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Tom sat on his new paddleboard on the waveless ocean, waiting for the world to turn from night to day in an instant.
The sun appeared out of the ocean, just like everyone said it would. The rays immediately illuminated the sea and what was black became blue. He turned to watch the light climb the island’s hills, then the mountains farther inland.
After a moment of witnessing how beautiful the peaks and valleys looked in the early light, he laid down on his board and paddled back to shore. Tom had rented a board the first month of his adventure, but the nerves about breaking it and paying twice for something that wasn’t even his drove him to purchase his own. He didn’t even bring his paddle this time.
Tom hadn’t had a lot of luck standing up
Reaching the shallows, he walked his board in the rest of the way. The beach was nearly empty. Being as early as it was and with no swell to think of, the only people were a couple walking a dog and a tourist family that had mostly fallen asleep, now that the sun had risen.
Despite having no plans of leaving this beautiful island any time soon—maybe ever—Tom still felt like a tourist, himself. With only a month that he’d lived there so far, he certainly couldn’t consider himself a local.
Tom used to be a city clerk in Buffalo, NY, where the faint light from a faraway window was all he’d ever see of the sun most days. He had grown tired of the cold months, the dreariness, and the constant grind he had experienced since college.
It hadn’t taken much to decide that he could use his house savings and move anywhere in the country. After almost a year of searching, he thought that if he was going to get lost somewhere, why not Hawai’i?
So he sold his car, donated his snow gear, and gifted all but is most treasured books, then bought a one-way ticket to Kaua’i. It wasn’t until he landed that his ex had texted him, asking to talk.
Thankfully that was over.
Tom’s heart had been closed for a long time, but he could feel the sun and sea warming his soul in a way he had never experienced before. He didn’t know anybody yet but felt like he could really settle down if things went well.
Who knows what that tide could bring, he thought to himself.
He chose Kaua’i because it seemed less crowded, at least in places, and he loved it right from the first time driving around the one road that circles the island. Paddleboarding had been his first island activity, even before beginning his job search, but no matter how firm his resolve, his balance was still too shaky. He wasn’t about to give up, but he needed to get his sea legs under him.
Arriving at the beach, Tom walked up onto the sand and took one last look to the horizon. It’s crazy how fast the sun climbs he thought to himself. He turned away to head to his car and hopefully an early breakfast, but looking down, a small, colorful shell caught his eye. I’m sure a local wouldn’t pick that up… he thought to himself. But he knelt down and picked it up anyway. He smiled, shaking his head at himself and put it in his new board shorts’ pocket.
“What’d you find?” A smooth voice asked from Tom’s left. He straightened his back and turned his head to find who had just spoken to him. There he saw her, leaning comfortably against a paddleboard.
Wow…
“Uh, it’s just a shell… not a big deal, or anything.”
“Can I see it?” She took a few steps towards him and his breath caught in his throat.
“Yeah, sure.” Tom pulled the little shell back out of his pocket, stood up and walked it over the last couple steps to her, leaving his board on the sand. “I just thought it looked cool. They’re probably all over the place.” He dropped the shell into her outstretched hand, trying not to look into her eyes too deeply. She raised it up to look at it in the morning sun.
“Wow, this must be your lucky day.” She handed him the shell back gently with a smile, her finger taking what seemed like a little extra time to leave his open hand. “I usually only find those ones out past the reef; the waves usually crush them before they get to the beach.” Tom shrugged and smiled, placing the little shell back into his pocket.
“Thanks, It’s always good to know when a lucky day is starting.” She smiled bigger and nodded once, a ringlet of her dark hair falling from behind her ear.
“So… you’re new around here?” She asked, tilting her head and more of her hair falling free. “I’ve seen you out on the waves a few times.” Tom hoped that the slight reddening in his cheeks was hidden by his sunburn.
“You’ve seen me..? Yikes, I hoped no one would remember.” She laughed and its warmth made him want to join in, despite being embarrassed.
“No! Everyone has to start somewhere! Have you had any lessons or anything?”
“No, I haven’t… I kind of thought it would just come to me, but that has definitely not been the case.” He looked over at his forlorn board resting awkwardly on a piece of driftwood. “And I’ve felt too weird to ask the guys out on the waves for advice; though, I usually can’t get out to where the good guys are, anyways.” She listened to him then looked out at the calm morning water. The little waves rose up the sand and then lowered back down: the peaceful breaths of the still sleeping sea.
