Down the Big Dune
1The sand was already warm when Mateo and his cousin Amara reached the bottom of Big Pearl, the tallest dune in the park. Mateo tipped his head back. The dune rose above them like a golden wall, and the people at the top looked as small as ants. Aunt Lucia handed each of them a smooth wooden sandboard. "We climb first," she said. "Then we ride!"
2Climbing a sand dune is nothing like climbing stairs. With every step up, Mateo's feet slid halfway back down. He leaned forward, dug in his toes, and pushed. Step, slide. Step, slide. Step, slide. By the time he reached the top, his legs were shaking and his breath came in short puffs.
3Then he looked down. The slope dropped away so steeply that he could not see the bottom. "I... I don't know about this," Mateo said quietly. Amara was already sitting on her board. "We don't have to go down this way," she said. "Aunt Lucia didn't say the big side. She said the small side." She pointed to a gentler slope on the left. Mateo let out a long breath. "Okay," he said. "The small side. I can do the small side."
4Mateo sat down on his board, tucked his feet in, gripped the edges, and scooted forward. For one second, nothing happened. Then the board tipped, and Mateo was flying. Sand sprayed up on both sides. Wind roared in his ears. Faster and faster he went, bumping and swooshing all the way down, until the board slowed and stopped with a soft hiss.
5Mateo rolled off the board and lay on his back, staring at the sky. Was he hurt? No. Was he scared? Not anymore. He jumped up, waved both arms, and shouted, "Amara, that was amazing!" A moment later, Amara came zooming down beside him, laughing so hard that she tumbled off her board into the soft sand.
6At the end of the day, the three of them sat on a blanket and watched the sun sink behind Big Pearl. The sand turned from gold to pink to gray. Mateo's legs ached, and there was sand in his ears, in his shoes, and even in his sandwich. "Tomorrow," he said softly, "I'm riding the big side." Aunt Lucia smiled. "Tomorrow," she said, "we will see."