You Understand Me. Ch. 1 Part 1

Kaka slapped her tail down, sending a spray of water over me, my dad and the other trainers. I grinned enough to make my dad happy. South View Water Park was home to tons of water rides, awesome gift shops and cool, fun booths, but one of my favorite places in the whole park was here, with my dad. British Columbia, Canada wasn’t my real home. I’d been born in New York, a friend of the crazy city life and was content their. But Dad had a passion for something else. He finally had enough money to move somewhere where he could train dolphins and whales. He chose Florida. We had left New York when I was eight and Florida wasn’t my favorite place. Orlando was okay, but not as great as New York and I often complained. My mom was still in New York and I was torn between my dad and my mom. I loved them both. Dad was so cool and full of adventure, something I loved. But Mom lived somewhere familiar and was all alone. Dad had his whales and dolphins. I stayed with Mom till I was nine, half a year in New York. But I missed my dad and went to stay with him till I was ten, another half year. Then I had to make a choice. Mom or Dad and only visits allowed. Who I picked would be my major guardian. I chose Dad. Mom was fine with visits and was boring, although New York itself was not. So after the decision was made, Dad wanted to move on. They had stuck him with seals in Sea World, had enough whale and dolphin trainers they said. He didn’t want to work with seals. So we moved again. This time to California; Dad was sure there would be dolphins to train there. Wrong. Aquariums had as many trainers as they wanted, so after a year of searching, we moved again. Dad knew there were Orcas in British Columbia, so that was our finally stop. Dad promised if he didn’t find a job with whales here, he’d do something else and we’d still stay. I was eleven. South View had just opened then. They needed trainers and Dad jumped at the chance. It was the summer and I wanted a little extra cash. They said if I came and worked, helping out mainly, they’d pay me. I reluctantly agreed. A year has gone by since then. It’s the summer again and I’m twelve. Kaka is our only female Orca at the park. Ricky is the male that we just got.
“Kaka!” Dad called. “Kaka, wave! That’s right girl. Can you wave to Allie?”
Kaka waved her fin and I smiled. I was still just a little uneasy around them. They were HUGE creatures and could easily crush a human. Most of the time I sorted their fish and cleaned the buckets. Sometimes I watched my dad. Dad beamed as if Kaka was his own and he’d taught her the most amazing thing ever.
“Allie. You wanna try?”
I smiled uneasily. I didn’t have a thing for water animals. I was born in New York City, hello.
“Um, no thanks Dad. Jeremy probably needs me to wash some more buckets. It sounds like they just got down with the seal show.”
He smiled back. “Okay.”
Sure enough, the guy in charge, Jeremy, was looking for me.
“Amanda, glad I found you.”
“Uh, its Allie.”
“Whatever. The seal show is done. We need some clean buckets for the dolphin one in ten minutes.”
“’Kay.”
After washing the buckets I cut and sorted some more fish. Dad found me right when I was finishing up.
“Hey Al, you want some lunch?”
“Sure.”
When the lunch break was finished I had some free time.
“Come to the tank with me Al.”
“Uh, sure.”
Whales are just whales to me. I like dolphins a little more since they’re playful. And sort of small. But whales, especially Orcas, are huge. They aren’t the perfect playmate and splash tons of water on you. Dolphins don’t splash so much. After watching Dad feed and pet Kaka, I was bored.
“Hey Dad, I’m going to the dolphin tank!
“All right honey, have a good time.”
On the way out I bumped into a kid about ten years old, two years younger than me, a girl. She had long brown hair, brown bangs (out of style) and hazel eyes. She seemed excited.
“Hey, is this the Orca tank?”
“Yeah. Why? The show’s in thirty minutes.”
“I don’t care when the show is, I wanna see the Orcas.”
O-kay. This kid was obviously an Orca freak.
“Kaka’s practicing right now. I think you can watch.”
“Great!”
She ran down and put her elbows on the wall that surrounded the tank. Her eyes sparkled like crazy as she watched Kaka splash and swim. She laughed when the water sprayed over her. I ran ahead to the dolphin area. I got down on my knees; rolling my shorts up just above my kneecaps and untying my white t-shirt from its rubber band that made it look cool. With my hand I splashed the water, signaling them. Ella, one of the two female dolphins surfaced.
“Hey girl.” I rubbed her rubber head and Lance popped up. “Hey boy, got a girlfriend?” I laughed. Lance is the only boy and he can have either Ella or Jackie, the girl dolphins. I fetched a fish and threw it in there mouths. Jackie came up, clicking like crazy. I threw a ball to the middle of their tank and watched them fly to get it. In the end Lance came back empty. So did Jackie. Ella threw the ball from her mouth to me. I laughed. “Okay, Ella gets another fish.”
