The Promise 17

I guess we all wonder what our last thoughts are going to be when we're dying. I know I hadn't expected that moment to come upon me so soon or while I was enjoying the sensually warm waters and superb beach of a five star hotel. I thought the odd looking little wave that came rushing at me perpendicular to the beach was just a confused but harmless ripple, not worth the trouble of hurrying back to shore from where I stood wading among a school of delightful little fish. And then it hit me, stone cold and implacable and I knew right then, without the need for thought, that I, well off and successful Adam Garnier had made the one fatal mistake we are all allowed and I would be lucky if my stunningly beautiful wife, would even have my battered body to bury or a grave upon which to shed silent tears.

The force and fury of that "ripple" simply wasn't of this world. It could only have come from that hell I had always dismissed as a myth but now found myself praying fervently would not become my next and final home. I had been hit with such violence that all my senses shut down and I wondered if I had not been torn limb from limb. I simply knew I was absolutely helpless in a place I didn't belong. Then sheer, raw panic and survival instinct took over and I desperately tried to ................................

My name is Adam Garnier, I'm employed as Executive Assistant to the CEO of a large electronics company and I am significantly well off. I don't know where the surname came from because there is no French connection in the last five generations on my established family tree. Currently I am approaching the big five o but met my wife Lorraine when I was 35 and she was 23, twelve years my junior. She was a model at the time, mainly advertising hair care and cosmetic products on TV – and no, she wasn't the girl from Luton airport. We married within the first three months.

My wife is one of the few truly beautiful women in the world. Her ambition had always been to do classical modelling but her breasts were considered to be slightly too large, a truth which has given me great pleasure over the years. The rest of the package is equally fine from her narrow waist and nicely rounded behind to endless exquisite legs, not to mention her long very blonde hair and deep brown eyes. Her 5' 9" height nicely complements my 6' 1" and makes her the perfect trophy wife to have on my arm. That last may give the impression that I chose her rather cynically but the opposite is the truth because I adored her from the moment I saw her and I'm a one woman man. Over the years, many very attractive women have signalled their availability but I never succumbed to their charms and although I have enjoyed a lot of corporate hospitality, I consistently failed to make use of the girls that are always on offer.

Our lifestyle requires us to attend many banquets and special occasions throughout the calendar and frankly that can become rather boring after a while. What we did enjoy were the five or six long holidays we took every year. This time we had chosen The Seychelles for a three week break. We were on a large island but the part where we were situated was not a bay. Instead the coastline was a straight line as far as you could see, a long, fairly narrow strip of very white sand fringed by jungle. The only thing that disturbed the pattern was a finger of rock which emerged from the sand and jutted out into the sea for a distance of about twenty feet. One day after lunch, while Lorraine happily strolled along the sand looking for pretty shells I waded into the crystal clear water, attracted by what seemed to be a profusion of brightly coloured fish clustered near the end of the outcrop. The beach sloped very gradually so by the time I got near to the fish, the water was still well below waist level.

I actually saw it when it was still some distance away. A line of raised water about two feet high stretching from the beach out to the horizon. Instead of coming in from the open ocean, due to the topography and direction of flow it was travelling at right angles to the beach and at some speed. I've stood up to far larger ocean breakers so, feeling no sense of danger; I simply halted to be prepared for the impact. When it hit the power of the water was unbelievable. I later found out that it was the tail end of a tsunami which had originated over a thousand miles away.

Within less than a second my legs were swept from under me and I was carried bodily, head over heels, into far deeper water. Immediately I was helplessly struggling in a churning maelstrom of water which threatened to drag me down. Desperately I kept managing to claw my way to the surface and suck in a mouthful air but every time that my head was again below the surface I was swallowing great amounts of salt water. I knew I was losing when I felt my strength ebbing and it took ever more effort to fight. I can remember thinking 'What a waste' as I resigned myself to death and was actually waiting for my life to flash before me when I felt strong hands take hold of me.