“Well, I guess it’s good I’m not a guy, then; I’m going to teach you!” Tom had been planning on getting some breakfast, but the invitation caused him to ignore the dull pain in his stomach. “I have an extra paddle in my car… did you lose yours by the way?” Tom made as if to answer but her next sentence beat him to it. “Nevermind, don’t worry about it; mine’s a good learning one anyway—one sec.” She ran back to her car up at the parking lot without waiting to hear if he had accepted her offer. Though, of course, he had.
What other opportunity would he have to get a personal lesson from a local? At least, he thought she was local. And though he hadn’t seen how good she was on the board yet, he felt that spending the morning with a beautiful woman couldn’t be too much of a waste of time regardless.
A minute later she returned with another of the oddly spoon-shaped paddles that seemed to come with all paddleboards.
“Sorry for the wait, but here it is.” She handed him the paddle. “So, let’s get out there!” She turned and picked up her paddle and board and started walking towards the water. He scrambled to catch up.
“Hey, wait a second… what’s your name?” She paused and the sun radiated around her face as she looked back.
“It’s Leilani… but you can call me teacher.” She giggled once and walked into the water up to her knees. Then she dropped her board onto the water, kneeled onto the center and sculled out a little, turning her board around and resting on her feet to watch him.
Tom tried to copy her and was thankfully able to get onto his knees on the board and paddle awkwardly out to her.
“Good work!” She clapped her hands with a look of exaggerated regard. “You’re going to be there in no time.” Without seemingly any effort, she stood, placed her paddle in the water and paddled a little ways from him. He couldn’t help but admire how gracefully she was able to stand… and how great she looked doing it. “So now you have to stand up.”
He had guessed as much, and he put one foot forward, then tried with the other, but had to pull it back to kneel before he fell over. “Is there a trick to it? What do I do with the paddle while I’m standing up?”
“There is, and your paddle helps. Hold the paddle in both hands and lean your weight onto it while you get your feet under you, then stand up in one fluid motion. That way the paddle steadies you at first and ends up in your hands when you get up.”
“Easier said than done,” he muttered to himself while he tried again.
After three failed attempts, Tom was able to stand on his board. That garnered him more playful applauds from Leilani. Then he started to paddle over to her.
“Good job! And what’s your name, my star pupil?” Tom hadn’t introduced himself either.
“Oh, sorry. I’m Tom.”
“Well Tom, it’s nice to meet you.” She reached out and shook his hand resolutely and nearly pulled him off his board. “And your paddle is backwards.” Tom looked down at how the concave blade of his paddle faced the back of his board where hers was the other way. “Also, watch out for sudden waves.” And she pushed him in.
Under the water, Tom opened his eyes and looked up at the silhouette of his and Leilani’s boards, now farther away from each other from his kick when he fell. He turned over and looked down to see a school of fish swimming past a green sea turtle munching on some seaweed. He smiled in the quiet, then slowly swam back up to his board. Swimming was something that he could do.
When he broke the water, He turned to see Leilani sitting on her board with her feet crossed in front of her. She leaned back on her straightened arms and smiled cheerily up at the sky, enjoying the early rays.
“Why’d you push me? I was just getting the hang of it.” She smiled at him lolling her head back farther to absorb more sun.
“Two reasons,” she said dreamily, “to teach you how to get back onto your board in deep water… and that paddleboarding—like surfing—is an ocean sport. Your goal isn’t to stay dry.” He considered that for a moment with his elbows resting on the board and his feet slowly kicking against the water, pushing his board leisurely over to Leilani’s. “Paddleboarding is pure enjoyment, it’s about fun—about relishing what the ocean gives freely.” She rolled onto her stomach and rested her chin on her crossed arms. Her tanned legs curled over her rash guard-covered back with her ankles crossed. She looked truly at home on the water.
“So are you Hawaiian? Or where do you come from?” Tom asked, slowly getting onto his board on his stomach as well. She looked under her arm at him with her top eye closed to the sun.
“I was born here if that’s what you mean, and this is my home if that’s what you’re asking.” He wondered if he would ever feel like this was home.
“And where are you from, Tom?” she asked without opening her eyes, her hand holding the edge of his board so they wouldn’t drift apart. He reached out his arm to hold the edge of her board too. She smiled when their arms touched and his heart skipped a beat.
