Read Online Sea Air by Jule Meeringa - Free Book Online

lighthouse threw its beacon in wide circles above the sea.
    “Did Mathis and Uwe watch the beacon from the window that night?” I asked.
    “Absolutely. They had to see the beacon before they would go to bed.”
    “How long did they stay at the sea?”
    “Six weeks. They were weeks that changed their lives.”
    “You both became sailors then.” I could see it in my mind’s eye: Mathis and Uwe all grown up, dressed in fancy uniforms, pipes in the corners of their mouths as they stood at the helm of the Gorch Fock . In my imagination, Mathis picked up his binoculars and . . .
    “Sailors? No, neither of us became sailors.”
    What? The image disappeared before my eyes, my fantasy about Mathis and Uwe ruined.
    “But why? I mean . . .” I felt suddenly teary. Since the day we’d met—was it only the day before?—I had cultivated the idea of Mathis being a sailor. Hearing the opposite felt like a real loss.
    “Life pulled us in another direction.”
    “But what happened? I thought Mathis and Uwe heard the call of the sea.”
    “Of course they did. They even pictured themselves staying there forever.”
    “So what happened? Oh, I’ll bet I know! It had to be—”
    Mathis laughed. “Hold on. I’d better tell you before you make up something crazy.”
    “Fine, but I want to know every single detail.”
    “If you say so.”
    “But first, Mathis . . .”
    “Yes?”
    “Do you mind if I rest my head on your legs?” I could tell he didn’t know what to say. I could feel my heart beating against my ribs. Without a word, Mathis tapped one thigh and helped me lie down on the bench. I rested my head on his legs like a pillow and drew up my knees. Slowly my heart calmed down as I snuggled up and listened to his voice.
    The next morning, it took Mathis a moment to remember where he was. Once he did, he leaped out of bed and ran to the window. Yes, the lighthouse was there! And the ocean . . . Mathis froze. The sea was gone! How was that possible? Then he remembered what his father had told him. At the North Sea coast, the water ebbed and flowed. The water disappeared and then reappeared. Mathis remembered that it had something to do with the moon. Relieved, he settled his elbows on the table and looked out some more.
    “Can I look, too, please?” Uwe was awake now, too, and trying hard to push his thin legs toward the edge of the bed. Mathis ran over, pulled a chair up to the bed, and lifted Uwe by his armpits. It took all of Mathis’s strength, but he finally managed to put his brother into the chair. He then slid the chair forward to the table. Uwe leaned on his arms and looked out.
    “Where’s the sea?” Uwe became quite pale at the unexpected view.
    “It’s low tide. Remember, Father explained it to us.” Mathis put his hands on his hips. “Did you forget already?”
    Uwe looked confused for a moment, then started laughing. “Of course,” he said happily. “Ebb and floom!”
    “Flow.”
    “Ebb and flow. High tide and low tide. When will the water come back?”
    “It’s already on the way. It’ll be here at ten.” Harm Voss had appeared behind the boy. He patted Uwe’s arm. “Getting across the room every time you want to look at the sea will wear you out. We’ll need to change things up a bit, wee lad.” He moved Uwe to Mathis’s bed and pushed the table and chairs aside. With a few powerful shoves, he pushed Uwe’s bed under the window. “That’s a wee bit better!”
    The boys clapped. “Can I please sit there now?” Uwe pointed to his bed.
    “Later, laddie. It’s time for breakfast now. Eat as much eggs and bacon as you can, and soon you’ll be running with us on the beach.”
    “Really?” asked Uwe quietly.
    “Scout’s honor.”
    That morning, Uwe ate more food than he’d ever eaten in a single meal. The others could hardly believe how much he could pack away!
    “We will be going for a hike today,” the woman from the train station announced later, after lunch. The