As the December school holidays dawned, my family and I found ourselves amidst the idyllic shores of a luxurious Thai beach resort. The pristine seawater shimmered with crystal clarity, mirroring the azure sky above. The sun, a magnificent golden orb, generously showered its warmth upon the beach, creating an ethereal ambiance.
The beach was a bustling canvas of joy. Laughter and cheerful chatter filled the air as beachgoers engaged in spirited games and savored delightful picnics. It was a scene straight out of a paradise postcard, and we were savoring every moment.
I, like a child possessed by sheer ecstasy, had been frolicking on the beach, blissfully unaware of the passage of time. That’s when it happened. An abrupt, bone-chilling scream sliced through the serenity of the beach, as though the heavens themselves cried out in alarm.
I turned to find my cousin, his voice echoing louder than a lion’s roar, his face drained of color, and his eyes wide with terror. It was as if he had witnessed an otherworldly apparition.
My heart froze in tandem with his cry. Without a second thought, I sprinted back towards him, sand flying in my wake. As I reached his side, he stammered, “Th-th-ere is a gi-ant crab o—on m-myy n-n-eck.” The words hung in the air, a surreal declaration of the bizarre. Panic surged through us, and like a ripple effect, everyone on the beach converged on our location.
My father, hands steady but concerned, attempted to delicately dislodge the colossal crustacean. Yet, it seemed the crab had other plans. It clung to my cousin’s neck, its pincers relentless, inflicting excruciating pain.
In our desperation, we had no choice but to summon an ambulance. In the blink of an eye, the wailing sirens pierced the beach’s tranquility as paramedics hurried to our aid. My cousin, still bearing his unusual accessory, was carefully loaded into the ambulance. “Perhaps,” I mused aloud to my father, trying to lighten the mood, “the crab mistook my cousin for a delectable morsel.”
As the day waned and the sun cast a fiery orange hue upon the departing beachgoers, we were left with a surreal memory. The beach, once a haven of laughter and leisure, had transformed into a stage for an unforgettable encounter with nature’s quirks. And while my cousin departed for the hospital, at least he did so with an unusual tale to tell, ensuring that our beach vacation would forever remain etched in our memories.