Carlos Goes to the Beach

Carlos the Boogerhead walked to Alfonso’s house carrying an inflated raft. As he turned the corner, he saw Alfonso Fonzio washing his car, as he does every Friday morning.

“Hi Alfonso,” Carlos said.

“Hi Carlos,” Alfonso said, drying his red car with a towel.

“I’m going to the beach, do you want to come?”

“Sure,” Alfonso said, throwing the towel down. “Let me go change.”

Alfonso returned in his t-shirt and swim trunks and the two friends walked to the sand dunes.

“Ouch,” Carlos said, feeling sharp pokes in his foot.

“Sand spurs,” Alfonso told him as the continued to walk.

Carlos looked down and saw mini spiked balls poking in his feet. Shouldn’t have worn flip flops, he guessed as they continued to walk to the shore, Carlos still lugging the raft with him. When they reached their destination, Alfonso sat on the ground and pointed to the fiddler crabs scurrying around. “Don’t bother them, or they’ll pinch you.”

Carlos nodded and plopped down beside his friend, picking the spurs out of his feet. “I won’t be anywhere near them, I’m going in.”

Alfonso watched as Carlos kicked off his flip flops and ran to the water with his raft. Alfonso yelled, “What are you doing?”

“I’m going to float,” Carlos said.

“You can’t float in the ocean,” Alfonso laughed.

“Of course you can,” Carlos replied, “It’s water. Rafts float on water.”

Alfonso just quieted down and watched Carlos lay the raft in front of him and tried to lie down. The raft, sinking against his weight, remained still and Carlos just stayed put. Maybe if I go a little deeper in, Carlos thought as he got off the raft, moved further into the ocean, and tried to climb back on. As soon as he got on, a wave moved the raft and Carlos back at the shore. Maybe a little further, Carlos thought, and went deeper in the ocean until he was about waist high. This will work, he thought as he tried desperately tried to climb on. When he finally got situated, an even bigger wave came toward the raft and…

SPLASH!

The wave tossed Carlos and the raft upside down until Carlos was wading in the water. I guess Alfonso was right, Carlos sighed as he moved even further out. It can’t be done. Finally, he was about up to his chest before he pulled himself back on the raft and… floated. It was so nice and calm, Carlos fell asleep.

Alfonso started to call that it was time to go home. Carlos sighed and jumped off the raft, only to notice he was no longer where he started to float. WAY off into the distance, Carlos could see Alfonso waving for him to swim in. The salt of the ocean water stung him and he tried to swim in lugged the raft.

“You look like a lobster, Carlos,” Alfonso said when Carlos was in earshot. Carlos looked down and saw the sunburn he got from falling asleep on the raft. Must have forgotten the sunscreen, he thought as they packed up and went home.

“That was fun, Alfonso,” Carlos smiled as they reached Alfonso’s house. “See you next week?”

“See you Friday.”