THE RESCUE

The wind is now at gale force. Anneke spots Karenza and Piran fighting their way along the beach, Piran tucked protectively under Karenza’s arm, their heads down against the elements.

As she watches, a huge wave envelopes them, knocking their feet from under them and sucking them greedily back into the water. Piran is separated from his mother.

Anneke stares in shock, then she races towards the beach, her screams for them lost on the wind. Within moments she is pushing her way through people standing frozen in horror at the water’s edge. Without a thought for herself, and forgetting her fear of the water, she wades in, heading for Piran. But she is not alone.

Someone throws a lifebelt and she hears voices shouting above the wind and rain. She looks over her shoulder to see John striking out into the waves, reaching to Karenza who has been dragged further out by the underpull. ‘Danke Gott’ she thinks. She flails towards Piran, managing to grab a corner of his jacket. ‘Mijn Gott, mijn gott lieve jongen ik ben hier’ (my god, my god, darling boy I am here). She hauls him towards her, hardly able to breathe with the shock of the cold choking water, her hair streaming over her face, eyes blinded by the salt. She drags Piran unceremoniously towards the safety of the shore. Jo is heading towards her, a stout rope wrapped around her waist, the end held by some of the people who have gathered further up the beach.

‘Karenza, Karenza!’ shouts Anneke.

‘It’s okay, we have you, we have both of you,’ screams Jo as she manhandles them to further safety. ‘It’s alright, John has Karenza -’

Piran splutters and cries for his mummy. Kevin has appeared with other rescuers and kneels at his side, holding his little son, thankful to hear his cries; they mean he is alive. Anneke is on her knees, heaving up the salt water she has swallowed, and crying with relief.

More people rush to the shoreline to help Karenza and John. Blankets appear, carried down from The Clipper. Karenza’s head is bleeding and she is in shock, unable to believe her son has not drowned. The wind and rain are buffeting the rescuers, hindering their final efforts. Jo shouts something about the Land Rover and the casualties are helped carefully towards John’s vehicle which is parked at the top of the beach.

Kevin helps his little family into the back and climbs in beside them, rubbing Piran and Karenza warm as they huddle together. ‘Let’s get you all to the house, we’ll be safe there,’ he says softly to them.

Jo jumps behind the wheel, grateful for John’s habit of leaving his keys in the ignition. Her faithful Mouse jumps in beside her and rests his chin on her knee. She turns up the heater to full, all blowers open.

‘Hurry up you two’ she shouts to John and Anneke.

John puts an arm around Anneke’s shoulders, sharing his blanket with her. They clamber clumsily together into the front seat, exhausted and sodden.

‘That was a very brave and some would say, a very stupid thing to do, Anneke.’

‘Then are we not both brave and stupid, John?’

‘I can’t argue with that.’

Anneke laughs, pushes back her dripping hair, and her eyes lock with his. He hugs her close and plants a firm kiss on her cheek. Anneke feels herself blush despite the chill in the rest of her body.

Jo floors the accelerator and they make their way from the beach towards the house. Tree debris, festival litter of all kinds, including small tents and sleeping bags, are strewn in their path. The wipers hardly cope with the deluge of rain pouring as if from buckets onto the windscreen. There are cars queuing to leave via the drive, but Jo sounds the horn as, lights blazing, the Land Rover forges through the gates, the nearside wheels ploughing through the muddy verge.

The house comes into view. All the lights are on in the ballroom. At least the electricity hasn’t failed, thinks Jo.

‘Look!’ Anneke says, ‘someone’s in the ballroom.’

They catch sight of the chandelier’s sparkle and a movement in the room. As the vehicle approaches, a fork of lightning strikes the cedar in front of the house with a cataclysmic crack and bang. Piran shrieks.

Everything seems to stand still as the tree splits and a massive branch collapses onto the house. Jo screeches the Land Rover to a halt, jumps out of her seat and runs to the house.

Chapter 44