A Near Miss

Today we decided to walk the length of Perissa Beach, which is to the left when we reach the black sand at the end of our street.  There are many shops and restaurants along this stretch, as well as a camp ground and youth hostel.  At the end of the strip is an enormous outcropping of rock jutting out into the sea and up into the sky.  We can see a house part way up the cliff and we wonder about who might seriously live there.  Because it is the windy season, rough surf pounds the shore, wave after wave, and we talk about swimming when we get back to our favourite spot. We meander and peruse the shops for local wares, scouting out sun dresses, sandals and pottery.  We eyeball the menus for the best priced gyros for lunch.

And then we hear the raised cries of panic, we see a frantic man and woman, we watch a young man run, calling out in search of a lifeguard.  In under a minute, we hear word that a child has been swept in to the tides of the rough sea.  Emma and Teagan are trained lifeguards.  Marjorie and I have had our fair share of CPR training.  We pause and assess our roles and the angry sea.  We leave the girls on the short to assist with whatever might come and we wade into the water at the shore, spreading ourselves out among the others who have gathered to help.  With every wave, we search the rolling waters, praying not to see a child, lost.  There is a rope anchoring a buoy line to the shore.  I yank at it repeatedly to make sure nothing is trapped.  We watch the father dive and dive into the surf.  The mother is led away to notify the lifeguard.  Her knees are weak, her voice is feeble and her face is abject terror.  An image that is not lost on us as mothers, and one we will not soon erase from memory.  We push further into the water.
And then, shouts from further down the beach.  A sobbing young girl is brought toward us by the young man who ran for the lifeguard.  She is reunited with her family and we return to the hot black sand of the shore.  She had been swept along by the tow so quickly that she became disoriented.  When she dragged herself up onto the beach, she had no idea where she was.  As the word spread along the beach, someone realised who she must be.  A near miss.  A lesson for all of us.  The sea is mighty.  Stay alert.

Slowly, we wandered along the rest of the beach, pausing for lunch in a waterfront cafe.  Toting our latest treasures, we made our way back to our spot on the beach and after a very short, very rough dip, we went back and sat at the pool.  The ocean was not friendly and we were content to admire her from afar.

We ate our last Santorini meal at Charlina, our most favorite restaurant.  We each had our favorites - saganaki, Greek salad, souvlaki, lamb, white wine... We celebrated our time in Santorini and the amazing month that had passed.  We were grateful - for time, for sunshine, for the Sisterhood, for the good people we've met along the way, for the near miss.  It was a great end to a wonderful adventure.  Tomorrow, we leave for Athens and from there, the airport.  We booked a different ferry when we changed our plans.  We hope it will be much better than the last!

Homeward bound,
The Sisterhood