“Hey Kimo,” she said, unable to keep her eyes from darting over to Matt, “Are you modeling in the photo shoot?”
“Naw, me an Matt come to spark the view.”
“Do what?” I asked.
He smiled down at me with amusement, laughing his hearty laugh again, dark eyes lit with sparkling humor.
“Uhm, Shayla, this is Matt,” I said. She looked too awestruck to speak, and he cocked his head at me, as if to let me know this was the expected response to his wonderfulness.
A photographer came trotting up, “Shayla! Let’s get some shots of you on the board now!” This was the moment we’d been waiting for. We looked at each other and squealed. I handed her a board and untied the towel, laying it alongside my bag. We hit the water before the guys even had the chance to kick off their flip flops.
The waves weren’t massive, but they were beautifully formed, and just what the doctor ordered. The photographer took up a position on the beach with a long lens on his camera and started shooting away as we took wave after wave. I did end up coaching Shayla, pointing out which ones to take to give her the best possible photo ops. It felt like we had the whole ocean to ourselves and I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face. We rested on our boards between sets, perfectly content.
“She’s a wave rider! She must be the one!”
“What?” I asked Shayla, shaking the water from my ears.
“I didn’t say anything,” she said, sitting up to see the photographer waving her in, “Gotta go!”
No sooner did Shayla surf her way back to the beach, than Kimo and his friend Matt came paddling up. I smiled, for surfing with Kimo had always been fun; his clowning around between sets and acrobatics on the surfboard were endlessly amusing. The three of us spent the next few hours surfing some beautiful waves, and Matt turned out to be pretty good.
“Seewad Imeen?” Kimo asked him when I paddled back to join them after the biggest wave of the set. Kimo still couldn’t get over the uncanny way I had of selecting the best waves, and I still felt no need to hide my talents from him.
“So how do you know the movie star?” I teased Kimo as we watched Matt take his turn. Kimo cupped his hands together and squirted a stream of water at me between his two palms, making me laugh.
“Workin’ wid him out on his latest flick,” he said proudly, “It’s called ‘Monster Riders’ an I’m da surfin’ consultant.”
I nearly fell off my board laughing.
I surfed till I was pleasantly tired and waterlogged, excusing myself to paddle ashore. Kimo followed after me, calling me over to a blanket he’d spread out in the shade of a tree growing right along the shoreline. I leaned back on my elbows, looking up to see clusters of red fruit hanging above us.
“What are those?” I asked.
Kimo smiled, jumping up to pick a couple and hand me one, “Hawaiian mountain apple,” he said, “Try it.”
I turned the shiny pear-shaped fruit over in my hand, inspecting it. If Hawaii was Eden, then Kimo was definitely playing the role of Eve. Ethan wouldn’t like this at all, I thought. I sat up defiantly. At least I never lied to him about being with Kimo. I bit into it.
“Good, eh?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I said with a sigh, “Sweet.”
Shayla came running up to us in a hot pink bikini, holding up a blaring boom box, “You’re not gonna believe this!” she shrieked. She cranked up the volume and Megan’s sweet voice rang out, high and clear.
“It’s not you, it’s me-e-e, I’ll always care for you, can’t you see-e-e…”
Shayla and I jumped up and down, whooping for joy as the song wrapped up and the radio announcer’s voice came on, “It’s the hot new song sweeping the charts by Megan MacGowan… Number one with a bullet!”
“Whas goin’ on?” asked Kimo.
“That’s our friend from Aptos!” Shayla exclaimed, “She’s totally gonna be famous!”
Kimo looked at me curiously, his black pearl eyes reflecting the long rays of the sun.
“You’re pomaikai.”
“What?”
“Good Luck,” he said, still watching me intensely. I flinched involuntarily, and saw that he noticed.
Matt and Gabe walked up to us, “That was some nice surfing,” Matt said to Shayla seductively. Gabe looked a little annoyed, and I remembered that he liked Shayla.
“Thanks,” she sputtered out breathlessly.
