Transitions by Mike Hormek - HTML preview

Chapter 1

Josh has wanted to be a pro surfer since his parents bought him a foam surfboard at seven. Huntington Beach, California, was where his Dad, Bill, was an amateur surfer until a knee injury forced his retirement from the sport. Bill was hurt riding one of the ominous "big waves." As a result, he was always concerned that Josh would be injured, and Bill felt the foam board was better for a beginner, a sure softer landing during the fall.

“Stay clear of the big wave!" Bill instructed Josh as he watched them swell. "Here, let me help you," he explained. "The fins on the bottom control and steer you, the tail is the back of the board, and the nose is the front."

Bill pointed to corresponding spots on the board.

"The leash is a cord that tethers the board so you won't lose it if you fall off. It attaches to the plug." Bill placed his hand on top of the board. "The deck is the top of the surfboard; the rocker determines the curve between the front and the back. Your curve on the foam board is flat; the board edges are called the rails."

He continued. "You need to know something about the waves. When a wave breaks, it has a lip at the top when it curls over and pushes forward. When you catch a wave, ride the shoulder where it has not yet broken. The highest part of the wave is the peak. Right under the lip is the curl. That's where pros like to be. The part that foams is called white water."

Josh was nervous, but the waves were not as high as he had seen before. "Remember the duck dive I taught you! Get perpendicular to the wave, hold tight to the rails, and within a couple of feet of the rail, push the nose down under and through the wave."

Josh replied. "Yes, sir, I remember."

“Use your legs to push down on the board's tail to return to normal."

He was on the lineup looking for where the waves were developing and where they were breaking, making sure he would not interfere with other surfers. A nice wave broke.

"Face the beach and start paddling. Match the speed."

Josh attempted to stand but fell. Bill motioned him to come in.

"Remember what I taught you. Go forward with the wave. Center your hands on the board. Curl your toes for leverage. Bend your knees and push up with your forward foot. When you are comfortable, stabilize yourself and stand."

After several attempts, Josh was able to stand. He asked when he could get an actual board.

“Soon," Bill answered. Six months later, Josh got his first actual board, and he became proficient as time passed, entering small contests and competing with other kid surfers. Soon, Josh was ready for serious competition. Several camps were available where he could experience the pervasive surf culture of the time. The sport's legends were California trailblazers, and these camps focused on their training grounds in central California from Monterey to Santa Barbara. He experienced individual coaching in surfing fundamentals and skill honing for the more experienced. They taught me how to

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study wind patterns and swell conditions, as wave dynamics are critical in finding the best waves.

During the camp, Josh toured surf shops and visited surfing museums. The best time of his life was now. His passion for surfing and his love of the outdoors enhanced as the group lodged in log cabins and camped in tents. He fell asleep watching the stars beside a campfire and listened to the screaming surf in the distance. His Dad often took him to Morrow Bay State Park, where they surfed, hiked, fished, and sailed. A museum in the park displayed cultural artifacts from the surrounding area.

Kayak tours were fun. There was great surfing in Morro Strand, Moss Landing, and other locations.

The teenage years were good surfing-wise for Josh. He joined associations as well as high school and intramural clubs. He won contests and was on his way to becoming a giant in world-class surfing circles. He joined the World Surfing League Junior Tour and won championships.

Rachel was born in Cuba and is of Spanish origin. She immigrated to the U.S. with her parents when she was five, eventually becoming a citizen. Rachel and Josh had much in common: Both were of the same religion. He was a Taurus, and she was a Pisces, proving compatibility. They both loved surfing and spent many hours together, honing their skills. She had a radiant smile that Josh could not resist. He loved her much, but she held him at bay for some time before she came around. He was 19, and she was 18. They were married on the beach, and the wedding cake was a surfboard replica. Many of their Tour friends and their parents were there.

Rachel was an avid diver, not just a weekend warrior. She was a deep diver, not the usual 100

to 130-foot dives. After certification, she wanted to dive deeper, even though the dangers of currents, predators, decompression sickness, and nitrogen narcosis were real. There were also concerns about ocean nets left by shrimpers and deep-water commercial fishermen. She once suffered from decompression sickness. No matter how deep you dive, all dives are decompression dives, so you must decompress on your ascent. You must use your computer, ascend slowly, and end the dive at a five to six-meter safety stop. If you exceed the no-stop decompression limit, decompression stops are necessary.

The deeper the dive, the greater the pressure on your body, and there is more risk of dissolved gases forming bubbles in your system, causing the "bends." The bends cause intense pain in all body areas, including the brain, heart, lungs, skin, and joints. When necessary, a hyperbaric chamber can prevent death.

Josh was not excited about his wife's scuba diving and was unhappy that she loved diving more than surfing. He was concerned about the extreme depths she was attempting, and at times, he thought she loved diving more than him.

