“Oh, and remember; don’t do anything you don’t want to do. Don’t let anyone pressure you into doing anything stupid,” she continued moving her lips but the words drifted out the window. We arrived at the airport and it was time to say goodbye to rules.
After three jam-packed days of sightseeing and guided tours throughout the Guanacaste province, we were given a free day to do our own exploring. We were in Tamarindo, a laid back little town full of surfers and hippies. It was like Haight-Ashbury in the late 1960’s. Kyle, Kerry, Kylie and I decided to rent surf boards and spend the day at the beach. Everything in town was authentic; there wasn’t a single flashy tourist trap in sight. As we made our way down the main strip we were met by vendors lining both sides of the street. They were selling hemp jewelry, seashells and surfing accessories.
“Woah! Everyone walk directly into that shop ahead, I think I’m in love,” said Kyle as he headed for the door in a trance.
“Dude! I totally agree, it looks sweet,” exclaimed Kerry.
“Heck yes, I want some stellar jewelry,” I chimed in.
A little further down, through the sea of burnt out vendors, was a small shack painted in vibrant colors to give it some appeal. Sitting on an old beach chair out front was a local surfer. His dreadlocks were a sun-kissed blonde and rested right below his waist and his skin was smooth and dark. He didn’t seem to notice us as we came closer; he was too busy making love to his guitar.
“Hey, uh, excuse me, do you rent surfboards here?” I murmured as if to not interrupt. He calmly looked up, as if expecting us, and I was met by piercing green eyes. In that instant I felt a swarm of rampant butterflies in my stomach.
“Hola, we certainly do rent boards here. We have all the essentials of life,” he said and then paused, as if to remember what he was saying. “I’m Emerson, originally from Cali, but that place is heinous. Tamarindo is the place to live life.”
“What brings you all to my shack of wonders?” he said questioningly.
“How could anyone miss this place, it is totally awesome,” explained Kerry.
“Righteous! Let me go get you some boards, amigos,” said Emerson.
Emerson walked into a back section of the shop to get surf boards. I looked at my friends and noticed they had all dispersed in the shop and each found something to captivate them. Kyle signaled for my attention and I noticed a three foot bong. It was turquoise glass with specks of silver throughout, simulating a school of fish in the ocean being illuminated by the sun. I had never smoked weed before, but I knew plenty of people who had. Kyle motioned for Kylie and Kerry to come see it.
“Holy crap! That is the single coolest bong I’ve ever seen!” cried Kylie.
“I know right?! It’s totally gorgeous,” said Kerry.
“I say we ask him to smoke us up, maybe get some herb for later,” insisted Kyle.
“I don’t know, man, what if it’s like, laced with something, or we get caught by Costa Rican police! That would totally not be good,” I said, stumbling on my words.
“Jen, chill out, man; don’t be such a square. It’ll be fine, you’ll totally love it,” said Kyle.
“Yeah, dude, come onnnn!” Kerry chimed in.
Kylie looked at me with comforting eyes, insisted it would all be ok. At that moment Emerson reappeared and noticed us looking at the bong.
“Isn’t she gnarly dudes? That’s lady blue. Would you be interested in burning some tree?” He offered.
The three of them looked at me and I sighed. I swallowed my nerves and took a deep breath.
“Yeah dude, that’d be sweet,” I said, looking at Emerson. He was so pretty; it was hard to deny spending more time with him.
He went behind the counter and pulled out a huge bag of jade green cannabis covered in crystals and red hairs. The smell rose through the air, filling the entire store. He began to pack the weed into Lady Blue as we all watched in amazement. Kyle had just graduated so he already had plenty of experience with smoking, as for Kerry, Kylie and me, well, we didn’t. Emerson ripped a huge hit from the bong and smoke began to dance in the air, rising in spirals around us. He handed me a lighter and stepped away. I could feel my nerves kick boxing in my stomach as I set my lips to the mouthpiece. As the marijuana ignited, smoke began to fill my lungs.
“How much do I inhale? I hope I don’t cough. Oh, I’m such an idiot,” I thought to myself.
I exhaled and handed the lighter to Kerry. After hitting the bong a couple times I could feel the weight of my brain begin to lessen. I couldn’t imagine trying to surf when my entire body was feeling enlightened. Emerson began to jam on his guitar and we all sat around and let the music take us. After about an hour of smoking and sing-alongs we headed out. Emerson asked us to stay and hang out longer but we said our good-byes and were on our way. We decided to go make the best sand castle ever on the beach and leave surfing for another day. We were feeling creative rather than athletic.
On our way to the beach I began to feel light headed. The combination of the beating sun on my face and hot, dry air made my brain spin. I noticed Mr. Walton and Mr. Savitz walking towards us on the opposite side of the street. I looked around and saw a little café with a sign hanging from a tree that read, “Nachos as BIG as your ASS!” I don’t think a better sales pitch exists when you’re high.
“Guys, lets go here,” I insisted, pushing everyone toward the door.
We sat down at a table ordered some drinks. We hid behind our menus and watched our teachers stroll by. Thankfully, they didn’t notice our camouflage. I couldn’t imagine what they would think of us if they found out. My parents would send me back to Catholic school and brainwash me into religious crap if they ever found out.
My mind was racing with negative thoughts. I let out a deep breath and looked around. I hadn’t even taken noticed that our eyes were beat red, bloodshot and barely open. There was no hiding this from anyone; paranoia began to course through my veins as the waiter approached our table. His eyes mirrored ours. Then I noticed all the other people sitting in the café had the same incriminating eyes we did. My nerves calmed, and I embraced the relaxation. Lucky for us, everyone else in the town was stoned too.