A photographer’s assistant came trotting up, “Just once more, okay Shayla? The light is perfect right now!”
“Back to the grind,” Shayla joked, hurrying away. It seemed as though they were taking a lot more pictures of her than they were of the other girls.
The guys sat down with us, watching the models pose for pictures rolling around in the sand and draping themselves across land-locked surfboards. The surfer boys stood in the background, holding their boards under their arms and trying to look nonchalant. I turned my head to see Matt lift his glasses and scan the beach, looking over the models like they were dishes on a menu.
A movement in the bushes behind us caught my eye, “There’s something in there,” I pointed.
Matt rolled his eyes theatrically, looking at Kimo, “Do you think they followed us here too?”
“Who?” I tensed, alarmed.
“Paparazzi,” said Matt dismissively, “You know… reporters. They follow me everywhere.”
I looked across the sand at his ferociously yellow car. He wasn’t exactly trying to keep a low profile.
“Oh yeah, she know all bout dat,” said Kimo, watching me speculatively, “So… how long you stayin’?”
I looked into the bushes suspiciously, wondering why Matt didn’t seem too upset about it, “Uhm, I fly out tomorrow afternoon,” I said.
“Why not stay longa? I can show you all ovah da place!”
I shook my head no, “I have to get home. Me and Shayla want to go surfing tomorrow morning before they come to take us back to the airport… Is there anything bigger than this around here?”
“You ever been tow-in surfin’?” he asked with a cocky grin, “Outer reef break– no crowds… Thirty, forty foot waves. Biggest you’ll evah catch.”
I smiled, thinking of all the times Lorelei taken my board in the dark of the night. I definitely had some experience getting towed on my board.
“You’re not thinking of taking her to Piahi? Jaws? You tryin’ to get her killed?” Gabe exclaimed.
“Marina can handle it,” Kimo said confidently, “Can’t you?”
My heart was racing, thinking of the blue wall of water in my surfing dream. It was going to come true after all, “Yes,” I said firmly, “I’m sure I can.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
JAWS
The next morning we met Kimo in the lobby, following him out to a big black van that was parked in front of our hotel. The tinted glass windows made it seem a little sinister, and Shayla peered in suspiciously, her face registering shock when she saw that Matt was sitting in the passenger seat.
“He’s coming too!” she gasped, gripping my arm with wide, excited eyes. After we’d gotten back to our room Shayla had spent most of the evening running down every last movie Matt had appeared in. That explained why everyone was so mystified as to why I didn’t know him, for apparently he’d been a celebrity for quite some time. I just yawned, used to being out of the loop.
“Honeys,” Kimo opened the side door with a sweeping gesture. I could see a selection of boards and towels packed in the back and returned his smile. I sure hoped he wasn’t exaggerating about the surf.
We drove down the winding little roadway and Matt turned around to flash a movie star grin at me, “Kimo says you can surf the big ones better than any chick he’s ever seen.”
I didn’t know how to respond to that so I just shrugged. He turned his attention to Shayla, and was rewarded with doe-eyed adoration. I was a little surprised to see the normally wary Shayla look so smitten, but I’d seen the signs often enough. I had grown up w
atching Evie bowl people over with her charm, after all.
“How’s your Aunt Evie?” Kimo asked as if on cue, pulling the van off the highway onto a lonely dirt road.
“She’s fine,” I replied, remembering how quickly Evie had wrapped Kimo around her little finger. I was afraid I had that effect on him too, only I wasn’t doing it on purpose.
Shayla launched into a detailed account of how Evie had flown us to Paris in her new jet and knew all the fashion designers. I could feel Matt watching me like Kimo always did, suddenly much more impressed. I turned away to look out the window, thinking that this little field trip might not have been such a good idea.
We drove through vast fields of pineapple and sugarcane, slowly maneuvering around the potholes, and finally coming up to a sinister looking stretch of road. The sides were lined with burned out, torn apart old cars, and it felt like some kind of warning.
“Locals don’ like nobody on dis lan,” Kimo said, “Cept me and my brahs.”
