Island Shore Leave

It was my first tour in the Navy. While I had stopped vomiting, I took shore leave first chance I could. I didn’t care it was some island I’d never heard of, I just needed to feel solid ground.

I didn’t bother to check what language they spoke, I managed to buy lunch and then rent a bike just fine, and then headed out for a ride around the island, needing to feel the wind in my hair. In the bush some kids ran towards me and screamed greetings, but I ignored them.

Turns out ‘Ahi!’ is Maori for fire…