Read Online The Mermaid's Mirror by L. K. Madigan - Free Book Online
Authors: L. K. Madigan
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tossed the green soft-top board next to him and put her hands on her hips, looking at Lena.
"I've heard you're a good swimmer," she said.
"I am."
"That's good. Because a surfer whose board has gotten away from her is just a swimmer, okay? You wear a leash for the board, but leashes can break. And surfing is hard workâyou can get tired real fast out there in the water. In fact, I suggest you start doing pushups to build your upper-body strength, okay?"
"Okay."
"Great. Which foot are you?"
"What?"
"Which foot are you? Regular or goofy?"
"Um..."
"Don't you skateboard?"
"No."
"Really? I always thought every surfer was a skater, too."
Lena shrugged. She didn't care about rolling on concrete ... she wanted to be in the water.
"Okay, here's what we're going to do," said Ani. She walked around Lena and stood behind her. "Just relax. I'm not going to do anything to hurt you. Do you trust me?"
"Sure." Lena stood still, waiting tensely.
A long moment passed, while they stood in silence. Lena tried to relax, listening to the lull of the surf, watching the perfectly formed waves roll onto the shore, one by one. Suddenly, Ani shoved her. Lena instinctively put out her right foot to keep herself from falling.
"Aha! A goofy-foot,"s aid Ani.
"A what?"
"I wanted to see which foot you put forward to catch yourself. You put your right foot out first, so your stance on the board will be right foot forward, otherwise known as goofy-foot. Left foot is regular."
"Left foot is...?"
"Regular. Sorry if I startled you. That's just the best way I know to find your stance."
"That's okay."
"Of course, if it ends up feeling wrong while you're surfing, then by all means try the other foot. It's not a perfect system." She smiled. "Now come sit down with me for a while."
Lena sat down on the board next to Ani.
Kai had finished waxing his board and now leaped on top of it, singing the chorus from "Greased Lightning."
Lena cracked up, watching him wiggle his hips and flap his knees open and closed.
Ani rolled her eyes. After a moment, she said, "I'm sorry to say, Midget, but you're no Danny Zuko."
"I know I'm not," said Kai. "I got the part of Kenickie."
"Then why are you learning 'Greased Lightning'?"
"Because we're doing the stage version of
Grease.
Kenickie gets to sing that song, not Danny."
"Oh. Well, that's great, but now I need you to shut up, okay?"
Kai sat down on his board, winking at Lena.
"We're just going to watch the shorebreak for a while, Lena," said Ani. "Every time you get ready to surf, before you get into the water you need to sit with the waves first, to see how they're breaking. Just sit and watch them for a few minutes. Are they breaking big or small? Are they coming one on top of the other, or are they spread out? And watch for a rip. Have you ever gotten caught in a rip tide?"
Lena nodded.
"So you know to swim parallel to shore until you're out of it. Don't try to fight it."
They sat quietly. Lena glanced over at Ani, who was studying the waves intently.
Doesn't everyone know how to do this?
thought Lena. She had been "reading" the waves as plainly as if they were books for as long as she could remember. It had never occurred to her that some people had to be taught how to do it.
"Perfect," murmured Ani. "Nice, mushy waves. Good for beginners."
She looked at Lena, and now her expression was stern. "Next thing, before we even get in the water, I want to remind you that this isn't a swimming pool. This is Mother Nature, and she is powerful. Respect her power. Learn to protect yourself, because this Mother has no loyalty. Once you've learned how to take care of yourself,
then
you'll be able to have fun."
Kai stood up and said, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just let her get in the water." He caressed Lena's cheek and said, "See you out there."
As Kai splashed into the water and lay down on his board, Ani said, "Let's watch him for a few minutes. Then we'll get in, I promise."
"Okay."
"See how he's got his
"I've heard you're a good swimmer," she said.
"I am."
"That's good. Because a surfer whose board has gotten away from her is just a swimmer, okay? You wear a leash for the board, but leashes can break. And surfing is hard workâyou can get tired real fast out there in the water. In fact, I suggest you start doing pushups to build your upper-body strength, okay?"
"Okay."
"Great. Which foot are you?"
"What?"
"Which foot are you? Regular or goofy?"
"Um..."
"Don't you skateboard?"
"No."
"Really? I always thought every surfer was a skater, too."
Lena shrugged. She didn't care about rolling on concrete ... she wanted to be in the water.
"Okay, here's what we're going to do," said Ani. She walked around Lena and stood behind her. "Just relax. I'm not going to do anything to hurt you. Do you trust me?"
"Sure." Lena stood still, waiting tensely.
A long moment passed, while they stood in silence. Lena tried to relax, listening to the lull of the surf, watching the perfectly formed waves roll onto the shore, one by one. Suddenly, Ani shoved her. Lena instinctively put out her right foot to keep herself from falling.
"Aha! A goofy-foot,"s aid Ani.
"A what?"
"I wanted to see which foot you put forward to catch yourself. You put your right foot out first, so your stance on the board will be right foot forward, otherwise known as goofy-foot. Left foot is regular."
"Left foot is...?"
"Regular. Sorry if I startled you. That's just the best way I know to find your stance."
"That's okay."
"Of course, if it ends up feeling wrong while you're surfing, then by all means try the other foot. It's not a perfect system." She smiled. "Now come sit down with me for a while."
Lena sat down on the board next to Ani.
Kai had finished waxing his board and now leaped on top of it, singing the chorus from "Greased Lightning."
Lena cracked up, watching him wiggle his hips and flap his knees open and closed.
Ani rolled her eyes. After a moment, she said, "I'm sorry to say, Midget, but you're no Danny Zuko."
"I know I'm not," said Kai. "I got the part of Kenickie."
"Then why are you learning 'Greased Lightning'?"
"Because we're doing the stage version of
Grease.
Kenickie gets to sing that song, not Danny."
"Oh. Well, that's great, but now I need you to shut up, okay?"
Kai sat down on his board, winking at Lena.
"We're just going to watch the shorebreak for a while, Lena," said Ani. "Every time you get ready to surf, before you get into the water you need to sit with the waves first, to see how they're breaking. Just sit and watch them for a few minutes. Are they breaking big or small? Are they coming one on top of the other, or are they spread out? And watch for a rip. Have you ever gotten caught in a rip tide?"
Lena nodded.
"So you know to swim parallel to shore until you're out of it. Don't try to fight it."
They sat quietly. Lena glanced over at Ani, who was studying the waves intently.
Doesn't everyone know how to do this?
thought Lena. She had been "reading" the waves as plainly as if they were books for as long as she could remember. It had never occurred to her that some people had to be taught how to do it.
"Perfect," murmured Ani. "Nice, mushy waves. Good for beginners."
She looked at Lena, and now her expression was stern. "Next thing, before we even get in the water, I want to remind you that this isn't a swimming pool. This is Mother Nature, and she is powerful. Respect her power. Learn to protect yourself, because this Mother has no loyalty. Once you've learned how to take care of yourself,
then
you'll be able to have fun."
Kai stood up and said, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just let her get in the water." He caressed Lena's cheek and said, "See you out there."
As Kai splashed into the water and lay down on his board, Ani said, "Let's watch him for a few minutes. Then we'll get in, I promise."
"Okay."
"See how he's got his
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