SEE YOU LATER, WED 13JUN2012 MOR

Loc: 26th

Crew: Francis

     Tomorrow Francis is leaving to Oahu to relocate. KK is flying to Oahu also for vacation, ten days. On this very morning, it’s my last session with Francis for a while. As behind as I am in school work, I know that I have to push it aside to spend time with my battle buddy. He’s been the most consistent surf buddy that I’ve ever had, never flaking, never making lame excuses, always accountable, always there when he says he’ll be there, and most importantly . . . always stoked to surf. The first time I met him was in April of 2011, the first time I surfed County Line.

     There are those with names and faces who fade away and are forgotten, but Francis seems to leave his imprint wherever he goes. I’ll miss him.

#

     It’s Wednesday morning, and I can’t remember any part of this surf session for the life of me. All I know is that the waves don’t look too good, but we’re not passing it up, not today. We paddle out for a couple hours and make do. I tell him that he’s lucky, about to be in boardshorts weather.

#

     There are so many things that we had planned that we never got to do, like surf other surf spots that I have military access to that I promised to show him. I told him that I’d make time to follow him to surf Pacifica and check out his home town. And then there’s Zenko Sushi in Mission Viejo. We’ve been saying over the past couple of weeks that we’d do one last Bob’s Hawaiian run in Gardena, but we’ve run out of rope. Instead of Bob’s this morning, I suggest just going back to the house to kill whatever’s in the fridge. I forget the reason why, but I have to be home.

     I’m doing minor stuff to take care of the house, while Francis unscrews the single fin off of his board. He also gives me his 4/3 wetsuit since he damn sure won’t be needing it in Oahu. I’ve never owned a 4/3 before, so it should come in handy during the winter. We play a little Modern Warfare 3 to end his stay.

     “Matt,” he says, “I had a little talk with Smokey in the garage. I told him to take care of you.”

     That’s nice of him, I’m thinking. He scrapes all the wax off of his board, shaping it into a dick. It’s not bad, but the balls are a little out of proportion. We take a pic together to make it official. 

     Even though this is goodbye, I can’t help but treat this like it’s just another day, like it’s not the end. Francis says he’s traveled around so much that, instead of “bye,” his attitude is more like, “see you later,” because he knows that he’ll see his friends again. He hops in Nicole’s Kia and pulls out of my driveway. I hold on to Smokey, making sure he doesn’t run out of the gate. He throws me one last shaka from the driver’s seat before driving off.

     I say, “See you later,” as I watch his car disappear.