Dangerous Journey

We Made a Dangerous Trip Across the Delaware River in a Large Tire Tube

Seaweed grabbed at our legs while currents pulled us off course

“Who wants to go with me?”

Everyone could hear Andrew imploring his small group of friends as he stood on the bank of the river, water touching his feet, holding a large black inflated inner tube from a truck tire.

“C’mon, Paula,” he beckoned to his wife, “cross the river with me.”

“No thanks! Too dangerous for my liking, and I don’t know how to swim, anyway.”

“Wear a life vest! C’mon, try it!” He begged but received no further response from her.

“Matt, are you up for it? It won’t take long. I just want to cross over to the other side, like George Washington. It’ll be fun.”

“Not for me, sorry!”

In addition to his wife and three girls, the group on the beach consisted of his two best friends with their families and his mother, who usually tagged along to help with the kids.

After exhausting every possibility, still standing at the water’s edge with his tube at the ready, he looked toward his mom as she was trying to slip away unnoticed.

Only one person is left to ask

“Mom,” he yelled in her direction, “you used to always be up for a challenge. What about you? Cross the Delaware River with me, please. It’s perfectly safe.”

“Geez, Andrew,” she started, “I don’t put myself in danger anymore. Looking back now, we may have pushed the boundaries of safety on occasion, and I don’t think you should try this venture now, either.”

“Mom, I promise you’ll be safe, and you know how to swim; what’s the big deal?”

She thought about it and realized that he was starting to look a little foolish and annoyed. Besides, this was her child, and she didn’t want him to go it alone, even if she wasn’t sure it was wise.

“Okay, I’ll go,” she said reluctantly, “but I’m not sure it’s a really good idea. What if the tube overturns? What if a boat runs into us?”

“You’ll be fine, trust me. Let’s go!”

With much trepidation, she climbed onto the rounded edge of the tube Andrew was holding for her. There wasn’t a large enough opening for both of them to sit comfortably, so they settled for her sitting on the tube with him hanging his arms over the sides with his feet dangling in the water so he could paddle.

She felt only gravity, and sheer determination kept her from falling off the tube.

Scary, nasty seaweed

The seaweed that touched her feet as they moved through the water was unpleasant, and a slow-moving boat drove by, giving her cause for alarm. Maybe this would be a good time to turn back, as she suggested. Andrew insisted she was safe.

Frightened at the thought of having to swim at her age, she felt uneasy, as she wasn’t sure if she was strong enough to swim back to shore if she needed to.

Trying not to show her fear as the current was taking them off course, she had a light conversation about the gorgeous weather. If her voice was shaky, her son didn’t notice and thanked her for the opportunity to experience the trip with her, almost like in the old days.

Once on the other side of the river, they had emerged much further down than they expected. She collected a small, black rock to bring back as a memento. Due to the current, they thought it best to walk upstream to find a more strategic starting point for the return journey.

As he was furiously paddling, trying to keep them from drifting too much, she confessed her nervousness to him but said she was genuinely glad she made the trip with him, too.

She knew it would be one of those moments in time that neither of them would forget, and maybe one of the last memories they would make together provided they made it back!

Safe on land

When they returned safely to shore, not too far from their friends, they were greeted with claps and cheers and remarks like, “My mother would never do anything like that!” It’s true, she thought, most mothers wouldn’t, but they’re safe, and they accomplished something together.

But after that experience, she decided to never go on such a trip again, especially considering the likelihood of breaking laws.

Upon returning home, she placed the rock in a glass jar and marked it with “The Day We Idiotically Crossed the Delaware River, Aug. 2012,” and placed it on the mantelpiece as a reminder of their last adventure together.

Prompt: Descriptive Sensations

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