Life Raft

"I feel for you, Sean. We're pretty leisurely, so maybe we'll see you along the way," Ethan said, shaking my hand. He walked back to his group, who already had their stuff down at the water.

I quickly lathered up with sunscreen, then began to work the little pump. I hadn't been at it for more than a minute or two when I noticed that the girls were having their own troubles. There were four ratchet straps holding their tubes to the roof rack of the Suburban. Jessica was the only one tall enough to reach, but she didn't seem to know how they worked. I walked over to help.

Jessica was really tall, like maybe six foot two or three and had straight black hair in a ponytail down to the middle of her back. She towered over her friends. Her suit was a wildly colored and patterned affair, defying my casual attempts to assess the body underneath it.

"My boyfriend loaded the tubes last night when I rented them," Randi explained as I arrived. "None of us have ever used this kind of strap, though."

Having grown up on a farm, I'd been using ratchet straps from the time of my weaning, so I walked up next to Jessica. It was a novel experience, standing nearly eye-to-eye with a girl, and I kind of liked that.

"May I show you?" I asked, hoping that I wasn't coming off as the swaggering hero type.

"Please. I'm usually better than this with gadgets," she said with a chagrined smile from under a huge straw coolie hat. Despite having relatively dark skin, she was clearly taking the sun protection thing very seriously.

I showed her how to squeeze the little slide to release the handle, then how to move the handle straight out to release the ratchet.

"Got it," she said.

"I'll get the two on the other side." By the time I'd released them, she'd done the other one on her side. Each of us lifted a tube off the roof.

"Our hero," Trish said, but I didn't miss the edge of sarcasm in her tone. I handed my two straps to Jessica who tossed them in the back with hers.

"Thanks, Sean," she said.

"My pleasure."

It looked like the girls had everything else unloaded, so I turned to walk back to my raft.

"Hang on a second," Jessica said softly to me. She turned to the other girls. "Maybe Sean could go with us. We're not going to be ready for a while anyway."

"Jessica," Randi said, sounding a bit exasperated, "this is a girls-day-out trip, remember?"

"Yeah. Sorry." Jessica turned and gave me an apologetic look.

"That's okay," I said. "I wouldn't want to intrude." I went back to my raft and resumed pumping.

When the girls got done unloading, Randi walked up to me. "I can still give you a ride back to the landing area if you don't want to blow that thing up. It would serve your friend right if he had to find his own way back to town."

I thought about it for a moment. "No thanks," I sighed, "I just can't see myself doing that to him."

"Seriously? After the way he just screwed you over?"

Randi was right of course and Alex had it coming in a big way, but the very thought of him yelling at me later for leaving him was really unpleasant.

"Yeah, I'll just inflate the raft and see if I can catch up with him."

"Well, okay, if you're sure." Her expression said that she thought I was pathetic. I couldn't help but think she was right.

"I'll be back in a few," Randi said to her friends, hopping into the Suburban and rolling away.

I went back to inflating the raft, but kept watching the three remaining girls out of the corner of my eye. "Kim and I will take two tubes each," Trish said. "You grab the last tube and the cooler, Jessica."

The two shouldered canvas ditty bags, then slung a tube over each elbow. They headed down the wide gravel path to the water. Jessica bent down to pick up the cooler.

It was tall and round and looked like it would ride perfectly in the middle of their fifth tube, but to have enough drinks and ice for four girls, it would have to be heavy. Jessica was able to pick it up, though. She headed for the river, a hundred yards distant.

She made it about a quarter of the way, then set it down heavily. Her body language said she wasn't sure she was going to make it. Kim and Trish were still walking away and didn't see her.

I was on my feet immediately, ashamed that I hadn't offered to help right off the bat. Four years of college feminism had taken a heavy toll on the common courtesy I'd been brought up with. Trish's sarcastic comment when I'd helped with the straps would have been typical on campus.

"Mind if I give you a hand with that, Jessica?" I said, almost hesitantly, as I walked up.

She looked at me gratefully. "Yeah, I'd really appreciate it."

I bent to pick it up, but she stopped me. "I think it's too heavy to be carried by a single person," she said.