“What will happen when we have children? How will they fit into this scenario?” he imagined.

His job was to ensure the dive equipment was operating safely. He checked the BCD regulator, depth and pressure gauges, dive mask, fins, full air tanks, weights, belts, gloves, and boots. Rachel' s dives took on more depth than the average diver, as she was obsessed with exploration of the marine world.

She began taking lessons with a spear gun and wetsuit. A dry suit was available to her, but she did not use it since it can become unstable and cause a diver to flip over if too much air accumulates in the feet.

For the most part, they enjoyed each other's company. They surfed together, and Josh supported her on her dive outings. They spent many nights discussing and sometimes arguing about starting a family. She was on birth control by mutual agreement. Josh was ready. Rachel was not. They had been

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married for five years. Josh worked in an electronics factory, and she was a dental assistant. Every day, they were either surfing or diving. Josh was now a professional surfer who had won numerous competitions and was a record-setter for his age group. But he longed for a world championship and, of course, a family.

Later that year, he won his first in Australia. His mother and Dad were there. Rachel, however, had other plans. She said the dive she was going to was a once-in-a-lifetime event with many accomplished participants. Josh was pissed, as he felt his event was center stage and wanted here and there, but he did not make a scene.

"Where are you going?" he implored.

"I am going to The Yucatan Peninsula, Cenote Angelita, in Tulum, Mexico," she replied.

"I wish you could change it."

"Why?" she prompted.

"Because it is dangerous! Be careful," he warned. Cave diving is a technical specialty that requires additional training, which you still need to get. Caves have taken many lives, and you have no experience."

She did not respond. Josh remembered she was a Pisces and that they frequently wanted to accomplish something meaningful and essential in the world but not at the expense of others. This time was different than those times. She was always sympathetic and sensitive to Josh's feelings, so Josh felt she was pursuing unrealistic objectives by an unknown party or parties. It was totally out of character for her. He needed clarification.

"What's going on with her?" Josh thought.

The surfing championship went well. The conditions were perfect. Coming was a big wave event; the waves were beautiful with a defined curl, just the type Josh liked. He was ready.The first round could have gone better. However, Josh was saved due to an interference penalty by one of the competitors. He moved on with a score of 6.1. The second round was competitive, but Josh squeezed out a win with a score of 9.1 to move on. The subsequent rounds went well, and he won the tournament. Although he was not the youngest champion ever, he would become one of the most decorated surfers of all time with another championship win at 40, a record at the time. Rachel's cave dive went without consequence, but Josh was still upset and did not ask questions.

Josh still wanted to talk about starting a family, but she was aloof when Josh wanted to discuss the topic. It came to a head one night at dinner.

“You know I have been trying to talk to you about raising the family, and you either change the subject or fail to respond," he exclaimed.

“I am just not ready,” she said.

“Then when will you be ready?”

She excused herself and got up.

“OK, here's the deal," he said. "If you do not want to try, I must move on."

“You are not serious?”

“The hell I'm not!"

The next day, she took herself off birth control but continued to dive. Three months went by before she skipped a period and had morning sickness.

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The doctor's visit confirmed her pregnancy. She called Josh with the news. He detected consternation in her voice while explaining what the doctor said. She was not a happy diver.

“How far are you along?” Josh asked.

“Approximately one month,” she answered.

Rachel continued diving for a month after she became pregnant. It was a Friday afternoon at the end of the first trimester when Josh got the call. The dentist's office where Rachel worked called and said Rachel had complained of severe pain and vaginal bleeding. An ambulance took her to E.R. at University Hospital. Josh drove there.

He stammered at the reception desk, "You brought in a patient named Rachel in an ambulance, and I am her husband."

The lady at the desk said, "Wait outside the Emergency Room, and I will let them know you are here."

He proceeded to E.R. and waited. It seemed like several hours passed, and no word came.

“Can you check on my wife?” he asked a nurse.

She took his information and left the room. A doctor emerged and asked for him. The doctor identified himself and spoke:

“I am the attending physician. Your wife is fine, but she lost the baby; I am sorry."

Josh's despair was indescribable," after all our time together and the heartaches, we have this,"

he thought. "but thank God she is OK."

“She is resting now, and you can see her later. We will keep her overnight as she has lost some blood."

"I'm going back on birth control," Rachel said when she returned from the hospital.

"Why don't we give it a rest for a while, and then we can try again later?" Josh suggested.

Rachel did not respond.

"And if we try again, do you think you should quit diving?"

"There's no evidence that diving affects congenital disabilities," Rachel replied.

"Congenital disabilities are another story. I'm talking about the fact you miscarried. The pressure on your insides may have had something to do with it."

