Tides

Chapter 1 - Siblings

LUNA

Today will be a special day. I felt it in my heart since the moment I woke up. To the rest of the village, it probably seems like a regular day; the sun burns bright and hot, and the breeze is strong, perfect for good waves.

I park my car behind our store and look at the back seat. My little nephew Beau has fallen asleep again in his car seat. I live together with my two brothers and Beau, and I bring my nephew with me to work as the guys get up at five in the morning on Saturdays to catch the waves.

After grabbing my bags, I open the door to unbuckle him from his seat. The sun shines on his face, and he lets out a wail. I am used to it by now. Beau is grumpy in the mornings and hates it when I wake him up to go to the store.

"Come on, sweetie. You can lie down again when we are inside," I coo.

I walk around the building towards the store entrance. Opening the door and turning on the lights while carrying Beau and my bags in one arm is a challenge. We have made a cozy and safe corner for our little boy in the storage area, but we were only fooling ourselves as we can't keep him contained. He loves to play around the store and likes to charm the hell out of the female customers. Excellent for the business I must admit.

Beau rolls on his side as I lay him down on the camping bed and continues sleeping. I hope he gives me a full hour of peace before he wakes up again. A thick curl falls on his forehead and makes him look like his dad, my younger brother Dax.

I finish turning on the lights in the store and the displays. Our store, Kalani, gets its name after our surname and it's on a busy boulevard in front of the Sea Glass Beach. We sell gear and apparel to practice surfing. My older brother Skye and our friend Kay Hale give surfing lessons to many of our customers just like Dad used to do.

The jolly faces of my father and grandfather greet me like every day. I caress their faces on the photo taped next to the computer monitor. My father, Ash Kalani, is an awesome surfer, just like his sons. Everybody loves to be around him. He now lives in the mountains where he teaches snowboarding. His dad, my grandpa Joseph, was an adventurous Hawaiian fisherman with a booming laughter who taught him to love the waves. I still miss my grandpa a lot. We used to sit by the docks, and he would tell me stories while sharing a candy bar with me.

Dad tried to begin this business right after he got married to my mom, who studied at the local community college and worked as a waitress. He started it by repairing boards in a tiny hut for the visitors of the beach. The business expanded, not without plenty of hardship, and became what it is today. The store has changed location throughout the years, but I love where we are now at the end of the Boulevard.

Our parents divorced when I was seven years old but stayed friends. Mom remarried a few years later to a lovely Spanish guy called Alberto, but didn't have kids of their own. I guess we were such a handful when we were younger, she wanted no more children. Our dad dated and enjoyed life, but didn't remarry.

The salty breeze comes into the store as I open the front door wider. The three figures sitting on the sand make me smile. Their boards stand next to them, and I feel pride at my work. Dax sits in the middle, the tallest of the three, and Skye and Kay flank him. The reason they come so early on Saturdays is to enjoy the water when nobody is around. Surfers dislike a crowded sea.

I move the display of sunscreen outside, our best-selling product, then walk back to the counter to start up the computer and payment system. The baby monitor next to the register is still silent. I read two emails we received from suppliers and forward them to Dax. As I check on the appointments for today, I realize that Skye and Kay have a full agenda, and we also have a waiting list in case of a cancellation.