Although in the process of drowning, I had enough presence of mind not to grab hold of my rescuer and instead concentrated on relaxing so that I wouldn't handicap him in any way. I don't think I ever completely lost consciousness as he towed me to the shore but I was certainly mentally drifting for at least part of that time. I can remember that at one point I sensed that he was tiring for his legs strokes started to become more erratic but only a little time later I was lying on my side on the beach with hands pummelling my back and an ocean of water pouring out of my lungs.

I only awoke properly when I was in the hospital with only two other lucid memories from the time I was lying on the beach. One was of Lorraine telling me that she had rung for an ambulance on her mobile and the other was a brief glimpse of my rescuer. He was on all fours, taking great gasping breaths and with a mass of long, wet, bedraggled hair hanging down from both his head and face. Later my wife explained that I had been saved by a tramp or at least a man who lived rough on the beach. "I've booked him a room in our hotel for the night, it seemed the very least that I could do," she said.

By 10 p.m. I was recovered enough to leave the hospital and return to the hotel but under strict instructions that I had to go straight to bed. Alone with me for the first time, my wife described what had happened from her point of view. "I saw the tidal wave coming but it didn't seem particularly dangerous then the next moment you'd disappeared in a mass of foaming white water. Even though I knew there was no-one to hear me, I shouted for help and the next second this figure rushed past me, running down towards the water. He was dressed in rags and looked just like Robinson Crusoe, with long hair down his back and an even longer beard at the front. He ran out along that jutting out piece of rock and dived straight in without any hesitation. At that point it looked hopeless and I thought he was just pointlessly throwing his life away. I couldn't believe it when he reappeared; slowly bringing you back to shore. He told me his name is Bruce."

For the first part of the night I slept the sleep of the physically exhausted but awoke when the early light of morning filtered into the bedroom and remained steadfastly awake from then on, my mind a turmoil of thoughts. I could not come to terms with how easily my life might have ended and how much I owed to the man who had saved me. In worldly terms, I had so much and he had so little but he had willingly put his life at serious risk to save mine. What troubled my conscience most was the knowledge that had the situation been reversed, I very much doubt if I would have done the same.

I waited until we had eaten breakfast when, after a last sip of iced orange juice, I announced to Lorraine that I wanted to reward my rescuer in some way for saving me.

My wife shook her head, "Bruce told me at the hospital that he doesn't expect anything, in particular he doesn't want any kind of medal or publicity. He just wants to slip back into obscurity."

"That can't be allowed to happen," I stated firmly, adopting the authoritative voice that I usually reserved for business subordinates. "I have the ability to totally alter his life and I need to do that to pay him back for saving mine."

"Even against his wishes?" Lorraine drily remarked.

"The man doesn't know what he wants or he wouldn't be living the way he does, so that means that it's up to me. We have the ability to set him up for life, house, car, bank balance, even a job if he wants one. I feel that it's the very least that I can do."

"That sounds expensive, how much were you thinking of giving him?"

"About a hundred grand, maybe a bit more, maybe a bit less."

My wife seemed a bit shocked by the figure, "Isn't that a bit much?" she said.

"It's slightly less than I'm hoping to get in my Xmas bonus so we'll hardly notice the loss but it will seem like a fortune to him."

Lorraine shook her head, "I don't understand why you seem so fixated on this. I can't see the logic of forcing something on someone who has categorically said that he doesn't want it."

I took a long time with my answer. My wife was used to this so she waited patiently until finally, speaking slowly, I explained, "All that I have achieved I've done by my own efforts with a great deal of help from you but sod all from anybody else. I've never borrowed money or accepted favours from any other person because I never wanted to be in debt. I've never wanted to be obligated in any way but now I have acquired an obligation that I know I can never fully repay. I've got to do something. The thought of continuing my good life knowing that the man who saved me is somewhere in the world still struggling for existence is intolerable."

My fair lady nodded to show that she understood. "So what are you planning to do?"