"Oh, okay." I grabbed one handle while she grabbed the other and we lifted it between us. I immediately realized that Jessica was a whole lot stronger than she looked. "Gee, I hope you guys have enough in here to avoid getting thirsty on the way down," I said, almost grunting.

"Yeah, I think we may have overdone it a bit."

We carried it straight to the river, then walked back up the path so that she could snag her tube and bag.

"I really appreciate your help, Sean," she said, picking up her tube.

"Don't mention it."

I was maybe a third of the way into the inflation job when a car dropped Randi off. The highway was right next to the parking lot and she walked by maybe thirty seconds later.

"You guys have fun," I offered. "Maybe I'll see you on the way down."

She stopped and looked at me. "How long is it going to take you to get that life raft blown up?" I resisted the urge to correct her on my craft's designed purpose, because that might have been construed as rude. On the other hand, Randi was evidently not as concerned about such niceties, because her tone and expression plainly said that she hoped it would take me a long time.

"Uh, probably at least another half-hour."

She nodded, then turned abruptly and walked down to the river. They all pushed off, but I caught Jessica looking back at me. I waved at her and she waved back, though surreptitiously, like she didn't want the others to see her do it.

I realized with a pang that I really hated seeing her go. She wasn't the prettiest girl I'd ever met -- hell, she wasn't even close to being among the top three prettiest girls I'd seen in the last thirty seconds -- but there was something about her that I really liked. And, of course, I wasn't exactly a Hollywood star myself.

If I was going to see Jessica again, I was going to need to hustle, so I returned to inflating the raft with renewed vigor. I worked the little pump until my hands started to cramp up, but kept right on going. I was soon sweating like crazy and already on my second bottle of rapidly warming water. I pulled off my T-shirt and floppy beach hat, sitting them on the recycling bin behind me and quickly smearing on more sunscreen. I had a reasonable tan for someone so light skinned, but if I was going to be out in the sun all day, I needed to take full precautions.

The raft was maybe two-thirds inflated when a warden pulled up next to the gate in a dull green pickup. He got out and walked toward me. I got to my feet to meet him.

"Son, you can't launch after one o'clock," he said to me, pointing at a large sign next to the gate, listing all of the park rules. With everything else going on, I hadn't read it. My divers watch said it was twelve fifty-seven. I wouldn't be ready in time.

"Sir, the rest of my party is already on the river. I need to catch up." That was kind of true, in a way.

"Sorry, but the rule's the rule. Look, why don't you deflate your raft and throw it in my truck. I'll give you a lift to the landing area where you can wait for them." He started walking back to his vehicle.

I decided that it would have been nice if he'd stopped me before I'd put so much effort into the task, but I reached down for the deflation valve. I was just starting to work it loose when he called out to me.

"Hey, hang on just a second there." He was walking back over, a contemplative look on his face. "Look, would you, um, be willing to do me a favor if I let you go down the river after all?"

"Absolutely I would." Maybe the rule wasn't the rule after all.

"Well, see, you look to be a bit older and more responsible than a lot of the folks here, and I've got a bit of a situation. One of my duties is to run a Jet Ski up and back in the evening to make sure no one is stranded on the river, but I tweaked my back pretty good this morning. I won't be able to get to my chiropractor until Monday, and running the sweep tonight in my condition might just about kill me."

I nodded in sympathy. I'd had to deal with some pretty serious back pain myself a while back.

"Here's the deal," he continued. "If you can make sure you're the last one on the river when you get out, it'll save me a world of hurt."

"I'd be happy to do that, sir."

"Very good. Here's my card. I'll need to hear from you before seven so I can report that the river's clear."

"You can count on me, and I really appreciate this."

"Likewise. I'm going to go ahead and lock the gate behind you, but I'll swing by in a bit to make sure you got onto the river okay."

He shook my hand, then locked me in. Between the tall gate and the five foot barbed wire fence, it was a sure thing that no one else would get in the river behind me. He waved as he drove away.

Ten minutes later, I decided there was enough air in the raft to safely keep me afloat at least. The inflation stem was conveniently located on the top of the raft so I could finish inflating while I was on the river. I carried it down to the water, then made a second trip for the oars and my backpack. I'd beaten the estimate I'd given Randi by half.

