My Life as a Cartoonist (29 page)

“Like a boogie board,” Carly interjects.

“If you fall off, don't worry—the vest will keep you afloat, and I'll be right there to grab you.” It's obvious Heinz is not just some crazy hippie surfer but someone who spends time sharing his passion with others physically less able. It makes me see what Carly's liked about her instructor all along.

While we're getting ready for Umberto to go out, I notice Carly scanning the waves. I don't have to ask who she's looking for. She blushes when she spots me.

“He already has another girlfriend,” she says.

“She's probably not half as great as you are.” Before the sentence leaves my mouth, I already regret it, especially with Matt so close by to tease me.

Carly gives me a good-natured punch in the arm. “Thanks for trying to make me feel better.” She picks up her board and heads into the water behind Heinz and Umberto.

Matt and I stand on the shore and watch Heinz guiding the board out as Umberto paddles through the waves.

“He's got amazing upper-body strength from being in that chair,” Eduardo says. “I bet he's not even sore tomorrow.”

Umberto's mother seems happy and nervous at the same time. When a large wave sneaks up on them, Umberto almost gets knocked off but Heinz holds the board firmly and Umberto stays on. Umberto's mom grabs Eduardo's arm; he pats her reassuringly.

“Heinz is amazing in the water,” I tell her. “He's been surfing his whole life. You'll see.”

We watch Heinz gracefully climb onto the board without upsetting Umberto. Carly sits on her board nearby, the three of them chatting as they wait for just the right wave. I no longer regret telling Carly how great she is. Looking at her now, drenched in sunshine and saltwater, she seems about as perfect as a girl can be.

“They're going to grab that next one,” Matt says. “You just watch.”

In the few times Matt and I have been surfing, he's been better at reading the waves. I pretty much just go along with what Heinz says but Matt has a real feel for it. Sure enough, Heinz and Carly start shouting to Umberto to paddle.

And paddle he does—furiously, with all the power of that octopus he drew in his comic strip. Heinz pops up and steers the board with his body, leaning left, carving his way expertly across the wave. We all hear an elated Umberto yell like Tarzan as he rides in.

Matt, Eduardo, and I run into the water to greet Umberto as Heinz hops off the board. Umberto's mom follows behind us, not even taking the time to remove her straw sandals.

“You were amazing!” I say.

“You should've seen your face!” Matt adds.

After checking that he really is okay, Umberto's mother and brother step back so Heinz can guide the board out to the waves. The four of us stand knee-deep in the water and watch Carly ride her own wave to shore.

Umberto and Heinz catch six more rides before it's time for us to head back.

“Dude!” Umberto says to me, now sounding like Heinz. “This was the greatest day of my life.”

“It was a team effort.” I gesture to Carly, Matt, Heinz, Bill, Eduardo, and Umberto's mom.

Umberto changes back into his clothes and continues to talk to me through our makeshift terry-cloth barricade. “I am TOTALLY signing up for surf camp next summer,” he says.

Eduardo patiently helps Umberto into his wheelchair. As Bill drives off with the family, Umberto waves from the window, looking like the happiest kid on the planet.

I reach into my pack for water bottles and an envelope for Heinz. It's money from my last birthday, plus a donation from my parents to cover the cost of his time and equipment.

Heinz shakes his head and refuses the payment. “I borrowed the equipment from friends, so no worries. Besides, I enjoyed today as much as Umberto did. Save it for another time when we can all ride some waves together.”

And that's exactly what we do.

A Cartoonist's Real Job

Umberto can't stop talking about surfing, about Heinz, and how perfect the waves are in Santa Monica. He constantly checks Surfline, keeping track of conditions even on days he has no way of getting to the beach. His comics reflect his new passion with a Ketchup Bottle Surfer as his main character. (No one can ever accuse Umberto of being subtle.)

One afternoon, I ran into Crash at the skateboard shop while shopping for a new board with my dad. When Crash waved without speaking from across the store, I decided to go over and talk to him.

Maybe it was my new confidence from working through all the weird stuff with Umberto that made it a little less awkward to approach him. We talked about boards, about Heinz, but never mentioned Carly, which was probably just as well. Crash seemed more like the kid who helped the woman in my mom's waiting room that day than the guy who dumped one of my best friends. Spending time with Crash—if only for a few minutes—made me feel a bit better belittling him all those times with Matt.