"I was thinking of giving him a cheque for the amount that I mentioned and insisting that he take it. I'm quite good at getting people to do what I say you know."

"He may take it but he'll never cash it," Lorraine said firmly, again unusually disagreeing with me. "I had quite a long chat with Bruce yesterday at the hospital while they were all busy looking after you. It might surprise you to know that he's actually a very proud man. He told me that when he was much younger he worked as a lifeguard on Bondi Beach in Australia. He said that rescuing you was just doing what he was trained to do. He certainly didn't see it as the big issue that you're making it into."

"If he's so proud, what the fuck is he doing living like a bum," I said sharply, showing my irritation.

"He didn't give any details but I gather it had something to do with a woman. Whatever it was it caused him to just give up on life. His religious principles stop him killing himself so he's just living out the years. I suspect that was at least partly why he was willing to put himself in so much danger saving you."

Speaking softly with apology inherent in my tone, I asked, "If he won't take cash, what do you think I should offer him?"

"Why don't you just ask him what he would like?"

"I wouldn't know how. It's one thing just handing him a cheque or the keys to an expensive car but asking him what he wants would be too awkward."

Lorraine seemed to understand. "Bruce is just as embarrassed about rescuing you as you are about being saved. He's already said that he'll feel uncomfortable meeting you again."

"I find that difficult to believe, if he worked as a lifeguard like you say, he must have been used to saving people."

"I asked him that," Lorraine replied, "He explained that on Bondi Beach he was being paid and that made it just part of the job but this was completely different. Also in Australia he had other lifeguards backing him up."

I nodded and smiled to show that I understood the logic. "Perhaps it might be better if you did most of the talking, "I suggested, "It might make it easier for both him and me."

Loraine started to protest but then seemed to change her mind and her easy acquiescence reminded me that I had effectively handed over control. "Listen to him and try to find out what he's likely to want before making any kind of offer," I instructed.

With that agreed, Lorraine rang his room number saying that we wanted to meet up to thank him and arranged that he would meet us in the dining room at lunchtime. We were there early but Bruce also arrived spot on time and stood in the doorway slowly scanning the room. He was wearing an open necked shirt and what looked very much like my best suit.

"Oh, I forgot to mention, I lent him one of your suits," my wife said with a bit of a giggle, "I didn't want him to feel embarrassed having to walk round the hotel in his rags so I had a valet take it to his room, it seemed the only thing to do. You both seem about the same size so I thought it would fit. The shirt he's wearing is also one of yours."

As Bruce wended his way between the tables heading towards us, I agreed with Lorraine that he and I were of roughly similar height but I think that I filled the suit better because he had a far more wiry build. I was pleased to observe that he had made an effort by combing and grooming his unruly hair and beard and would have appeared quite presentable but for the fact that his feet were still bare.

When he drew near I rose and stuck out my hand. He returned the handshake firmly before turning to Lorraine. She gave him a quick peck on each cheek and submitted to a brief embrace before they separated and moved to their seats. "I've invited you here to thank you for saving my life yesterday, you've earned my undying gratitude," I told him rather clumsily.

Bruce looked down at the tablecloth, "Think nothing of it mate, any good swimmer would have done the same."

"I very much doubt that and I think you need to be rewarded," I told him.

This time he looked up and grinned, "So I suppose this meal is on you – I hope so because I certainly can't afford the prices in this place."

Sensing that the planned conversation was already going slightly off track, Lorraine interrupted to suggest that we should save the talking until after we had eaten and all were happy to go along with this. I took the opportunity to observe Bruce at leisure. I could see that without his beard he would once have been a rather good looking man. His heavily suntanned skin had acquired an almost leathery appearance but his almost impossibly pale blue eyes were a startling contrast to that dark complexion.

I recognised intelligence in those eyes. He also spoke well and I began to realise that his inner man was possibly quite different to his rougher exterior.

