Marco paddled forward, trying to catch the wave. He was too late; the wave crashed over him. He had been trying at this for hours. He had not caught a single wave.
Every Big Islander had to catch a wave at some point in order to have any social significance. Up until now, Marco had lived in a world of humiliation and isolation. He didn’t really care what other people thought of him. He also hadn’t cared about surfing, until yesterday afternoon.
He had gone in to apply for a job. It was a simple, minimum-wage job, perfect for a junior in high school. When the boss had interviewed him, he had done pretty well until she asked the question.
“Have you ever caught a wave while surfing?”
“Um… No.”
“Oh. I’m sorry. You can’t have this job. I suggest you take surfing lessons.”
That was it. No explanation to why. Maybe it was because he had applied for a job at a surf shop. But it was the only job available, so he had to catch a wave. He tried again and again to no avail. Maybe another round of lessons would help.
The round of lessons did not help. Marco walked home, defeated. His mom was making dinner in the kitchen. His dad and sister were in Oakland, California on a soccer trip. His sister was one of the best soccer players on the Big Island.
As he sat down, his mom asked him how his day was.
“Not good. Remember when I applied for that job yesterday?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I have to have caught a wave in order to do it.”
“Oh. I see. Have you considered lessons?”
“Yes! I’ve tried! I’ve taken every lesson twice! I just can’t do it!”
Marco banged his head on the table a couple times.
“Well, have you been trying to catch small waves, or big waves?”
“Big waves.”
“There’s your problem. You’re just a beginner. You can’t catch big waves after your second day of surfing. Start small. Small waves count as ‘catching a wave.”
“Okay, Mom.”
Marco went to bed. The next morning, he got up early and went to the beach, surfboard in hand. He got in and looked for a small wave. There wasn’t one. Marco went out and tried to practice with big waves. He fell and crashed every time. Finally, when he was about to leave, he noticed a small wave a few hundred feet out.
He got ready for it to come. He paddled and paddled. The wave caught him and lifted him up. Quickly he sprang up and stood on the surfboard, balancing. He rode the wave all the way back to shore. Many beachgoers started clapping for him. Marco had done it! He had caught his first wave! He marched right down to the surf shop and asked for a re-interview. The boss agreed, having seen his successful surf.
Twenty minutes later, Marco walked out with a new job. He had done it! He had caught his first wave!