She was nine or ten when they met. Maia’s father was out at sea and her mother had sent her to fetch the lava rock down by the shore. It would be smooth enough on one side, where the water washed over it again and again, to firmly set down the cooking pot while it cooled.
Maia wanted to take a quick peek at the lagoon, before she headed back, to see if any of the other children were still there. She slung the slab over her back, with a loosely tied rope, and slowly hopped across the slick rocks.
Dusk was starting to settle when she reached the rumbling waterfall. No one was left, they must have all gone back to their huts for the last meal of the day. Her mother would be wondering where she was if she didn’t hurry back. She turned to go, when out of the corner of her eye she caught something shimmering beneath the water.
At first she thought it might be a pirate’s doubloon, like those she had seen her father twist between his fingers. Her mother still had one, she hid it in a small box beneath the floor of their hut, with a few other jewels he had given her before he departed.
She looked closer and the sparkle and shimmer became brighter. Maia couldn’t help her curiosity, she removed the weight from her back and dove expertly into the pool of tepid water, chasing the white light. As she got closer, it grew brighter, this was more than a coin, she realized.
Slowly, the water around her became warm and soothing, she floated to the top to catch a breath of air and she felt the presence of something moving along side her. When she surfaced, she came nose to nose with what appeared to be a tiny, delicate woman with wings or fins (she wasn’t sure which,) that allowed her to hover above the water.
“Free me,” said the creature. Maia scrambled to shore and backed slowly away. “You don’t have to be afraid, I won’t hurt you.” Maia froze.
“If you free me, I will give you one wish.”
“How can I free you?” said Maia.
“I need you to take my place.” Maia became even more frightened and turned to run, but the apparition easily kept up with her.
“You don’t have to do it right now; you just have to promise you’ll take my place one day.”
“For how long?” Maia asked.
“Until you find someone to take yours.”
Maia considered the offer. She did have something she wanted very badly and had wished for every day for as long as she could remember.
“Okay, but I can’t take your place until my wish comes true,” said Maia.
“That sounds like a fair trade, now tell me your wish,” said the water sprite, because that’s what Maia thought she was.
“I want my father to return to my mother,” said Maia.
“Granted.” And like that the sprite disappeared. Maia slung the rock over her shoulder and ran all the way home. Her mother scolded her for being so late, but was pleased the cooking pot fit so well on the slab.
Early the next morning, Maia awoke to the whole village in an uproar. She heard loud voices saying, “The ship is in, the ship is in.” Maia’s mother rushed into their hut. “Maia, come quick, your father is about to port.”
Maia felt a mix of elation and fear and sadness. She eagerly got ready to see her father, but knew that in doing so, she must then be prepared to repay her debt.
After a day of celebration and joy watching her parents re-united, Maia crept away to meet her fate. The sprite was so eager to see her that she made herself visible in plain sight, even before dusk hit.
“Ready?” the sprite said. Maia nodded gravely, slowly she saw her arms and legs turn into the delicate limbs of the sprite. Her wings/fins sprouted out of her back and she felt her feet lift off the ground.
When Maia’s transformation was complete, she looked toward where the sprite had been and saw a spitting image of her former self. The young girl grinned with glee and scampered back to the village, leaving the new water sprite looking for someone to free her.