T he Big H ike
freed. The craft righted itself and careened downstream. Then John’s world went black.
z Seconds ticked by, turning into minutes. Gabriel didn’t know how much time had passed, but his dad did not surface. Gabriel screamed louder for his father. “The boat is free! There it goes! Daddy! There it goes!” The first kayaker got out of his boat and scrambled down the riverbank to the bottom of the falls. He reached his buddy, who appeared blue and lifeless. He quickly pulled him out and laid him on a rock and started mouth-to-mouth, breathing to revive him. Gabriel watched it all unfold. His five-year-old mind couldn’t comprehend how long a man could survive underwater. He continued to clutch the tree, calling out to his father. “Daddy! They made it out! You can come back now!” He shifted his focus downstream, where the man was caring for the kayaker. Maybe his father was swimming and would show up down there. But he never did. His dad never came back. His father was gone. His hero just disappeared. No more games of marbles. No good-byes. No hugs. Just gone. 21
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