We continued on through the post-apocalyptic landscape until we reached the end of the line, finding several cars at the edge of the cliff, a few spectators looking down with cameras and binoculars. We parked, and the roar of pounding surf greeted my ears, sending my heart beating a little faster.
Kimo turned to me, “Les go!”
We climbed out of the van and Gabe came trotting up, “It’s going off!” he told Kimo, “Kaiko has a ski ready for you.” He looked at me and Shayla, “Kimo… It’s too big for them.”
Kimo tossed his head dismissively and we all walked over to the edge of the cliff to look down. It was hard to judge the scale of the wave, until a tiny speck that turned out to be a jet ski appeared on its flank. Rising up like a mountain of water, curling elegantly down, the wave must have been at least forty feet tall. I was so excited I could barely breathe.
“Whoa!” gasped Shayla, “I’m not goin’ out on that!”
Matt puffed up a little, flashing Shayla another charming smile, “I can handle it.” Gabe gave Kimo a warning glance, but he was already off, rushing back to the van to unload the boards. He called me over to show me a board and explain why it was different; narrower and shorter than usual, with straps to slip my feet into. He told me how he would take me out past the break, towing me in to drop me down onto the face of the wave, circling around to pick me up before the next big one came crashing down on my head.
It was exactly how I surfed with Lorelei.
Kimo leaned in close to me, “Are you finally done wit your high school boyfriend?” he asked playfully.
“No, not at all,” I cast him a sour look.
“What, are you gonna get married or sumpin’?” he said mockingly.
I held his gaze, “As a matter of fact, we are.”
He started to laugh at my joke, but stopped when he saw the look in my eye, “He’s one lucky dude,” he said quietly.
“I’m the lucky one.”
He looked down, shaking his head sadly, and then up at me with the mischievous twinkle back in his eye, “Leas’ I can surf wit you!”
“Yeah. Now let’s go!” I said urgently. I couldn’t wait, and I didn’t need any coaching; I knew the routine, for Lorelei always helped me catch waves that were simply too big and too fast moving for any human being to paddle out onto. Only we did it in the dark.
Kimo’s gleaming eyes smiled into mine, and I could see the same fire in them. For a split second I wondered if he wasn’t being overly reckless, but I was past the point of caring.
We all hiked down to the shoreline, where Kimo introduced us to a group of local guys that waited with the machines down at the rocky shore. They started excitedly telling Kimo about the unexpectedly good conditions, describing some horrific wipeouts. The air crackled with excitement and energy.
Shayla came close, nudging me with her elbow, “Check that out… Marina, those waves could really mess you up.”
I was poised to jump in, shifting impatiently from foot to foot as Gabe pulled Kimo aside.
“He doesn’t think you and Matt should go,” Shayla whispered in my ear, “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” I snapped impatiently. Shayla looked at me oddly, but I was in no mood to placate her. I felt like I was going to explode if I didn’t get out into those waves. We watched couple of guys help a visibly shaken surfer out of the water, white faced and gasping for breath. Shayla looked at me in alarm, but nothing was going to dissuade me from my fanatic mission.
Kimo strode up, “Look at you, all fired up!”
Since Gabe was out of commission, and I’d never driven a jet ski, Kimo decided to take turns towing me and Matt, letting Matt drive for him. He attached a rope to the back of the ski and handed it to me, telling me to hold on. I flung myself into the water, holding on with one hand, adjusting to the jerky ride behind the loud, smelly engine. He towed me through the turbulent white water until we reached the swells of the outer reef. There were only a couple of other people resting in the water when Kimo dropped me off, telling me to wait. I sat up on the board and watched him power away, shivering with anticipation.
“Why is she so happy?” a voice in my head whispered. I spun around, but there was no-one nearby. The other tow team took off to chase after a huge swell, leaving me alone.
“She wants to ride the waves,” came the reply in the same voice.
This was no figment of my imagination. I squeezed my eyes shut to focus and said aloud, “Sisters? Are you here?”
Now the voices were loud and clear, “She can talk! She is the one!”