After half an hour I went back to the Orca area, I would probably have to help wash out the buckets from the show, might as well be early. The show had started and I spotted the excited brown haired girl nearly popping out of her seat as she watched them jump. I yawned in my head. They were just a bunch of big whales that could do tricks. Who cares? Obviously Brown Hair did. At the end of the show she clapped her hands the most, nearly smashing them together.
“Uh, hi, I didn’t get your name before.” She turned and looked at me.
“Ali Lester.”
I gapped.
“M-my name’s Allie too. Allie Mill.”
She looked at me funny. “A-L-I, Ali or A-L-L-I-E, Allie?”
“A-L-L-I-E.”
“Oh. I’m A-L-I.”
“Oh.”
Dad came up behind me.
“Allie, who’s your friend.”
Ali’s eyes exploded.
“Y-you’re the trainer. Of Kaka. I loved it!”
He smiled.
“Thanks you.” He reached out a hand and Ali took it and they shook hands. “What’s your name?”
“Ali. A-L-I.”
“Well, it’s nice to meet you Ali. This is my daughter, Allie. With an extra l and an e.”
“I know.”
“Allie, why not you go introduce Ali to the whales.”
“Really?” Ali bounced onto her toes.
I smiled, trying to act happy. “Sure. Come on.”
We got down the area where the Orcas could come up, you know, on the platform thing. Well, it’s not really a platform. I wiggled my hand and got Kaka to come up. She was the most gentle. I patted her nose, then sat back on my heels. Ali’s hand shook as she glided her hand over to touch her. But when her fingers meet the rubbery object, it was like fireworks. She patted and rubbed, then leaned over and gave Kaka’s nose a kiss!
“Wow. You really like her.”
“I’ve only seen Orcas on T.V and in movies. I’ve dreamed of seeing on. I couldn’t even imagine touching one.”
“Well, you got your chance.”
Why can’t this kid just leave? I thought. I wanna go see Jackie and Ella. They’re just whales. This was seriously boring. But Ali was having a great time. Just then, a lady with smooth brown hair pilled high came into the arena. She was in a white blouse, a brown skirt that came to her knees and brown heels. A cute brown purse was in one hand, the other held cotton candy. She must be lost.
“Uh, Ma’am . . .”
“Ali!”
The woman, most likely Ms. Lester, clacked down the rock benches/stairs and came to the edge of the rusty green fence separating us from where the viewers would be.
“Mom?”
“Get out of there right now! Those beasts-whales- could hurt you!”
As if to horrify her mother more, Ali leaned over and hugged Kaka. I thought I heard a gasp go into Ms. Lester’s mouth, but it could have been Kaka or one of the other whales breathing.
“I said get out. Now.”
A reluctant and sad Ali obeyed her mother and opened the gate.
“I told you to meet me at the entrance at three o’clock. It’s three fifteen. I’ve been worried sick. And look, I bought you some cotton candy.”
Ali took it, but not with a grin as most kids would. It seemed like she was being remote controlled to do it.
“I’m sorry Ma’am.” I broke in. “My dad, he’s a trainer, met Ali and thought she’d like to meet the whales. He couldn’t introduce her, he was busy. And since I’m allowed down here, he had me. Sorry.”
She frowned at me, sunny glassed on her nose.
“Well, tell your father never to let my daughter near those things again.”
I willed Kaka with all my might to not slap her tail. I heard it rise from the water. No Kaka. I pleaded in my mind. Don’t’ do it. Don’t-. Too late. SPLASH! Like rain, water fell down on Ms. Lester and Ali. I could tell Ali was trying with all her might not to smile, Ms. Lester frowned more.
“Come on Ali. I’m glad we’re going back to America tomorrow. At least there you probably won’t be touching a whale.”
“Orca.” I heard Ali correct. “They’re Orcas.”
“Humph.” Was Ms. Lester’s reply.
Mean lady. Mean witch. Sure, Orca’s weren’t the best things ever, but if Ali liked them, why couldn’t she see them? Why couldn’t she touch them? Sure, they might be killer whales, but they wouldn’t kill us.
“She’s crazy.”

I got the idea for this to be book after watching the 1st and 3rd Free Willy. Except instead of a boy main character (not the whale), I had it be a girl. The ten year old, Ali, is sorta a pic. of myself when I was younger. I love Orcas and think dolphins are neat. How do you like it?