Josh continued to surf, and Rachel continued to dive. Things were unpleasant, but Josh thought it would improve if a baby were present. It was six months before Josh spoke up again.

"Why not try again for a baby?"

Rachel appeared annoyed.

"I did some research, and there is a higher incident rate of congenital disabilities with women divers. Are you or aren't you?"

"My diving is more important than any baby." Rachel snapped and paused.

"I'll think about it."

Their sex life was lacking after the miscarriage. Rachel treated him like he was taking liberties he did not have, although she finally agreed to get off the pill again. The bedroom activity was still cold at best, and it took longer to get pregnant the second time.

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The diving continued as if she wanted to lose the baby. She only became pregnant to placate Josh. The pregnancy lasted four months before Rachel miscarried again. On a follow-up visit with Josh in the room, her doctor asked some pointed questions.

"What kind of work do you do, and what are your hobbies?"

She responded: "I work as a dental assistant, and I dive for a hobby."

The doctor seemed surprised. "Do you deep dive?"

She sheepishly responded. "Yes."

"Because you have had two miscarriages, I feel you are at high risk for another if you continue diving. There is a small but significant, in my opinion, the incident rate of congenital disabilities in women who dive. You have a choice. You either quit diving or forget having a baby."

"Thank you for your help, doctor," she replied.

Rachel went back on birth control and continued to dive. Josh had to make a life-changing decision.

"Should I stay with the woman I love who considers me a commodity or move on with someone who wants children?" he thought.

He decided to ask for a divorce.

It was a rare occurrence on the weekend when they watched television together. During the California rainy season, he caused mudslides. A friend called and said his house washed into a ravine and asked if he could stay a few days. The local hotels were full due to evacuees.

"Jim called and said that mudslides had damaged his house. He asked if he could spend a few nights with us," Josh said.

"It's OK with me. Where is Elsie staying?"

"I don't know," Josh replied.

"I'm going on a three-day dive next weekend," Rachel said. We're diving off Catalina Island, and our dive team will sleep there. I'll share a room with Joyce, a member of our team." Josh responded after a long pause. His heart beat fast, and his palms became sweaty in anticipation of what was to come. He had to get up on his nerves.

"I want a divorce," he said.

"What? Why?" she answered.

"Because you know how much I want children, and your continued diving is a slap in the face."

He paused.

“I warned you!"

"You are overreacting," she replied.

Josh became intense. "You may not think that when you get the summons!”

Rachel jumped up: "I'm going to bed. You can sleep on the couch!"

Josh's friend Jim spent several days with them. They went to Jim's place to assess the damage from the mudslide.

"It looks like a total loss. Maybe we can salvage something. I will help you," Josh said.

"You should know I have been diagnosed with heart disease, and I can't do much. I have shortness of breath." Jim explained.

Josh was curious. "Where is Elsie staying?" Elsie was his wife.

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Jim replied, "With her parents in Ohio."

After hesitation, Josh added, "You should bring her down and stay with us. I'm filing for divorce and could use the company. I probably will have to move out, but not anytime soon. If you decide to stay awhile, I will delay filing until you return."

Elsie arrived, and they toured the damage and salvaged what they could. Josh recognized Elsie as a beauty with blue eyes and blonde hair of Scandinavian ancestry. Runner-up for Miss California before she married Jim, she had rolling, piercing eyes while speaking, and it was difficult not to notice how well-endowed she was.

Josh and Jim were friends from high school. Jim was a biker and somewhat of a mismatch for Elsie, who was in the class behind Jim and Josh. Josh considered asking Elsie for a date to one of the proms but never worked up the nerve, as he was considered a nerd by his friends. Josh never knew what Elsie saw in Jim. They had no children, and Josh thought it might have something to do with his heart condition.

Jim and Elsie settled in with Josh and Rachel. Josh did not think Rachel was too happy with the situation, but they were separating and were not speaking much. Rachel was curious why Josh had not yet filed for divorce. She wondered if he changed his mind.

Josh was fond of Elsie, so he had to be careful not to aggravate the already toxic environment between him and Rachel. It was a short stay for their friends, as they soon rented a house a short distance away. Josh spent more time with them because Jim was regressing, and Josh tried to help whenever he could, allowing him to spend time around Elsie. On one of those days that Josh was helping out, Jim revealed something.

"I am on the transplant list for a new heart. I don't know how long it will be, but will you promise to look after Elsie if something happens to me?"

Josh did not hesitate."I will be glad to."

Josh wondered if Jim suspected he was too eager to be around Elsie.

He filed for divorce. Against the advice of their lawyers, he and Rachel agreed to remain in the house until things were final. Per the agreement, she would get the house if she could assume the mortgage. Josh had put money on the mortgage from some of his surfing winnings, but the court ordered Rachel and Josh to sell the home.

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