“The son of the Ocean and the daughter of the Alps”
By: Nikola Z. Brenjo
Tags: Romance, Australia, Short Story, Love, Austria

Photo by Georgia Dixon on Unsplash.

His blonde curls reached down to his shoulders, a stark contrast to his bronze-tanned body. The ocean was his living room, his past and his future. Many women who came across him over the years lusted over him. He was not immune to their advances either. He enjoyed courtship as much as the next guy. The trouble lay elsewhere.

Many of these girls (and sometimes women) liked the idea of him belonging to them only. This was something that would not and could not ever accept! He was “open-minded” and accommodating to others and expected the same in return. He needed to be free and untamed like the ocean before him!

One sunny afternoon whilst he was surfing he spotted a beautiful brunette. She was tanning on the beach. Her pale complexion reflected the rays of the afternoon sun. Many women came to the beach daily so this was nothing new for him. He took an interest in her as she was a starking difference to the girls which he usually encountered. They were usually tall, blonde and tanned. The first thought that came to his mind was: “ She is not from these parts.” He was curious, but he was not about to approach her straight away as he did not wish to make his interest obvious.

Victoria was from Austria, her appearance was common in her home country. She came to Australia as a student not intending to stay longer than a few months. She loved the Australian landscape, but most of all “Australian way of life” for its laid back nature. Europe is famous for its refined culture and history. She loved being European. One thing which she did not enjoy was the European social convention. This was the case, particularly when it came to men. She was not a girl raised in a conservative household. Her father was a sculptor and her mother was a pianist. From a young age, she had a talent for graphic arts and pursued a career as a painter. Her parents always encouraged her to travel and explore the world. Travelling broadens one’s views and opens new horizons her parents would say. She was an only child.

Ben was a surfer, raised in a family of surfers he loved the ocean from a very young age. He lived with his father as he lost his mother at a young age due to a tragic accident at sea. He was also an only child. His earliest memories as a child were all linked to the ocean. His father worked as a fisherman and mother worked as a tailor. They spent most of their free time on the beach either swimming or surfing. Ben never travelled anywhere outside Australia. His childhood was modest in material means, but it was a happy one for the most part.

Victoria was born in the small Alpine village of Alpbach in the Austrian province of Tirol. Renown for its ski slopes, a picturesque lake. Alpbach had a landscape straight out of a Grimm Brothers fairytale. It was a magical place to grow up in. The human mind is a curious thing, especially the mind of an artist. It was only a matter of time before little Victoria saw the appeal of the capital Vienna. She left Alpbach at the tender age of 18 to study graphic arts in Vienna. Soon after she completed her university degree, the word of her talent spread in the “art circles”. The fact that both of her parents were artists in their own right did not go unnoticed either. Only a couple years later, there she was exhibiting her works in Vienna’s Galeries. A dream one would think, what more could someone want? This was the view shared by her father Gerhard who was a very traditional European. He felt that it is good to travel and enrich one’s horizons. Seeing other places and cultures was beneficial and helpful. This is the case, especially during the creative process. Victoria should base her artistic and indeed personal aspirations in Europe. This was her father’s “school of thought.” He always said (and stayed true to his word) that he would not stand in her way. Her mother Berta loved Europe as well but felt that like music, art should not have boundaries. Art should be free to “spread its wings” and with it its creator the artist!

Attached to both of her parents, Victoria did not wish to hurt their feelings. The time had come for her to “spread her wings!”

It was Friday afternoon, around 2 pm when the postman walked down Kaerntner Strasse. This was Vienna’s main street. He entered a tall baroque-facade building. He pressed the button on the elevator and soon was on the third floor. Soon he knocked on the door with “Strahl” written on the nameplate. He was carrying a very important letter that would change Victoria’s life forever.

