Winner of the Midweek "Win a Chair" short story competition is Mary Laurenson with the following story.
We received a large number of entries and the standard was very high. Many thanks for all your efforts.
For some reason Mary's story struck a chord with the judges. She will receive the ergonomically Professor Terry Cunniffe-designed office chair (pictured) with a free set-up in her home by Professor Cunniffe himself.
Me, Binkie and the sharks
By Mary Laurenson
My mother had two close friends, Sheena and Olivia, who, at the time of this memory of mine, had moved to a house overlooking the sea at Raumati South. Sheena and Olivia also had a lively little wire-haired terrier called Binkie.
Sometimes these friends came to stay with us, and sometimes Mum and I caught the bus and stayed with them at Raumati for a couple of days, leaving Dad to manage at home on his own.
Sheena and Olivia were both retired and not at all used to young children, so for me, these visits could be somewhat fraught. I was not a rambunctious child, but I was very conscious that a disapproving look or stifled 'tsk' could sometimes come my way.
When I was about 8, I was therefore very delighted when Sheena suggested that I take Binkie all by myself down to the beach while they got breakfast. I was slightly amazed to be entrusted with such responsibility.
So with Binkie on his lead, we made our way down along the path through the sweet-smelling pine trees, over the dunes and on to the sand.
The tide was in and the sea very calm and blue. Binkie, now free, was barking and chasing the seagulls. No one else was around. There was nothing and no one in each direction.
Binkie and I ventured into the shallows, splashing and frolicking in the little waves.
Then I glanced up — and there, right in front of me, not eight feet away, out of the waves rose a black, triangular fin! SHARK!
I may have screamed — I certainly gasped. My heart was thumping in my ears. All I could think of was Binkie — I had to save him!
There were more sharks now, cruising by quite quickly. I turned my back on the fins, called him, and we raced out of the water and across the sand. Then we ran together as fast as possible towards the dunes. Binkie thought it was great fun.
Breathless, we reached safety. A man with two children suddenly appeared, heading down to the water. Before I could even warn him about the sharks and the danger, he turned to me with a delighted expression and pointed down to the sea and shouted, "Did you see the dolphins?"