“Who are you?” I cried, “Where are you?”
All at once two identical mermaid heads rose from the deep blue water, startling me. They were like mirror images of each other, and I realized that they must be twins. Their skin was warm golden brown, glowing like honey with light shining through it. They had the most unusual silvery white hair, so shimmering and mirror like it reflected the blue sky and water surrounding us. They looked at me in wonder, their bright, inquisitive eyes a pale shade of lavender.
I was momentarily stunned, and then returned their smiles, charmed by two of the most amazing looking creatures I’d ever laid eyes on. They were exquisite, reminding me of exotic tropical flowers. It was like stumbling upon a type of orchid you’d never seen before, but found to be so amazing in form and coloration that you were surprised it truly existed. They were bizarre and otherworldly, but almost unbearably beautiful to look at.
“Marina!”
“H-How do you know my name?” I sputtered.
“We know you from the council.”
They seemed as surprised to see me as I was to see them. I’d put the memories of that underwater council behind me. It was terrible; my forced transformation– the first awful time when I didn’t quite grasp what was happening to me. I tried to recall seeing them there, but the blurry memory of that terrible day was as vague as the details of a bad dream.
“What are you doing here?” one of them asked.
“I’m going wave riding,” I explained, looking around for other surfers, “What are your names?”
They introduced themselves as Noelani and Leilani, and I watched in fascination as they touched my surfboard tentatively, giggling with excitement, cocoa skin shimmering in the bright sunshine. They splashed and twirled all around me like ripples of bright tumbling water. It was as if their excitement was simply too much to bear, and they had to dance. I wished that Ethan were here to see this, I thought.
The roar of the Jet Ski announced Kimo’s return, and they were gone.
“Ladies first?” Kimo grinned like a madman, dropping Matt off next to me and circling around for me to grab the tow rope. I nodded, still a little dazed by my encounter with the Hawaiian mermaids. We moved out into position, waiting until a promising swell built up beneath us. Kimo signaled for me to get ready and we took off in rapid pursuit of the giant bump of water that seemed to rise and rise without end.
I focused, my chest trembling with the pow
er of the force I could feel moving beneath me. It rose to engulf me, and I could feel the energy like a breeze blowing straight through my body. Kimo crested the massive wave just as it began to take shape, and sped down the face of it. I dropped the tow line and started to surf for my life.
I could feel it rise up behind me like a monster chasing me down, and I dared not look back. It was awesome, a mountain of liquid power, leaving no room for error. I bobbled for a split second, getting my balance on the unfamiliar board as I went hurtling onto the steep incline. I accelerated down the face of the wave, hanging weightless, listening to the song it sang and humming with euphoria. The wave curled before me, unfolding exactly as it had appeared in my dream.
Teal, cerulean and turquoise, there weren’t enough words to describe the incredible blue tube that engulfed me. I moved through it in a trancelike state, completely calm in a way I hadn’t been for a long time. I caressed the wall of water with my fingertips and laughed, overcome with the sensation that everything was going to be fine, that there was nothing to fear.
The tube narrowed, but I only needed to crouch slightly to shoot through the end and finish on my feet. I sank down in the water slowly, perfectly content.
Then I looked up at the mountain of water forming again, setting itself up to crush me under a thousand tons of heavy blue death. Evie’s words about mortality rang in my ears. I started to paddle frantically away, but there was no possible way I could outrun it.
And suddenly Kimo was right there, his strong arm reaching out for mine, hauling me away and over the wave to the calmer waters beyond. When we finally stopped, my whole body was buzzing with adrenaline, more alive than ever.
“Whoop!” Kimo let out a cry, “Huui! Dat was da kine surfin!”
I laughed with glee, unable to wipe the smile from my face, “That was incredible! You weren’t kidding about this place!”
He shook his head in wonder, addressing Matt as he paddled up to us, “See dat?” he asked, “Wahdid I tellya?”
Matt smiled and tossed his head, “Great surfing!” he exclaimed, “Take me now.”
03 The Fate Of The Muse - Marina's Tales Page 16
