?”