Chapter 36 On the beach

When he woke up, Martin was tempted to snuggle close to his beautiful wife, but he decided against it as soon as he realized what woke him up at half past six in the morning. James, definitely an early riser like his father, was excercising his vocal cords.

'Mumum, dada, wen, baba, yeee' and more of the kind could be heard from his room.

Martin sighed, but stepped from his warm bed as carefully as possible. He hoped Loisa could sleep a couple of hours more, that would do her a lot of good, after the busy days in Amsterdam.

He went to the bathroom, splashed some cold water in his face and dried it with a soft towel while looking in the mirror. His daily shave should wait, he judged, since it wouldn't take long before James's noises would become much louder. His short cropped hair didn't require much attention either, so he stepped out of the bathroom and into the spare room that they had converted to an indoor closet. Fully awake now, he dresed in a pair of casual trousers, a polo and a pullover. Then, he picked up the clothes they already had prepared for James the previous evening. That was one of the better habits that Louisa had instored on his suggestion. It was time saving in the morning rush and added to the order in the house. Now that he thought about it, Louisa had stopped being awefully messy for quite some time now. Being very disorderly in the beginning of their mariage must have been some sort of statement he'd never understand. So be it!

He entered his son's room and immediately shushed to boy's enthusiastic way of bidding him a good morning.

'Yes, good morning to you too, James', he whispered. Let's go downstairs and let your mother sleep for a moment, shall we?'

As an answer, James lifted his arms high up, gesturing that he wished to be picked up. With James' clothes under his armpit, the nappybag hanging on his left shoulder and James on his right hip, he went downstairs.

He warmed some formula and did it in the tumble-cup. He also gave James a cracker to nibble on, while he brewed some coffee for himself. Absent mindedly, he put the remaining crackers of the package in his pocket. His decision to wait with dressing James until after his early snack had been a good one, since the boy didn't completely understand yet how to handle a tumble cup, so part of it's content seeped into his front.

'Hmmm, I guess that's part of the learning process..'

Martin gave the boy some guidance and showed him how to grab the cup. Soon James had enough warm milk and crackers in his stomach to hold until real breakfast time. He cleaned the boy and dressed him. As it was still rather cold in the mornings, Martin added the one piece blue snowsuit that Louisa had grabbed from the hook in the kitchen just before leaving Portwenn. He had frowned when he saw her doing it, but now he was glad she did. Instead of the hood, he preferred to cover James's head with a dark blue woolen cap. When James saw that they were going out, he squealed with joy.

'Shh, James, quiet please, you'll wake up your mother'.

Martin went to the garage and took the bike he had used the day before. He put James in the seat in front of him and attached the straps. Then, he put the colourful helmet on the boy's head and assured that the chin band was securely attached too. Martin manouvred the bike outside, swung his left leg over the saddle and off they were. Martin chose small paths through the woods and soon they saw at least five rabits jumping away towards the shed of their holes. James enjoyed the ride as much as his father did. He made agitated gestures with his arms and underlined it with happy laughs. Martin bent forward, to get his face at the same level as his son's. He said softly,

'If we are really quiet, we might also see a couple of roes, James. But then you have to be really, really quiet'.

Although James didn't fully understand what his father was talking about, he seemed to know tha he had to be silent, so he looked up at his father quizically.

Martin continued following the path and suddenly, they reached some kind of natural open space in the wood. At the border of the open space, a roe stood overlooking the field, scrutinizing the surroundings for any danger, while another was grazing the green grass a couple of meters further. As silent as he possibly could, Martin stopped the bike. He clutched the frame of the bike between his long legs, in order to stabilize it and took out his cellphone. His son copied his behaviour and was as silent as he was. Martin activated the camera of his smartphone and took a few pictures. Then, James couldn't refrain from moving anymore and started to laugh and gesture with his arms. It alerted the roes immediately and they fled from the scene with their particular bouncing steps.