I was almost ready to push off when I saw a ziploc bag sitting on a small boulder next to the river. I stopped and picked it up, examining its contents. A smile slowly came over my face.

I used the oars very judiciously to row out into the current. The raft was so soft that I had to be careful to avoid taking on water. Gaining the center of the river, I resumed pumping. There was a stiff breeze coming from downstream and I could tell that it was slowing my progress. Why not? Everything else was delaying me today. I tried to pay it no mind and kept working the pump.

Progress was excruciatingly slow, and my hands felt like they were going to drop from my wrists, but at last the raft felt really firm and I could concentrate on catching up. Randi had made it plain that I wasn't welcome to float with them, but frankly, it hadn't seemed to me that Jessica was all that welcome either. I had a vague hope that she might decide to travel with me instead. I stuck the oars in the locks and began to row downstream.

Over the next few minutes, the steep rock walls of the canyon rose up on both sides until it felt like I was traveling through a stone tunnel. It wasn't the Grand Canyon by any means, but it was still impressive as hell. Every now and then I turned to look down the river. At times I could see a long way, but to no avail.

I had just about resigned myself to spending the whole trip on my own when I came around a bend and spotted the girls, kicking and paddling out into the center of the river. They were just heading into a set of rapids, so they must have been stopped at the first jump spot.

Sure enough, as I came around the bend a little further, I could see a small outcropping of rock sticking out from the canyon wall, and a good-sized gravel beach just upstream. I could imagine that earlier in the day it would have been swarming with tubers, drinking and cheering the jumpers, but now, other than the girls', there wasn't a tube in sight.

The river itself was smooth but very slow in this section, so I put my back into it, rowing downstream in long, smooth strokes. I still didn't have any real plan for what I'd do when I caught up to the girls, but I'd found it so easy and natural talking with Jessica that I had to hope it would just work out.

I was almost to the rapids when a sudden shout over the sound of rushing water stopped me in mid-stroke. Huh? I whipped my head around toward the outcropping and saw a bare arm waving frantically from the water. Below it was a female face with dark hair. The lack of a sleeved suit told me that it had to be Randi, Kim or Trish. Whichever it was, if I didn't pick her up, she'd be stuck right where she was until I got to the bottom and called the warden. How on earth had she been left behind without her tube?

I spun the raft around with the oars and started rowing upstream with a will. Unfortunately, I was close enough to the rapids that the water beneath me was running a lot faster. I quickly realized that I wasn't making any progress. I couldn't row any harder than I already was, so unless I figured out something else quickly, I was going to be swept downstream, leaving her behind.

In a last ditch effort, I aimed the raft toward the river bank a little, hoping that the water would be slower there. The immediate effect was to start moving me downstream and I nearly gave up, but as I got closer to shore, my plan started to pay off and I began to inch my way upstream a little. My shoulders and back were nearly on fire now, but I continued to give it everything I had.

My progress was infuriatingly slow, but little by little, I was getting there. I was gasping with each stroke now and had nearly reached the end of my endurance, but with a last burst of energy, I entered the deep, still pool of water under the outcropping.

I glanced over my shoulder just long enough to locate the jumper, then slowly rowed over and turned myself to speak to her. The face that looked up at me wasn't one of those I'd been expecting, but it was the very picture of abject misery.

"Jessica," I exclaimed, "are you okay?" Despite her expression, she nodded. I got to my knees and reached out, ready to pull her into the raft. She shook her head.

"Look," I said, more gently now, "you need to come with me. Take my hands and I'll help you climb aboard."

"I can't," she said, obviously on the verge of crying. "When I was climbing the rocks, I slipped and wrapped both of my hands around a really nasty cactus. I'm so full of quills that I can't touch anything." She held up her hands, showing me her palms.

Ouch! She wasn't kidding, but as always, I'd come prepared. "I've got tweezers."

"With you?"

"Sure. I never go off into the wilderness without a decently equipped first aid kit. We can go over to the beach where we can get you aboard without using your hands, then I can pull those things out for you."

"That's awesome, but I've got another issue."

"What's that?"

"I'm... well... naked."

