Person surfing

Listen to “Surfing My Desire” EP 03- A Love Story in Fuerteventura

I had just reached Fuerteventura. It was my winter break, and my first time visiting Fuerteventura. Living in Dresden, I always knew there were so many flights that were connected to Fuerteventura, that I never took. All this while, this paradise was sitting right in front of me like the perfect escape and I had been wearing a blindfold as if. My parents were going to be in Bali for Christmas, hence I decided to travel in December to not be alone at home.

The first few days I visited all the luscious spread of beaches, in Caleta de Fuste, El Cotillo, Costa Calma, Lajares to name a few. I was completely spellbound, the beauty of this island was beyond my understanding. The landscapes, the beaches, the caves, the people. I went to Corralejo beach to try my hand at surfing. I am not a great surfer, but I manage just fine. That day the winds were particularly harsh and the water was precisely chilly, great for the actual surfers but not so great for an average surfer like me. So I instead got a beer and watched the pros surf. 

‘”All ok? Do you want a ride?’ You’re sitting in a very abandoned part of the beach señorita?”, said a charming voice.

 “Oh no thank you, that’s very sweet of you. But, I am fine. I will walk it up in a bit.” I said to the soccorista aka Lifeguard who had stopped his car to offer me a ride, perhaps wondering what am I doing alone in the middle of these dunes. He smiled and drove off. For a second, I repented my decision of refusing the ride, he looked rather sweet and particularly charming.

That night being Christmas eve, I went to this beach bar, Buena Onda where people from my apartment were heading. It was a cool, hipster bar filled with locals who were from all over the world settled here. I met so many people that evening, it was hella fun! There was a live DJ set, great visuals, the waves on the right, the moon above, almost a scene from a movie, felt like a dream. I hadn’t spent such a great Christmas in years, even though I love my family. 

And there he was, the same lifeguard from earlier, he waved at me, oooh he recognized me, oooh he was walking towards me… Ohh ok he is here. He asked me if I got back to my apartment safe, his name was Pedro, born and brought up in Fuerteventura, a Majorero as they would call a local here. He just got here after his family dinner, he was talking about his family traditions on Christmas, then something about how he became a lifeguard, but my attention span was dwindling, blame it all on his curly hair that kept moving against his protruding, sparkling green eyes. Let’s not even get to his robust, athletic body. 

The thing is I broke up with my boyfriend six months back, and I also lost most of my friends to him, as I had dedicated so much of my time into him, that I made his friends mine and never made a life of my own, a circle of my own, which I truly regretted only after the breakup. I had a few friends in Dresden, but they are the ones who would constantly keep an eye on everything that I am doing and never compliment or support me. Not that I needed their validation, but I felt quite alone in my own hometown. I had only moved back to Dresden last year, after living in London for 12 years. And, it had been months since someone had worried about me, talked to me so sweetly, hence Pedro was like a balm on my scars, even though he didn’t know that. The party got wild, and he asked me if I’d like to go for a walk, so I obliged. 

During our walk, I told him all about my life, the breakup, the absent friends, and this confused identity crisis I was going through in my own hometown. All he said was, “Stop questioning yourself because someone doesn’t get you. Elevation needs separation, you are venturing into a new, beautiful chapter of your life discovering yourself which is the biggest high ever, remember when you evolve you leave behind many people, your authenticity, your growth might not sit well with a lot of people who are still in their comfort zone, so better to leave them there while you fly.” 

I laughed but almost wrote down his words that were exactly what I needed to hear for a while. It was almost sunrise, he asked me if I would like to go for a surf, he also added he knew that I wasn’t such a great surfer, he had his eyes on me as a ‘lifeguard’ he added, while I was surfing earlier that day. Ouch! But I knew that I would be safe surfing with this man. He got us the gear and the boards from his place nearby. And off we went, the embers of the morning sun lingering in the open sky, as the waves caressed us by the minute, I followed his lead. He said, “Breath, focus, let go of all those thoughts and people and places that hinder your growth and just surf your desire.” Those words hit me so hard but got me in the right spot, I hadn’t felt that free in years, the sweet smell of liberation from my own entangled life to a better one. 

After an hour of surfing, we went back to his place to dry up, he had a very particular smell, it was a different kind of perfume blended with his natural scent perhaps, it was like lavender mixed with tea-tree peculiarly soothing and igniting my voracious mind. He got into the shower and gave me his hand asking, “Why don’t you come?” I joined him. I asked him what that smell was, he said, ” It’s a special essential oil mix of lavender-tea-tree and rose to align my chakras, my energies you know? I make it every week myself. Would you want some too?” 

I said, ‘ I already have some.’ As I held him closer and had me surfing my desire.

It’s been only five months since I visited the island, but we have been in touch ever since, and the first flights are opening on 4th July from Dresden to Fuerteventura, I have already booked mine. 

As I write to Pedro, telling him about my visit in a few weeks,

“Pedro, I remember your smell so well, the evocating lavender-infused

scent of your favorite perfume,

that covered your ambrosial wet body such, 

did you know that it left a mark on me too?

As every time I take a shower, I still smell the same smell too.”

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