The Typhoon

    The board was slippery under my feet from the water. I'm going to fall if I don’t get out of the tunnel wave soon, but it’s closing fast and I don’t know if I can get out soon enough. Panic was rushing over me.

    "Tiffany, wake up it’s almost time for school,"  my mom urges me while she’s shaking me awake.  I opened my eyes; it was just a dream.  I was breathing pretty hard, but I’m lucky my mom didn’t notice or else she’d be all over me. "Oh yeah, mom, do you have the sign up sheet for the surfing competition?" I asked because of the dream. "I have to bring in..."

    "Tiffy, Tiffy," my brother Cody yelled, interrupting me, "There’s going to be a...a typhoon!" he stammered, panicking.

    "But there can’t be a typhoon, what about..." This time, the radio interrupted me with some alarming news that answered my question.

    "The surfing competition at Kalihiwae Bay will be held off until further notice, because of the typhoon," said the lady on the radio.

    "Ugh, but that’s not fair!" I shouted.  I'm frustrated with the weather lady, even thought it wasn’t her fault.

    "Tiffany, you have to get to school," said my mom acting only a little bit concerned.  So I marched out the door, furious with the weather.

    School went on, boring, like any other school day is, but walking home was the worst part.  It was pouring and there was also a really fierce wind. "The first day of the typhoon, I thought quietly to myself as I stumbled into my hous, winning the struggle against the wind to shut the door.

    The next few days went on like that and the weather got worse and worse.  I looked out the window every day and wondered if I’d ever get the chance to be in the surfing competition.  The next morning I just happened to look out the window to see the sun shining and the palm trees swaying in the cool Hawaiian breeze. "Yes, the stupid typhoon is over," I shouted. "Cody, turn on the radio!"

    "Ok!" he shouted back.  I think he’s a little bit excited too.

    "And here is the weather forecast for today, it looks like the typhoon has blown over and we all know what that means… bring on the surfing competition!"

    "Yes!" I cried leaping into the air.

    "The surfing competition will be held at twelve o’clock Saturday.  This is Marty Wallace with an eye on the sky."

    I went to bed that night overjoyed with what I heard on the radio that afternoon.  The only thing that was bothering me was the dream I had the other night.

    I got up right away the next morning.  It was Saturday, the day of the competition!  I was so excited!  It was almost twelve o’clock and I was waxing my board in the garage, all ready to get in the car. 

    Finally my mom called, "Tiffany, Cody, get in the car, it’s time to go!"

    "Coming," I called back.  I put my board in the trunk and hopped into the van.  I had butterflies in my stomach, all the way to Kalihiwae Bay.  We pulled up onto the hot sand.  It was so crowded!  There were already people in the water practicing.  I rushed up to the shore with my board under my arm and checked in with the judges. 

    "All competitors please line up behind the judging desk, all competitors!" said a voice speaking into the megaphone. I walked up and stood behind a girl who looked about my age. I waited and waited, but the line didn't seem to be moving. 

    "Tiffany, you're up," said the man at the judging desk. I grabbed my board and started paddling into the waves. I waited a second until I caught a good wave, and then I stood up on my board, and right away I was swept into the tunnel, but it was closing fast just like in my dream. I knew that if I wanted to get back to shore I would have to move to the front of my board and put all of my weight on it. I did and almost lost my balance, but I was speeding toward the opening. When I felt the hot sun on my back, I heaved a sigh of relief. I caught another wave that brought me back to shore.

    Hearing the applauding crowd, I smiled to myself. I looked up and saw my scores, 9.87 and… a Perfect 10! "Yes," I said, picking my board up and running over to Cody and Mom. I had a humongous grin on my face, and just knowing that I was going to win.

    We waited until the end of the competition, when they announced the scores: "3^rd Place; Caitlin Mahalea, 2^nd Place; Cliff Johansson, 1^st Place… Tiffany Dato!"

    "Yes, I did it!" I exclaimed.

    "I knew you could do it," said my mom hugging me. This is the best day of my life.