Author: Edward Guenther
Written: 1/7/2014
Jereme loved the trips to Santa Barbara to see Gramma, even with her peculiar picture taking habit. It was always sunny there with lots of fun things to do. One day while there, they went to Henry’s Beach. There were lots of things to do there, looking for shells, building sand castles, letting the waves gently sink you into the sand and of course playing in the wonderfully warm ocean, but Gramma only enjoyed one thing: Taking pictures!! She had a whole bag of cameras; each one able to take a different type of picture (or so she claimed).
After a long exhausting day playing with the tide as it lapped against the toasty sand, Jereme’s dad announced it was time to leave and headed out, with the girls right beside him. But Jereme didn’t want to give up playing in these calm waves. His mom and Gramma waited with Jereme as he spied the next wave rolling in, the waters wrapping slowly around his feet, pulling the sand out from under him as he sank in the sand.
Eagle Eye Mom looked up just in time to see that this wave was going to be bigger. Not wanting to get wet, his Mom said to Gramma, ‘Run’, as she herself turned and ran. Retreating about 8 yards, Jereme’s mom stopped, realizing there was no way Gramma was going to run, she was going to finish her photo shoot! Sure enough, she turned around to see Gramma down, floundering in the surf. Jereme was oblivious to what was happening, enjoying frolicking in this high wave. As his mother ran to help, she shouted to Jereme. Turning, he saw that his Gramma had strayed into the ocean, and found herself fighting to stay above water. The weight of her many cameras dangling around her neck kept submerging her!
Twelve year old Jereme didn’t hesitate; flexing his muscles he grabbed hold of Gramma and hung on as the wave fought him. The undertow was trying to drag his Gramma into the surf and out to the depths of the sea. Her bag filled with water, adding to the weight that strained against his bulging muscles. Finally, the water subsided, leaving behind Jereme still gripping tightly to his gramma who was now splayed out on the shore half buried in the receding sand. By this time his mom had reached them and together mother and son helped her to her feet. Though she looked like a drowned rat, she was saved, cameras and all! What a grandson! She would hang onto those cameras in hopes that they could one day be used again. Once home, in gratitude to her grandson for saving her life, she submitted to letting him take a picture of her in her pathetic, drowned rat looking state.