Page 149 - Where the Dream Ends ebook
P. 149

A Sea Change


        slamming shut, the toilet flushing. Seconds later, they heard
        another door opening and then closing.

           For a few seconds, there was silence. Then they heard Jean’s
        voice.

           “Fuck!” she yelled, loud enough to awaken anyone in the
        house who might have been sleeping. A wave rolled in and for
        a moment they heard nothing.
           Harry and his wife lay facing one another with their arms
        about each other’s shoulders, embarrassed. As one wave af-
        ter another  rolled  onto beach  and receded  there were more
        sounds, curses, whispered words. The erection that had eluded
        him earlier was now upon him. The muffled sounds recalled
        in him those long nights when he was nearly a teenager lying
        awake in his parents’ bedroom: a recollection of their lovemak-
        ing; nights of torment, lying stone still, afraid to move, afraid
        to touch himself for fear that he would cry out; trying not to
        hear but wanting to hear more, needing to explode; until after
        their orgasms, they would finally fall asleep and he would rush
        to the bathroom to relieve himself.

           Suddenly, there was a loud crash.

           “Oh my God!” Jean cried from the other room. Harry
        shriveled up so fast he might as well have been kicked in the
        groin.
           “Oh God! Help me!” she moaned again.

           Harry and his wife lay on their backs now, sweating in the
        tropical  heat,  their  hands  clenched  tightly,  unmoving.  The
        ocean  continued  its relentless cycle,  with  no  consideration
        for the events taking place in the next room. Wave after wave


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