“Uh,” he cleared his throat. “I’m from Upstate New York, but most recently from Buffalo.”
“Oh, why did you move so far from everyone you know?” She opened her eyes and her brows furrowed together with her question.
“I guess I was done with the cold: climate-wise… and emotionally.”
“Hmmm. I get that.” She laid back onto her board with one leg bent, her knee extended up to the sky above her. “I’m surprised you aren’t more sunburned.” Tom looked away from her as she turned and looked up at the solitary cloud instead. Her look and small smile seeming to tell him that she had seen him looking at her.
“Well, you didn’t see me when I first got here.” They chuckled.
“Yeah, I guess not.” They laid there a little longer, Tom wanting to talk more but not wanting to interrupt her if she was enjoying the peace of the morning. That’s when Tom’s stomach growled loudly.
The sudden sound startled Leilani and her jump caused Tom to fall back into the water. When he resurfaced he saw Leilani laughing again, her cheeks a little pink.
“I’m sorry! I thought your stomach growling was a monk seal and they can be super mean. I didn’t mean to knock you off that time!” Tom didn’t say anything at all, he just calmly swam back to their boards and with a shove, rolled Leilani off her board into the water.
Leilani didn’t come up immediately which made Tom feel worried for a moment until she surfaced with a handful of sand that she poured onto his head with a wink. Tom shook his head smiling, feeling silly for worrying about her, and he rinsed the sand out.
They were treading water only an arm’s length from each other, now. Leilani whispered her next words more from the closeness than from need:
“So, I guess you’re pretty hungry?”
“Yeah, ‘monk seal’ hungry.” He whispered back. This earned him an eye roll but she didn’t stop smiling as she swam past him, purposely close enough to nudge him with her toes as she did. Tom thought of catching her ankle and pulling her back, but to do what exactly? He didn’t even know her that well yet.
Of course by the time he had thought through all of that she was already at her board and so he swam after her. On his arrival, Leilani performed her best drill sergeant expression.
“Alright then cadet, there’s just one more thing to do then…” She got back up onto her board, squeezing the water out of her dark hair.
“Okay… what is it?” She smiled mischievously.
“We have to surf back to shore!” With that, she was up on her feet and paddling on an angle towards a beach off to their right where some moderate swells were cresting and breaking.
Tom took a deep, stabilizing breath and hoisted himself up onto the board in a kneeling position. And with another breath, he managed to get up on his feet. Leilani had made headway while Tom was getting situated, so he started to pull the paddle through the water powerfully, speeding up to try and catch her.
The two of them raced to the waves, the water getting choppier. Tom’s balance was threatened on multiple occasions but he was pleased that he managed to stay up. He even managed to catch up to Leilani.
“Alright my star pupil! We’re going to catch the best one of these we can and then you’re going to take me to breakfast.” She winked at him. “I never said my class would be free.” Tom shrugged.
“Sounds fair… you can show me the best place to get food around here.” Her eyes lit up.
“Here one comes! This is it! Start paddling!” And he did.
They both paddled hard looking back at the surge of energy that the sea was sending them and glancing forward to the island that beckoned them in.
Tom felt at home.
He felt the sea course beneath him and suddenly the water was carrying him more than he was paddling. The wave crested and for the first time in a month, Tom surfed it.
“You’re doing it, Tom!” Leilani shouted ecstatically, riding the wave herself. Tom looked over to reply, but turning his head turned his body, and he lost his footing and fell.
The wave spun him around, trying to pull the paddle out of his hand. He was surprised that though there was some pain as he was beaten by the powerful water, there was no fear. It really was an ocean sport, like she said.
When Tom was able to get his head out of the water, he pulled his board back with his foot. It was shallow enough to walk into the beach and so he picked up the board under his arm and marched in. Leilani had ridden the wave all the way in and was standing on the sand waiting for him.
She waved then skipped off down the beach towards the showers. Tom smiled at her excitement. He saw her feet kick up sand and a small shell as she ran off. Then he remembered:
“My shell!” He had just been knocked around and crushed against the sand with the delicate treasure in his pocket.
He reached in, expecting to find beautifully colored shards, but out came the shell, fully intact.
“Wow…” he looked up at Leilani again who was miming how cold the shower was with exaggerated shivering. “This really is a lucky day.”
With that thought, Tom ran to take his turn in the showers with the sun beaming down on his new island home.
The End.