'See what happens when you make noise, James?', Martin asked.

'Bye!', James wove with one of his little hands.

'Exactly, they go away! Now let's move on. We'll go and see if the sea is still there, OK?'. James was satisfied with any attention his father gave him, no matter where they went, so he gave his father a lovely smile.

A couple of minutes later, Martin arrived at the beach. He parked the bike at the same place they had done the evening before and freed James from his seat and took off the helmet. The beach looked completely empty, which pleased Martin. The tide was coming in. Martin loved the view of it. The somewhat higher sand banks would soon be surrounded by water, thus creating small sandy islands for a short moment, until they were also completely covered with water.

'This is a very dangerous moment, James. On sunny days, lots of people risk to get trapped on a sand bank. Especially parents that aren't looking after their children while at the beach take the risk that their posterity die in a dreadful way!'

Martin, with James perched on his arm, walked along the beach, breathing in the fresh salty air. Suddenly a wet hairball came towards them, barking loudly.

'Oh GAWD, why must there be a filthy dog on every beach, GO AWAY!'

The dog circled around Martin and James and then run away in Northern direction. When he was about fifty meters away, he turned and came back, barking even louder.

Martin felt really annoyed and prepared for turning around and going back home, which didn't suit him at all, because he wanted to go to the bakery shop before breakfast and it was only eight o'clock by now. He doubted the bakery was open already.

He shooed the dog away once again, but the dog persisted. Then James squeaked and pointed at something much further away. Martin saw a dark formeless shape on a sand bank. He suddenly realized what it must be, took James in a firmer grip and started to run. The sandbank was still reacheable from the land side, but it would soon be swallowed by the sea. Martin's brain was making overtime trying to organize how he'd approach this case. It had happened once that he had to attend to an emergency whilst having the care of James, but then, Penhale was around to help him out. Here, it was just him, James and the filthy hairball full of germs.. and the victim...

He wanted to take his phone out of his pocket, but found the package of crackers instead. It gave him an idea. Finally, he found his telephone in another pocket and dialed the alarm number 112. There would probably be no signal from the beach, but he gave it a try.

'112 nooddienst! Wat heeft u nodig, politie, brandweer of ambulance?'*)

Martin didn't understand everything, but answered

'An ambulance please and someone who speaks English!'

'Go ahead sir, where are you and what happened?'

'I need an ambulance at the beach of Wijk aan zee, Northern beach entrance, ASAP - victime is possibly undercooled and unconscious. I have to assess it, but I have to get my son to a relatively save place first, he is eleven months old. By the way, I am a doctor'.

Martin panted a bit, but carried on running towards the victim. He stopped at about fifteen meters from the place and carried James to the drier part of the beach, where the tide wouldn't come. He quickly took his coat off, spread it out on the sand and put James on it.

'James, I trust that you stay where you are and don't move!'

He gave James the crackers to keep him busy. To the dog, he said,

'You have to keep an eye on him and bark as soon as he moves from the coat. In the meantime, I will take care of your owner, understood?'

Martin gave the dog a piece of cracker as a reward. Through the hair that covered his eyes, the dog looked at him and he wagged his tail.

Martin took one small extra moment to take out his shoes and to look around for the belongings of the victim. He saw a towel draped over a bag, a few meters further, so he ran towards it and took the stuff back. He looked over his shoulder every other step in order to see if James was still on the improvised blanket. He was. And the dog sat next to him like a real guardian.

Martin hurried back to the victim. The first thing he did was searching for a pulse. Thank god, the woman was still alive, although unconscious. The water was approaching very quickly and when he looked up again, Martin saw that he was surrounded by water already. He had to take action immediately. He had no choice but to drag the heavy body through the water to the higher part of the beach. The victime only wore a bathing suit, she must be a regular swimmer. She looked rather muscled and not too fat, but she was typically Dutch so rather tall, maybe even six feet or five feet nine. He suspected that she'd been surprised by a nasty cramp disabling here temporarely. This time of the year the combination of the ice cold water and cramps were a guarantee for trouble.

