Chapter 9
NINE
KOA
I’m really looking forward to my date with Lani this morning. I feel foolish for not getting her number yesterday, but given that she was swimming, she probably didn’t have her phone on her anyway.
Still, it would have been nice to be able to check in – make sure she was okay after that knock to the head.
I’m just getting out of the shower when someone bangs on the bathroom door.
“What?” I yell.
“Kai’s missing.”
“Yeah, and?” My twin often stays out all night, especially when the challenge is running.
“And, dickhead,” Sol seethes from the other side of the door. “I have a dozen stags coming for a surf lesson this morning and now I’m a member of staff down.”
I open the door and stare at my older brother. He looks really stressed, not just his usual grumpy self.
I’m torn. I really don’t want to step in. Kai is used to me doing that and twists it to his advantage whenever it suits him, which is all too often. But I can’t let Sol and the company down. It wouldn’t just be embarrassing – it would be dangerous.
“He’ll show,” I say, trying to inject confidence into my voice.
Sol shakes his head. “I can’t risk it. We can’t afford to give this gig up and the insurance doesn’t cover those ratios in the water. I need you today. It’s only for a few hours.”
Sighing, I give in. Now I really wish I had Lani’s number or some way to get in touch with her to reschedule. All I can do is hope that I somehow see her again and that she’ll give me a chance to explain when I do.
“Give me ten to get ready.”
“I’ll head down to the hut and start the prep work. Kai was supposed to do it, but you know he never does. Did he even rinse the rashies last night?”
I grimace and Sol shakes his head. “Should have known. He’s a liability.”
I mean, he is, when it comes to running a business, but in the water he’s fantastic. The kids, in particular, adore him. When he shows up.
I quickly get dressed in some Billabong boardies and pull on my wetsuit up to my waist. Barefoot and bare chested, I head down to the beach, keeping an eye out for Lani as I go. Which is stupid because we’re not due to meet for over an hour yet, but I’m naively optimistic like that.
The beach is already starting to get busy, with people setting up umbrellas and laying out towels, hammering wind breaks into the sand and walking dogs.
I see Sol unloading the surfboards from the company van, and I jog over to help him out. We set up the station for the surf lessons, and I greet the clients as they arrive.
Right from the get go I know that this isn’t going to be a fun or easy lesson.
The stag party are boisterous and rowdy, and I’m fairly sure most of them are pissed.
I can see Sol’s worried too, but he asked them if they’d been drinking, they all said no and signed the waivers.
Problem is, if anything goes wrong we might be covered by our insurance but that doesn’t stop one bad review – or in this case a dozen – really bringing the business down.
There’s so much competition locally because all of the beaches on the north coast are superb for surfing.
With six beaches less than a stone’s throw away from us, surf school competition is rife.
As the morning progresses, the waves start to pick up, and I can feel the excitement building within the group.
Obviously they’re not drinking during the lesson, but they’re not acting sober either.
They’ve barely listened to the safety brief and have practised popping up on the sand for all of two minutes, and now they’re restless to hit the water.
I just want this all to be over.
I take a deep breath and dive into the water, feeling the coolness surround me as I paddle out towards the incoming waves.
Sol decided he would be the scout today, working with the clients from the water, and I’d be on the board demonstrating.
Not that they’ll pay any attention to me.
Kids are honestly so much easier to teach than adults.
Most adults don’t like taking instructions from someone younger than them, and they tend to think they can do it better themselves.
I pop up onto my board, feeling the rush as I ride the first wave of the day. The sea spray hits my face as I carve through the water, every movement deliberate and calculated. The power of the ocean is all around me, and for a moment, I am lost in its embrace.
I paddle back out, my heart pounding with that rush of excitement I always get with the first wave of the day.
As the sun starts to rise higher in the sky, more and more people fill the beach.
I catch a few more waves, taking some time to teach the three guys who are actually paying attention how to catch them as well.
They at least are eager to learn, and their laughter and easy banter makes my job a little easier.
Sol isn’t having such a good time.