One event which forever changed young Ben’s life took place on one stormy evening in November. His father was a fisherman as I mentioned earlier. His mother worked as a tailor but shared the love of the ocean with his father. His mother Julie was a good swimmer, despite this, his father John was hesitant to take her aboard. Trawler-boat was safe, but the ocean conditions can get treacherous in an instant. That stormy evening John gave in to Julie’s demands. Earlier that day Ben went for a swim and a surf with his friend Jack. He came back home, had lunch with his parents, and they were all in a good mood. Mum told him that she was going on the boat with dad tonight. She had a big smile on her face. A few hours later they cast off, conditions were good at the time. Ben was at the boathouse at the Marina. He was in contact with dad via CB radio. It was around 11:00 pm when it started pouring out of the sky! At a quarter to midnight, Ben received the call that changed him forever. Through the crackling of the CB radio, he heard his dad’s familiar voice: “Ben, listen to me there was an accident! A big wave came and swept her overboard!” “I tried… I am sorry son!” his dad’s voice was teary and cracking in despair.

Victoria got up as she heard the door-knock and said to her parents: “ I will get the door.” She answered the door, signed thanked the postman and took a big yellow envelope. A few moments later she sat at the lounge room table. She could already see the question in her parents’ eyes. She opened the envelope and a big smile came across her face. “Foundation for Graphic Arts of Australia…” as she read these words her mother’s face “lit up” and mother’s smile almost matched her own. Her father raised his eyebrows first, without saying a word. Mum, it says here they would like to invite me to present my latest exhibition to the Australian public! “Victoria, you are an adult and free to make your own decisions. I don’t see why you could not organise an exhibition in the Australian Embassy in Canberra?” Australia is very far away,” mused her father. Her mother laughed out loud upon hearing her father’s remarks. “Oh, how you forget things, Gerhard when you went to Brazil in the ’70s. You were the same age as Victoria now. I don’t remember your parents approving?” “This is is her life and her success, give her your blessing and be proud!” “That was a different time Berta and you know it” he exclaimed, laughing. They both hugged and kissed her and wished her good luck. A month later she was in Sydney.

Ben was only 14 years old when he lost his mother. He loved his father and did not blame him for what happened as he knew how much his father loved his mother. Time went by, but that tragic event changed both of them in a very different way. Dad hated the ocean from that day on, stopped fishing and got a labour job in the city. Ben took a different path. He would spend every moment of his free time either observing the ocean or swimming.

Victoria’s first few days in Australia were full of anticipation and excitement. She visited many countries in her younger days, all in Europe, except for her visit to Japan. A completely new experience for her. This was another continent, different climate, many different exotic animals. She only heard rumours that the men in Australia were “exotic” too. Being an artist she was not a woman who was easy to impress. Ever since her teenage years she was conscious of her looks. The boys and men she encountered in Vienna were usually from the “art circles.” Same old, same old “proper approaches”. Self-inhibited with their status and importance. She knew that besides sex none of the men were interested in her as a person. At least not without an ulterior motive.

A few days after her exhibition she went shopping with a couple of girlfriends. Walking the Sydney streets she could spot the subtle differences between social classes. The dress code, the gait, how one speaks and laughs. These were some differences between the more affluent and average girls. This was not that which took her by surprise though as this was the case in Austria as well. Women and men (regardless of their social status) often approached each other. This was something that she found intriguing. It was a Thursday evening. The girls decided to visit one of Sydney’s beaches- Maroubra on a Saturday afternoon. Victoria was also subject to “taunts” by her Aussie female colleagues. This was due to her “cheese-like” white complexion. She did not understand this at first, but she became accustomed to it as time went on. This was her first time visiting an Australian beach. She thought to herself: “I will be like them-uninhibited, what have I got to lose I can only gain next experiences.” She was not aware at the time of how right she was in saying that.

Laying there stretched out on a towel, her pale complexion alone would have set her apart. Apart from thousands of bronze-tanned bodies spread out on the sand. Add to this image her long straight black hair and her big emerald-green eyes. Her voluptuous sensual figure along with those facial features and her complexion. This was not a common sight on the beach for Ben. She “caught” him looking at her in her peripheral version, but did not betray with any gesture that she did. He was not the first Aussie guy that she met, most she met at first were like the ones she knew back in Austria. Well dressed and “proper.” Here, before her stood what was to her “a unique specimen”. A young Australian guy, handsome and tanned with blonde curly hair. Her Australian girlfriends chuckled at her descriptions and photos of the Austrian men.

