Chapter 21

Chin hated to see his cousin so sad. In fact sad didn't even cover the look in her eyes. She was filled with a magnitude of emotions following her surfing accident. Chin had watched over her as she lay in a hospital bed where a doctor told her she would never surf professionally again. She had screamed and cried and hit him repeatedly as he stepped in to try and calm her down. Her mother had begged her to stop hitting him but he had whispered in her ear and told her to do what she needed to do, so he held her taking every hit.

She had been released from the hospital the day before, and her parents had asked nobody to visit until she was better. They thought she needed space and time to digest the news but all she needed was someone to support her and get her back up on a board.

Chin knew he shouldn't be at hers, he knew he should listen to her parents and give her a few days to calm down but he also knew that Kono needed him. Even if it was to just shout at him Chin vowed he would be that person if that was what Kono needed. So he stood on the front porch and knocked on the door waiting for an answer. It was Kono's mother Nani who answered the door and as she looked at her nephew she knew she couldn't prevent him from seeing Kono.

"Go ahead"

"Thank you"

Chin knocked on the white bedroom door and peered round it. Kono lay on the bed with her eyes fixed on the ceiling with a cold hard stare. Her body was ridged and her left knee was wrapped up after the surgery. Chin padded across the room and noticed her finger twitch so he knew she had realised his presence.

"Hey"

"Go away Chin"

"Kono please…"

"No! I don't want to talk to you…I don't want to talk to anyone" Kono snapped angrily.

"Cuz you can't let this stop you…"

"But it has!"

"So what you can't surf professionally that doesn't mean you can't do other stuff your young"

"I don't want to listen to you trying to make me feel better whatever you say wont work so just go!"

"No"

"Chin"

"Kono I will sit here in silence with you until you're ready to talk I won't leave you and let you deal with this alone" Chin stated firmly as he lay down next to her with his arm around her back.

She sighed stubbornly and kept her fix on the ceiling refusing to look at her cousin. The two lay in silence for a long while before Chin spoke.

"I'm proud of you cuz" Chin said softly.

"Why …I failed"

"No you didn't"

Kono sighed in annoyance not in the mood for a heart to heart.

"I fucked up and now I can't surf, I lost the competition so no Chin you can't be proud of me" Kono bit.

"You could look at it as you couldn't have predicted the wave, you can surf again and you maybe didn't win this competition but you've won many others."

"I hate you right now"

Chin scoffed and flicked her head.

"Liar"

"Are you disappointed in me?"

"Never"

"I don't know what to do now Chin"

"Don't worry about it right now just work on getting better"

"I have to surf again it's my life"

"I promise you I will get you back on a board cuz"

"I've never been so scared Chin"

"Well you have me cuz so you don't need to be scared I'll always be here for you"

Kono wiped a stray tear and rolled awkwardly into Chin's side.

"Tell me your favourite surf event"

"Why?"

"To remember the good time of surfing"

"Ergh" Kono drawled.

"Come on"

"Bali"

"Mine to"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah although I've loved watching you surf since you first got on a board"

"You're my biggest fan"

"Sure am"

"Cuz"

"Hmm"

"Love you"

"Love you too"