Page 10 of Diving In
Half an hour later the three of us set off along the coast path, which is only a short walk from the bungalow, across a field that slowly morphs into sand dunes. I keep wanting to stop and admire the view. I really do love it here. An hour or so into our walk Kath stops at a public toilet, and I get my chance just to pause and survey the landscape.
Everything just looks so vast. There’s so much space in comparison to London. The curve of the sea, the expanses of cliffs. The fields look like a patchwork quilt behind us. My musings are interrupted by my phone buzzing loudly in my pocket. I ignore it, but it starts again within a few seconds.
I reach for it in confusion. I’m not much of a texter. I usually send my mum about one text on arriving somewhere. She calls that message my ‘sign of life’ text. And if I’m not with Kath I’ll send her messages; updates about my day, or silly things I’ve seen. But that’s about it. Josh is one of my best friends, and I think we communicate about once a week. If that.
The messages are from Kath, and I frown as I read them.
Kath:Sam please come to the toilets now. As in right now.
Kath:Sam please answer your phone.
Kath:PLEASE
Kath:I’m actually begging you.
Kath:It’s nothing really bad, but please just come.
Kath:OK it is bad. Please come now. I don’t want to call my brother. This is so embarrassing.
I start panicking. I can feel the anxiety, the level that is always there thrumming beneath the surface, beginning to rise. My palms start sweating. I fumble with my phone again as I start to run back along the path. I have just enough signal to call her.
“What’s wrong?” I ask. “Are you OK?”
“Thanks for answering.” Her voice is quiet. She doesn’t sound in imminent danger so I slow from my run back to a jog. “I need to ask you a favour.”
“Anything,” I tell her. “You’re kind of freaking me out though, what’s happening?”
“OK, so don’t panic.”
“That is not a helpful statement, Kath,” I grit out, about to start running again. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m a minorly anxious person.”
“Yes, I have noticed that, Sam, but there's only room for one anxious person right now,” she snaps. “It’s not a big deal. Well, it sort of is. But anyway. I’ve started my period, and we’re in the middle of nowhere, and this is a disaster, and the only other person here is my brother and I cannot ask him. Also, my stomach really hurts and it’s all a bit much.”
She’s speaking so quickly that it takes me a moment to catch up. My stomach drops when I work out what’s going on. Oh god. What do I do? I’m not mentally prepared for this. My mind spins back to some sex education classes at school that I was definitely not listening to. I think I was probably napping post-swimming rather than paying attention. I curse myself.Right, Sam, stay calm.
“Errr, what do you need?” I ask. “Should I call your Nan?”
“DO NOT call my Nan!” she shouts down the phone before taking a calming breath. “I want you to go back to the last village we passed, and then find the shop and buy me some period stuff. Don’t tell Tom. I will die from embarrassment.”
“What’s period stuff?” I ask, scratching my head. “I can definitely do it, Kath, but just give me instructions.”
“Maybe call me when you're there,” she says, and now that she isn’t shouting at me I do detect the slight wobble in her voice. She sounds close to tears. That’s not right—Kath’s the calm one. I’m the worrier. That’s always how it is.
“Hey,” I tell her, channelling my inner Kath and pretending to be completely collected. “I was being an idiot. Of course I know what to get. I mean, how hard can it be? It’s going to be fine. That village is literally only a five-minute run away. I’ll be back in no time.”
“I can’t believe I’m getting you to do this,” she whispers through the phone. “I think this is the most embarrassing moment of my life.”
“It’s definitely not,” I reassure her, turning to jog back down the coast path towards the last village. “Anyway, remember when I had to get you to wax my legs before that swim meet because I was too scared, and all the wax had stuck to them because I left the strips on too long. And we had to sit in a bath whilst you tried to scrub it off with soap and baby oil. And then after all that you had to be the one to peel the strips off when we did it properly because I was still too much of a wimp. It can’t possibly be worse than that.”
“True.” She lets out a watery laugh. “That was pretty embarrassing. You really owe me for not telling anyone.”
“And I won’t tell anyone about this,” I tell her. “I promise, KitKat. Just hold on and I’ll run to the closest village and text Tom that I need more food or something.”
Fifteen minutes later, very out of breath and with what is probably too much stuff, I’m back at the toilets and passing a bag under the door. Despite my silence, Tom has worked out what’s going on and is studiously looking at his phone.
“Did you buy the entire shop?” Kath asks through the door and I wince.
“I panic bought. Sorry.”
