THE BOAT SPUTTERED AND DIED.
WE HAD RAN OUT OF GAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A DARK AND GLOOMY NIGHT.
MY UNCLE STEVEN TOLD ME, “WELL, I GUESS YOU’LL HAVE TO SWIM FOR IT.”
BUT I SAT THERE WITH THE IMAGE OF FIERCE CREATURES LURKING BEYOND THE TREE LINE.
I CONTEMPLATED MY OPTIONS, I CAN JUST SIT THERE AND WAIT, OR I CAN SWIM TO SHORE WITH A ROPE AND PULL THE BOAT IN. I DECIDED TO PULL THE BOAT IN WITH A ROPE SO WE DIDN’T DRIFT EVEN FARTHER DOWN RIVER.
SO MY UNCLE TIED A ROPE TO THE FRONT WHILE I HOPPED IN THE WATER AND STARTED PULLING.
LUCKY FOR ME WE WERE ON A SANDBAR SO ITS ONLY BOUT 3 FOOT DEEP.
45 MINUTES LATER I FINALLY GOT THE BOAT ON THE BANK OF THE NEARBY SHORE, THERE WAS AN ABSENCE OF STARS THAT NIGHT ALONG WITH NO MOON. SO IF YOU CAN PICTURE A DARK ROOM WITH NO LIGHTS ACCEPT A SMALL CANDLE IN THE CENTER UNABLE TO LIGHT THE WHOLE ROOM, THAT’S HOW IT LOOKED THAT NIGHT.
WE STAYED IN THE BOAT THAT NIGHT, NOT WANTING TO MAKE THE HARD TREK BACK EVEN HARD BY DOING IT AT NIGHT. SO I STAYED UP THAT NIGHT NOT ABLE TO SLEEP, FEARING I WOULDN’T WAKE UP AGAIN.
MORNING FINALLY CAME, AND I DIDN’T GET A WINK OF SLEEP. 3 HOURS LATER WE MADE IT BACK, ONLY TO HAVE TO GO BACK WITH GAS TO FILL UP, AND BRING THE BOAT BACK.
WHEN I GOT BACK TO MY HOUSE, AS I TOLD MY DAD ABOUT IT HE JUST SAT THERE IN DISBELIEF AS I RAMBLED ON ABOUT MY “CAMPING TRIP.”