Still Waving by Laurene Kelly Page A

clock. It was nine-thirty. ‘I don’t think it’s too late.’
    â€˜I’m going to bed. Goodnight, Julie.’ Aunt Jean kissed me on the cheek. ‘Sleep well.’
    â€˜You too. What time are you leaving in the morning?’
    â€˜Seven-thirty.’
    â€˜I’ll have breakfast with you. If I’m not awake, wake me. I doubt I’ll be going surfing tomorrow if the weather’s as wild as this.’
    I dialled Kate’s number. I thought no one was going to answer. I was thinking up a message for the machine when she answered. I got the usual shock at hearing a real voice.
    â€˜Hi, it’s Jules.’
    â€˜Hi Jules, I didn’t think you were going to ring.’
    â€˜Is it too late?’ I hoped it wasn’t.
    â€˜Hell no. I was watching TV. My sister had to go into work. Some crisis about something or other. What are you up to?’
    â€˜Not much. My Aunt Jean has a lump in her breast. She’s having a biopsy tomorrow.’ I looked atmy nails. ‘We’ve just been talking and stuff. We had a game of Scrabble.’
    â€˜Scrabble!’
    â€˜Don’t you like Scrabble?’
    â€˜Never played. It looks boring,’ Kate answered dismissively.
    I decided not to respond. It wasn’t worth it. How could people be so sure they didn’t like something if they hadn’t tried it?
    â€˜Hope your aunt’s okay.’
    â€˜Me too.’
    â€˜Have you heard of Rell Sunn?’ Kate asked.
    â€˜I don’t think so.’
    â€˜She was a cool Hawaiian surfer from the sixties. They called her the heart of the sea.’
    â€˜I’ve never heard of her.’
    â€˜I think she was the world’s best woman surfer in a whole kind of way.’
    â€˜What do you mean?’
    â€˜You know, holistic. Rell Sunn was like a spirit of the ocean. She started surfing when she was four, like me.’
    â€˜You’re so lucky to have started so young.’
    â€˜I know. Sometimes Rell would sit on a chair on her surfboard.’
    We both laughed.
    â€˜Would you try that?’ I asked.
    â€˜I have tried it but I haven’t been able to do it yet. I just fall off,’ Kate laughed.
    â€˜I’d be too embarrassed to try that here.’
    â€˜Rell even took her dog surfing.’
    â€˜Wow.’
    â€˜She said that the dog knew it was special if you took it surfing.’
    I thought of the only dog I ever had, Jesse. I pictured her on the nose of the board, smiling at the waves.
    â€˜I’m going to look up Rell Sunn in the library or online,’ I said.
    â€˜Rell’s famous.’ Kate paused. ‘Hey, you should come up to my place sometime. We could practise sitting on chairs.’
    â€˜Have you got a dog?’
    â€˜Yeah, it’s my younger brother’s. Spot.’
    Spot, I couldn’t believe anyone really called their dog Spot, but I didn’t say anything. For all I knew, Kate could have named it.
    â€˜Would you take Spot surfing?’
    â€˜No. He wouldn’t stand still. He’s a Dalmatian. Hyperactive . You know after the movie craze, everyone had to have one. My brother got him as a birthday present, and stupidly called him Spot. It’s better than Measles, I suppose.’
    I laughed, partly out of relief that Kate thought it a stupid name, and because of the thought of a dogcalled Measles.
    â€˜Maybe when I get my licence and car, I could drive up.’
    â€˜Are you getting your licence?’
    â€˜I’m going to try. My aunt’s going to give me lessons.’
    â€˜I’m getting mine next February.’
    â€˜Great.’
    There was silence.
    â€˜Rell Sunn died of breast cancer,’ Kate said quietly.
    â€˜What?’
    â€˜Sorry, I don’t mean to freak you out or anything. I just thought I ought to tell you.’
    â€˜God, Kate. I hope Aunt Jean hasn’t got it. I’d die.’ I felt scared, as if I was hurtling towards a