Free In Too Deep by D C Grant Page A

view a second later, carrying his surfboard. Josh was surprised. He’d not expected him to come back after he’d stormed off the day before.
    “Hi,” Hayden said as he poked his head around the lounge door. “Are we surfing today?”
    “I guess so,” Josh said. “I’ll get my board.”
    Surfing was much better than dwelling on the dream and wondering when his mother was coming back.
    “You got wax?” Josh asked as they made their way off the deck.
    “A-huh,” Hayden answered, patting a pocket in his boardies.
    “Great, let’s go catch some waves.”
    They set off down the road, in the direction of South Piha. As they splashed through the stream, Josh looked ahead to see if he could spot Gina, but she wasn’t on the beach.
    He studied the sea conditions. The wind had changed direction overnight and was now coming from the northeast. After days of southwest wind, the swell was still rolling in towards the shore and the offshore wind was acting on the water to from a perfect wave, a long break that peeled away from Camel Rock and rolled to shore without breaks. And he was going to be stuck in the shallows with a grommet.
    He decided that if Hayden couldn’t make it onto his board today, then he was going to give up on him and leave him to sort it out himself. But when Hayden made an attempt in the shore break, he was up on his board, balancing with his arms outstretched, not quite standing, but on his feet all the same. He was riding the wave. He continued the short distance to the shore and stepped off the board into the shallow water.
    “How did you manage that?” Josh asked him as Hayden came towards him.
    “I practised yesterday after you’d gone off with Gina. I got it right in the end.”
    “Why didn’t you say something?”
    “I didn’t think you wanted to know. You were involved with other things.”
    Josh ignored the sideswipe and looked wistfully at the breaking waves.
    “I think you’re ready for the real thing,” he said.
    “You’re sure?” Hayden asked.
    “There’s only one way to learn. You’re a strong swimmer so I don’t think you’ll get into any trouble. The surf’s good at the moment so if you’re going to make it, today’s the day.”
    “Right,” Hayden said as he followed Josh into deeper water.
    Josh showed Hayden how to pass through the breaking waves and to stay in the white water away from the surfers that were already up and riding. Hayden kept up with Josh as they made their way out to the backline and Josh relaxed, knowing that Hayden would be able to take care of himself.
    Josh chose a spot away from the main body of surfers, straddled his board and waited for Hayden to catch up.
    “I don’t know how to tell you how to do it,” Josh said to Hayden as he drew closer. “You’ll just have to try for yourself. You’re going to fall off so when you do, go for the white water, when your board will be ahead of you. If you get into trouble, just hold an arm straight up in the air and the lifeguards will pick you up. There’s only one way to learn and that’s by just doing it. Look, I’ll show you.”
    Josh swung his board around as the sea welled up behind them, and paddled quickly to propel his board forward. The swell lifted the board and he was on the lip. He gave one last overarm stroke, then, in one movement, he was up on his board and carving down the face of the wave, his arms spread out for balance. He rode the wave for only a short distance, then flicked out and paddled back to Hayden.
    “Go on, paddle,” Josh said as he reached him. “See if you can catch this one.”
    Hayden copied what Josh had done, but as soon as he made an attempt to stand, he wiped out. He appeared a few seconds later, coughing and gasping for air.
    “You’re supposed to close your mouth when you fall,” Josh shouted out to him.
    Hayden, unable to speak, made an obscene gesture and Josh laughed.
    “Try again,” Josh encouraged him.
    Pulling a face, Hayden paddled