Wow. Having seen her bare arms, though, I really should have anticipated that. "Well, here, you can wear my..." I was going to pull off my T-shirt and hand it to her, but only then realized that, much to my chagrin, I was already bare-chested. "Jessica, I screwed up and left my shirt back at the launch area. I've got nothing for you to wear. I promise to behave, though."

"I believe you, Sean, but I wasn't just wearing that ridiculous suit to cover up what at pathetic body I have. I've got a really bad sun allergy. Even a mild sunburn can give me a truly painful rash and hives that go on for months."

"No problem. I've got a big bottle of 30 SPF."

"But I think you're forgetting my hands."

"Oops, forgot." She obviously couldn't apply the lotion herself. There was an obvious solution to that, of course, but I didn't want to be the one to suggest it. "Jessica, it could take better than an hour to pull all those needles, but I guess you could stay where you are in the meantime if it makes you more comfortable."

She shook her head. "The water's too cold. I'm already starting to shiver." I could see that she'd come to the same conclusion I had. She was probably weighing the cost of months of rashes and hives against losing some major dignity. I felt bad for her.

"Jessica, I--"

"Sean," she said, the tension in her voice thick enough to cut with a knife, "I hate to even ask, but would you be willing to put sunblock on me?" I was glad to see that she could put logic ahead of emotion.

"Yeah, I could do that." Twist my arm, but I figured that making light of her predicament would be cruel, so I kept a straight face. "Look, I'll row over to the beach. You can stay in the water until I'm ready for you. We don't want you in the sun any more than necessary until you've got some protection."

"Okay."

I wanted to ask her how it was that she'd been left behind, but between the damaging UV rays and the cold water, time was of the essence. Rowing quickly, I got to the beach and pulled the raft up onto the sand. I'd hoped to find a shady spot, but the sun was almost directly overhead. Then I realized that there was a narrow space between two rocky outcroppings that might be just the perfect distance apart. I removed my backpack and picked up the raft, carrying it to the crevice and wedging it upside down between the rocks above my head. It fit perfectly and provided the only shade in the canyon.

I pulled the sunblock out of my backpack. "Okay, Jessica," I called out. "Ready when you are." Trying to be a gentleman, but really only just delaying the inevitable, I turned my back to her.

I heard the swishing of water as she approached, then a gasp as she came around the corner and saw the unexpected shade. "Oh wow. Thank you, Sean. You're saving my life here."

"It was the least I could do. Tell me when you're ready."

I heard her walk up behind me into the shade. "Okay," she said, her voice cracking.

I turned to her. She had her back to me and her forearms were up against the rock wall. I almost gasped.

"Jessica, what's this drivel about a 'pathetic body'? You're gorgeous," I blurted.

Jessica was, like me, very long and lean, but she was no stick figure. She had really nice muscle tone, from her rippling calves and thighs, to her strong shoulders and biceps. She'd handled that heavy cooler amazingly well, and now I could see how.

Jessica's neck was long and slender, her back sleekly feminine, and while she had only the slightest curve to her hips, her butt cheeks were beautifully rounded. She obviously spent no time outdoors in anything but a full cover up, because her skin was uniformly light brown, from head to toe.

"Please don't make fun of me," she pleaded, so low that I could barely make it out.

"But I'm serious, Jessica."

She didn't say anything, but gave a small shake of her head like my words were beyond the pale. It wasn't something I should probably argue with her about, so I decided to just go ahead and get down to business.

Jessica's long ponytail was in the way so I reached out to take it in my hand. I was intending to move it around to the front, but as soon as I touched it, she flinched. Hard.

"Jessica, I'm..."

But she was dropping to her knees in the sand where she scrunched into a fetal position and covered herself with her hands. Then she began to cry in deep, wracking sobs that nearly broke my heart. Something told me that this was about a whole lot more than getting caught without her suit.

I got down on my knees and reached out to her, thinking I would put a comforting hand on her shoulder. I hesitated, not sure how she would feel about a man touching her naked body at this point, but I amazed myself by doing it anyway. She flinched again, but after a long moment she tipped her head to place her cheek on the back of my hand. We stayed like that for a couple of minutes until she finally seemed to recover.