'Stupid woman', he mumbled, 'didn't your parents tell you not to go swimming alone! And in the sea, it's only April for god's sake!'

Finally, he had dragged her next to the place where James was quietly sitting and watching his daddy. Martin slapped the woman in the face, trying to make her regain consciousness. Another slap and then he started to rub her thoroughly with the towel to get her warm again.

'Mrs. Swimmer, can you hear me? Wake up, you're not supposed to sleep on the beach, come on now, wake up!'

Finally the eyes of the lady fluttered open. Bewildered, she looked into the scowling face of a perfect stranger.. She closed her eyes she heard her dog bark, so she turned her head and smiled at the familiar sound. When she opened her eyes again, expecting to see her dog, she looked in the same grey-blue eyes, but this time they belonged to a miniature version of the stranger she saw minutes before. The miniature stranger was smiling, so she liked this one more, despite the drool and breadcrumbs smeared all over his face. Next second, her wailing dog started to kiss her face, which made the mini stranger laugh out loud.

'Madam, can you tell me your name? Do you know where you are?', Martin fired some questions to her.

'Wijk aan zee, on the beach, I went for a swim..'

'Yes and that was a very stupid thing to do! The water is still freezingly cold... Your name please, you didn't tell me your name. And eh.. the ambulance is on its way. I am doctor Ellingham and this is James, my son'.

'My name is Julia van Doorn..and my dog is called Maatje. That means Buddy in Dutch'

Sirens could be heard already and soon a Landrover like the one Penhale has, came towards them at high speed. Two policemen jumped out of it. They quickly overlooked the situation and saw Martin still busy with rubbing the person with the towel. One of the policemen went back to the car and got a couple of blankets, while Martin briefed the other one on the situation.

'She'll survive, once she has regained her normal temperature, no real harm done. She thanks her life to her dog. He came to get us and brought us here.

'She's lucky that you're an early riser, sir', one of the policemen said matter of factly

They quickly wrapped the woman in the blankets and lifted her in the car.

'The ambulance can't come here sir, but it's waiting a couple of meters further away. Can we give you a lift?'

'Ehm, yes.'

He gathered his coat, socks and shoes and picked up James, while the other policeman picked up the lady's belongings and the dog.

The Landrover brought them to the ambulance, that stood waiting near the place where Martin had parked his bike.

The patient was handed over to the paramedics and with the sirenes on again, the ambulance spurted away.

'Can you give us your name and address, sir? In case we have questions during the investigation?'

Gawd, Martin thought, does every village have a Penhale?

Nevertheless, he gave the requested information, after which the policemen drove away.

Martin sat on a bench to put back on his shoes and when he looked up from lacing his shoes, Maatje planted his forepaws on Martin's knee and licked him right in his face. 'Get off me!' Martin shouted, 'Go away, go to the police!'

Of course, Maatje stayed and when Martin climbed on his bike, he just ran with them, much to the pleasure of James.

Martin headed straight to the baker's shop, which was open by then. In the shop, the staff and the few clients present applauded when he entered the shop.

'Well done sir!'

'What?'

'You saved Julia's life!' Apparently rumours spread here even faster than in Portwenn..

'Hmmpf', Martin grunted, but James liked the applause and spontanously joined them and clapped his hands.

Martin placed his order, payed and left the shop as quickly as he could. At home, Louisa opened the door for them. 'Well hello you two! Where have you been?' Then looking at Martin's trousers that were wet from the knees downwards, she rose an eyebrow and asked

'Martin, were you having fun paddling?'

All she received as an answer was a grin from her son and the biggest scowl Martin had given her in years. Right behind them their hairy new friend wagged his tail expectantly..

To be continued. Hope you enjoyed it!

*) 112 alarm number, what do you need, Ambulance, Fire department or police?