Bruce could certainly eat. I surmised that he was deliberately filling himself up in readiness for much leaner days ahead, I know that he kept chomping for quite a while after both my wife and I had finished our meal. At last, when his plate was finally clear, speaking slowly and clearly Lorraine said to him, "I know that you feel that you don't deserve being rewarded for what you did yesterday, but both my husband and I want to give you something to show our appreciation for what you did. Is there anything that you would like, that might significantly change your life for the better? Don't worry about the cost."

"There's nothing I need," Bruce replied immediately with a stubborn edge to his voice.

My wife gave a little laugh which indicated to me that she had gone into teasing mode. "I don't believe that for a moment, you didn't even give it any thought at all. Just think about what you would like, it doesn't necessarily have to be life changing. Please give it some consideration just for me."

Bruce obligingly went through the motions, even holding his clenched fist to his forehead in traditional thinker pose but at the end of all that he shook his head and said, "No nothing, nothing at all."

Lorraine had a real laugh at this visual humour but then told him bluntly, "I still don't believe you. Everybody in the world has something they would like that is out of their reach and I won't accept that you are an exception."

Even I noticed the look of hesitation that passed over Bruce's face and my perceptive wife certainly didn't miss it. "I knew it, there is something," she cried triumphantly. "Listen Bruce, When you saved my husband's life yesterday you also saved mine as well because my life would have been over if I'd lost him. I think you know what I'm talking about. We are both desperate to reward you for that, so please let us grant your wish."

For a moment it looked as if Bruce was about to speak but then he shook his head muttering, "No, I don't want the embarrassment when you feel bound to refuse."

"But I won't refuse," Lorraine told him urgently, "Listen, Adam and I are rich, not obscenely so but we certainly have more then we will ever need. There is very little that is beyond our ability to pay for so please say what you would like and I promise that if it is within my capability then you will get your wish."

"I would very much like to spend a night with you, nothing else," Bruce said quietly,

There was a long, long silence. Up until that moment I had never understood references about 'jaws dropping' but Lorraine sat there with a look of shock on her face and with her mouth literally hanging open. I have to admit that I was also taken completely by surprise.

"I knew it," Bruce blurted out, "I knew this would happen, I should never have opened my mouth. Please forget I said anything."

"But I can't forget it," my wife told him, "I made you a promise and I have never reneged on a promise in my life. But I need to talk to my husband so please can you leave us for a little while. I'll ring your room when we're done."

Bruce immediately got to his feet and stepped away, seeming almost eager to escape from the table. Before turning, I saw him send a furtive glance in my direction but he couldn't have been reassured by what he saw because I knew that I had an angry expression on my face.

"You can't be serious," I hissed the moment that he was out of earshot.

Lorraine looked me straight in the eyes, "I'm very serious, I made him a promise and I haven't a choice about fulfilling it. I feel as strongly about promises as you do about feeling under an obligation. Please try to see it from my perspective."

I was very familiar with my wife's promises and knew there was little chance of dissuading her so all I could do was try to mitigate the damage, "OK, you promised to spend the night with him but nothing was said about sex. Go to his room but play cards or something until morning like they do when creating phoney evidence in divorce cases."

"I'm not going to be pedantic about this because it wouldn't be fair," Lorraine told me with a touch of irritation in her voice, "When he said, 'spend the night' we all knew that he was asking for sex and that is exactly what I promised him. Darling you've always known that I opened my legs for other men before we met and that has never seemed to bother you, can't you look at this in the same way?"

"Alright, fuck him if you must but it doesn't need to be more than a quickie. If 'spend the night' is a euphemism for sex then there is no specification on duration. Anyway, from the lifestyle he lives, I reckon he will be more than happy with just one fast shag. I still don't like it but I think I can put up with that in the circumstances."

My lovely wife shook her head sadly and reached out her hand until her fingers were lying lightly on top of mine. "Adam my love, yesterday Bruce put everything on the line saving your life so I'm certainly not going to hold back on him. He didn't want our wealth, he turned down a fortune because all that he wanted was a night of sex with me and that is what I am going to give him."