It was just like any other Saturday on the peaceful island of Maui. Tonight there would be another luau, hosted by my family and ran by my father who made sure that the fiery explosions, exquisite cuisine, and magnificent singers were all in place. I, however, looked up how the surf was this morning and saw the forecasted waves were supposed to be around twelve feet, which is pretty good. “Father! I must go to the ocean today. Oh please?” I begged. “Kalana, sweetie, you know how much we need your help setting up for the luau tonight. If you plan on taking over my business you need to cut off your infatuation with the ocean,” answered her father. “Okay dad, but the waves are too good to pass up today, I will be home around two o’clock to help then,” I calmly replied.

I launched my purple surfboard into the back of my all black Jeep Wrangler and zoomed off to Kaupui beach. After a short drive I parked on the sand and came to a strange conclusion: only two other people are surfing. “It is not early and the surf is good, why wouldn’t anyone be here?” I confusingly thought to myself. I shook off my worried feeling and crept into the quiet waters.

I used my arms and legs to propel me further away from the ocean shores and closer to the huge waves. I gulped down my fear as I realized I may not be experienced enough to ride these waves, but I started to paddle on top of the swelling wave. As the wave progressed towards the shore and grew taller I just up onto my feet and rode the wave for a long and calming 45 seconds. “Woohoooooo!” I bellowed as my excitement overwhelmed me. That feeling was so nice, almost as if I was floating.

I paddled back out into the jaws of the ocean but this time was different. I realized why there were not many surfers on Kaupui beach this Saturday morning: the low tide revealed coral beds on the reef which would be a death trap to even the most experienced surfers. I tried my hardest to avoid drifting left towards the reefs of gnarled, pastel-colored coral, but it seemed as if the ocean had a mind of it’s own. This mind wanted me to get trapped in the coral! I began to panic are fear engulfed my body and I tried with all my physical power to swim away on my small, floral printed, purple surfboard. But all my might wasn’t enough.

I was sucked forcefully under by the water’s strength and i felt the sharp coral reefs on my toes. I popped back up and screamed as hard as my lungs could, “Someone help me, help!” I was forced under the water once again, but this time was different. My ankle was wedged between two snarls of coral. I began to shriek but my screams were silenced by the water…

“Who are you?” I could barely mutter as the ocean water filled my lungs. I coughed up water several times as he patted my back soothing me. “My name is Kian, I’m new to Maui. I just moved here because I researched that the surf here is so much better than any of the places I had been to before.” Kian began to search my body for any other scratches and I saw my ankle and started to scream. “No no you will be fine, paramedics are on their way here as we speak, just focus on me and keep talking,” replied this handsome man I had just met.

“Wait what happened to me?” I panicked. I glanced at my ankle and saw a pool of blood forming in the sand around the gash and I nearly fainted. “ The current pulled you down to the coral beds and you got stuck. If it weren’t for me you would have drowned. You’re lucky that I heard you because this beach seemed to almost be deserted this morning.” Kians worried expression shrank a little as he saw I became more comfortable with him. “I need to get back to my father, the luau will be starting soon!” I worriedly spoke. Kian disregarded what I just said as the paramedics arrived.

“Kian, please stay with me,” I begged. He nodded and followed into the van. The paramedics immediately assured me that I would be okay but that I would just need a minor surgery. Relief masked my face and Kian kissed me. “I think I like this man,” I mischievously thought to myself…

Two weeks later I was up and moving again on crutches and Kian had stayed with me to make sure I wouldn’t hurt myself again. He met my family and my dad came to love him, apparently he had won the national surfing championships last year and he was trying to win again. We ended up dating and after all my dad wasn’t mad at me for missing the luau that night.