Chapter 2

"Daddy, where are we going?" Malcolm asked his father, as they walked down the road, hand in hand, on their way on another day out.

"To the beach, son. You remember the beach, Malc don't you? All that sand and the sea? Remember when I took you? You really liked it!" Malcolm's father was a kind man, who cared for his child. His name was Montgomery, fondly called Monty by his family and friends.

"I don't remember daddy." Malcolm didn't co-operate much on days like this. Of course he could remember the sea, but he just didn't feel like helping. 5-year olds were like that, always thinking of themselves. Monty didn't mind this. His nephews behaved the same, it was no serious problem.

"We're nearly there, Malc. We can have an ice-cream when we get there, won't that be fun?" Monty wasn't at all excited about this trip to the shoreline. In fact, he was dreading it. His father was killed by a passing jet boat while swimming in the sea once. He was only young, probably just a few years older than Malcolm was now. "Ah-ha! I can see the sea! Can you see it Malc? Just over there? That big blue thing! Like a big bath!"

"Yeah! I can see it!" He suddenly broke off into a run, smiling. Monty laughed, now he was being the normal 5-year old he should be!

"Careful Malcolm! Don't want to get yourself hurt!"

"The sea daddy! The sea! I want to see the sea!" Monty was enjoying this now, running after his son, laughing and feeling happy. It had been a long time since he genuinely felt like this.

Monty chased Malcolm down the path until there was nothing but sand under their sandals. However, Monty's happiness soon vanished, as memories of that day came flooding back. The beach….the sea….the jet ski….the blood…. He began to feel a little ill, but he had to make sure his son was OK. To lose a father is one thing, but to lose a son…

"Malcolm! Come back here!" Monty shouted at the youngster wearily. He decided that it was only the right thing to do if he kept Malcolm in his sight at all times. Malcolm trudged up the sand dunes happily to return to his queasy father. "Hey, son. Wanna get an ice-cream now? The shack is just over there!" Monty pointed to the brightly painted ice-cream shack that was stood on his left. It had a large colourful sign above it showing what treats were available to purchase. Malcolm nodded excitedly, and began to run over to the shack. "Woah, not so fast, son!" Monty shouted worriedly.

As they approached the shack, Monty took out his wallet. He had a lot of cash in there, and pulled it out to count out enough to pay for Malcolm's ice-cream.

"I want a Chocolate Dreamer daddy! That one there!" Malcolm pointed at a large chocolate ice-cream at the bottom of the sign.

"That's 75p." The shack worker spoke gruffly. His breath had a smell of nicotine and it sure smelt like he hadn't brushed his teeth for weeks. Monty pushed some change onto the counter and the worker passed across the Chocolate Dreamer to Malcolm. He grabbed it greedily, and Monty muttered a quiet apology to the worker for his son's failure to remember his manners.

"Let's go sea now daddy!"

"OK, Malcolm, just be careful and don't go too far into the sho-" Monty stopped as he heard a moan from behind him. He turned around to see the worker struggling to stand, clearly in pain. "Are you alright?"

The worker winced, and clutched his chest. He moaned loudly. He was in trouble. He squeaked a quiet "help." And feel to his knees, banging his head on the counter as he did so. A gash quickly filled with blood on top of his head. Monty had to help.

"Malcolm! Come back Malcolm quickly!" Malcolm turned around and froze. He was not going to co-operate, Monty knew it. But, the child dropped his ice-cream and darted up towards his father, with a look of concentration on his face. This was strange… As he approached, Monty ordered, "Malcolm, I want you to come with me. Stay still." He lifted him up and ran up the dunes to the pathway. He had to call an ambulance, the worker was clearly in trouble.

As he approached a phonebox, he spotted a black woman walking down the road carrying a shopping bag. "Excuse me!" Monty shouted. "I need your help! There's a man in trouble down at the shack on the beach, I need you to go and stay with him until the ambulance comes. I think he's having a heart attack." The woman listened carefully, and nodded. She ran down the dunes towards the shack.

Monty thrusted open the phonebox door and dialled 911 into the telephone. "Emergencies," a voice sounded on the receiver.

"I need an ambulance, on the Northern Coast beach in Los Angeles. There's a man having a heart attack on the beach and he needs help."

"An ambulance is on its way. Do you need anything else?"

"No that's all, thank you. But hurry this man is in trouble." He put down the phone and took Malcolm onto the path. He started down the dunes to head over to the black woman at the shack.

There was no sea for Malcolm today that was for sure. It just seemed a little coincidental that this happened; preventing his own son to do the thing he desperately didn't want him to do. And the way the boy reacted when Monty had called him…it was strange…