A Walk on the Beach WC 299

A Walk on the Beach
WC 299

The last words I said to my son were, “I’m not going in there. It doesn’t look safe, honey!”

“Well, I am!” Chris said with his usual bravado and was swallowed up by the pitch-black mouth as he entered the cave.

That was an hour ago.

Today began as a lovely walk on the Malibu beach at Paradise Cove. We spoke of his future marriage. I chose my words carefully as I tried to guide him away from what I saw as a disaster. She was not the woman for him. He wanted children and she pretended to; I knew he would never be a father; I would never be a grandmother. There were so many reasons for him not to marry her, but he could not see them.

He stopped to glance at the cliff hugging the beach. “There’s a cave dug into the side of that cliff. There’s an opening.”

I glanced where he was pointing and nodded.

“Let’s go explore,” he said, his eyes as big as silver dollars as he headed up the incline…

Like I said, that was an hour ago. I think I should call for help, but I know he’ll kill me if I do.


Nightfall has snuffed out the sun.

A nice policeman just slipped a musty-smelling blanket around my numb shoulders. I wrap myself in its stinky warmth.

There is no sign of my son. This can’t be happening. He always lands on his feet and dusts himself off.

“Ma’am,” the nice officer says, “Is there someone you would like us to call for you?”

“Why? There’s no need,” I say, resisting reality.

This will not happen!

Chris will get married and not have children! He will be miserable and love every minute of it!

This will not happen!