Ben to them was a surfer-dude, an everyday sight. After spending a few moments under the sun, she decided to go for her first-ever swim in the Ocean. She knew how to swim, but lakes, rivers and even the sea were no match for the mighty ocean. This was especially the case at Maroubra beach where it’s windy and the waves are strong on the best of days. Ben was standing on his surfboard, but he spotted her walking into the water. Her friend Jodie got up from her towel and yelled after Victoria: “Hey, Victoria, where are you going, be careful?!” Victoria turned around and said: “ I am fine Jodie, don’t worry.” She smiled and continued walking towards the water. She got into the water fine and swam about 2 meters from the shore. At that moment she made a mistake which many who are new to the ocean make. She turned her back to the ocean-facing the beach. Behind her, a big wave was “brewing”. Before she could react the wave swept over her! Her friend Jodie saw what was unfolding. She started running towards the ocean and calling for help. Ben saw the big wave as it was forming. In a ‘nick of time,’ he got to Victoria and pulled her out of the water and onto his surfboard. She looked at him with a gaze full of gratitude, shaken but with a smile on her face. “Your first time in the surf’ ain’t it? She spoke English but was not used to Australian slang. He realised this and asked her again:

“ Is this your first time, swimming in the ocean?” This time she understood him, smiled and uttered: “Yes, thank you for saving me.”

“That’s ok, glad I could help” he responded. As he got up and started to walk off, Victoria asked him: What is your name? “I am Ben, nice to meet you,” he said. She responded with: “Nice to meet you too, I am Victoria.” About an hour after that she went home with her friends. She did not speak to any of the girls about Ben. Deep down she wanted to see him again.

Ben was not indifferent about her either. He grew up by the ocean and had come across many people in Victoria’s situation. There was something different about her he thought, it had nothing to do with her looks either. He also was hoping that he would run into her again sometime. She thought to herself: “He is a surfer, so most likely he will be at the beach next weekend.” I will take a chance and come to the beach on Saturday again she thought to herself. The place she was staying at with her Australian friend Jodie was 20 mins walk from Maroubra Beach. Her working week went quickly with all the commitments she had. Saturday morning came. Jodie, I have the keys, I am going for a walk, don’t wait up for me” she left a handwritten note for her friend on the kitchen table.

A few moments later she was on her way to the beach. This Saturday was a bit windy but not cold. She arrived at the beach and sat on the sand observing the waves on the horizon. An hour passed, he was not here she thought… As she was about to get up and leave she felt a splash of sand against her back. “Hey Victoria”, someone yelled, she turned around and there he was! At that moment her face “broke” into a big smile! “I was getting some lunch, would you like some fish and chips?” he asked she said sure. Soon enough they were eating and looking at the ocean together. Why are you always near the water?” she asked him. He said: I will tell you if you promise to keep it a secret? She said I promise. He paused for a moment.. looked at her eyes and started to tell her about his family, his life and his family for the ocean. She spoke of Alpach, Austria, her art and her family. When she showed him the photo of Alpach on her phone: He smiled and said: “Heidi” you look like Heidi. She laughed and hugged him. She knew of the world-famous Children’s tale about a girl from the Alps. “How do you know about Heidi?” she asked with a surprised expression. He drew her closer to him. He told her how when he was a little boy his mum would read him from a picture book the story of Heidi. He remembered the green hills from the picture book.

Veronica, when I am here, I am happy! She is hugging me and smiling with me! When he said that, Veronica spotted a little tear in the corner of his eye. She did not ask him anything else. It was obvious that he was speaking of his late mother. She turned her back on him for the moment as she shed a tear. She did not want him to see it. The day was fading away. Ever since that dreadful night, Ben didn’t swim at night. He decided that tonight he would change that only if she agreed to swim with him.

“Come on’ Heidi, let’s go for a swim?” he quipped at her? She said stop it I am not Heidi and laughed at him but started to walk towards the water. I don’t have my swimming costume she “protested”. “You don’t need it” he responded. I have a spare towel and I didn’t park the car far. She stopped for a moment, but then ran up and dived into the water- dressed. She was wet, but she felt happy and free. He was smiling as well. The evening was approaching, soon they were in each other’s arms and sharing their first kiss. She looked straight into his eyes and asked him: “Hey Ben, Heidi is looking for a new home, do you have a spare room?” We will sort something out” he said with a glance that said: I LOVE YOU!

He looked up at the sky and said: “Thank you, mum!”