He’s spent the last hour shoving different boards into the sea for the guys to ride, but none of them have managed to stay on, regardless of the equipment they’ve been given. It’s now midday and they’re all getting pretty impatient.
“Let’s have a beer,” one of them suggests.
“I want to catch a wave,” another says.
“It’s only midday,” a third guy adds, although I can tell he’s keen to go for a beer too.
“The lesson is not done,” Sol snaps, and I’m shocked by his resolve. If they want to go, I say let them. The same thing must dawn on Sol too because a moment later he continues, “Or you can call it quits for the day, but you won’t be coming back later after drinking.”
There’s a challenge in his voice, and they’re all thrown by it. I can hear one of the guys grumble under his breath, something about being a buzzkill, but they all eventually decide to stick it out. They’re not happy, but they’re not leaving either.
The tension in the air is palpable, and I’m just glad that the lesson will be over soon.
The waves are getting bigger, and I can feel the power of the ocean pulling at me.
There could soon be a riptide situation.
I grab Sol’s attention and tilt my head towards the group, silently communicating that we need to wrap this up soon.
None of these guys are competent enough to be in the water in these conditions.
Sol nods and takes over the lesson, trying to get the guys to at least stand up on their boards for a second or two. I can see him getting frustrated, and I know we need to end this before something goes wrong.
As I paddle in, I see her. Lani is walking along the beach, looking stunning in a sun hat and shades.
I light up at the sight of her, but then I remember the mess I’m in with Kai missing and this god-awful stag party.
And I know that I’d never reach her even if I could leave Sol – and I definitely can’t.
As the guys start pretending to surf, I turn away. I just hope I get another chance to see her again.
And that I haven’t already blown it.
One of the stag party is standing on his board and Sol swims out to help him, while some of the other guys step out of the water.
“I think I’m done,” one of them says. “What a waste of time.”
Shaking my head at their shitty attitude, I pass out some towels for the clients. They don’t even bother to thank me.
I hear the wave coming before I see it. I turn towards the ocean and watch as a massive wave begins to form. It’s the biggest one I’ve seen today, and it’s heading straight to Sol and the remaining stag party’s line. I yell out to Sol but he doesn’t hear me over the sound of the crashing wave.
I sprint towards the water, knowing that I might not make it in time.
As I get closer, I see Sol swimming as fast as he can towards the shore, the majority of the stag party following, but one guy is still struggling in the water.
I dive in and start paddling towards them, the adrenaline pumping through my veins.
The wave crashes down on us all, and I’m thrown under the water. I manage to hold my breath and keep my eyes closed until the wave passes over me. But salt still burns my sinuses as the current drags at my legs.
When I resurface, I see Sol helping most of the guys to shore, but the one guy is nowhere to be seen. I start scanning the water frantically, hoping to spot him.
Finally, I see him – he’s being dragged out to sea by the riptide. I swim towards him as fast as I can, feeling the burn in my arms and legs from the effort. When I reach him, he’s panicking and thrashing around, making it difficult for me to hold onto him.
“Calm down,” I yell over the crashing waves. “I’ve got you.”
I manage to get him onto the board and start paddling back towards shore. The others have made it out of the water and are standing on the beach, watching us.
When we finally make it back to shore, the guy is coughing up water and gasping for air. Sol and I help him to his feet and make sure he’s okay. He looks shaken but otherwise unharmed.
“Thanks,” he says to us, still coughing. “I didn’t think I was going to make it.”
Sol nods grimly, looking relieved that the situation didn’t end worse. Maybe the guy is being a little dramatic, but actually, riptides need to be taken seriously. Things can change in an instant in the water. I can tell he’s shaken up, but he’s trying to play it cool.
“Just another day in the office,” I say, trying to inject some levity into the situation. The guy laughs weakly, but I can tell he’s still in shock.
As we start to pack up the boards and head back to the hut, I can feel the adrenaline starting to wear off.
My whole body is shaking, and I know it’s going to be a while before I can calm down.
But as we walk down the beach, I can’t help but feel grateful that I was there to help.
If I hadn’t been on duty, who knows what could have happened.
Responsibility always seems to win.
I just wish it didn’t cost me things I actually want.