Free Bird

If I leave here tomorrow would you still remember me for I must be travelin' on now there's too many places I got to see. Lynyrd Skynyrd

 

 

   

   Our laughter echoes along the steep rocky walls of the gorge as the rushing white rapids slap against our rubber boat. Oblivious to the cold, the thrill of racing down the St. James River with friends and family by my side gives me a feeling of indescribable joy.

  

   

   During the watery ride we take turns jumping into the freezing water and being pulled to safety by the strong protective arms of my son, Jesse, and our guide who goes by the name of Bubb.  The barefooted Bubb claims that he cannot stand to wear shoes and remains shoeless all year round. His long straight brown hair, darkly tanned skin, and tattooed arms give him an air of defiance. The cigarette that dangles between his lips, gruff voice and coarse exterior give me pause and I start to wonder could this trip be our last.

 

  

    It doesn’t take long, however, and just several minutes into our journey I sense that our guide knows exactly what he is doing.  We are able to joke along the way and bond as we master the skill of paddling against the powerful rapids. When we reach a massive rock where we are invited to get out and jump from, I realize as I start to climb that I cannot find the footings.  That’s when I feel the iron grip of my son grasping my hand and pulling me up as if I were as light as a feather. 

   

   

   We reach the top of the rock and Jesse jumps in feet first.  I hold my breath because I do not know how deep the water below us is and fear that the jump may be fatal or cripple him for life.  A big sigh of relief, he made it! Then it’s my turn.  I jump, eyes wide open, voice screaming as if to squelch the butterflies in my stomach as I plummet towards the pool at the bottom. But my stomach remains surprisingly calm and I feel a rush of joy like I have never felt before.  Just for a moment I am free as a bird and it feels like I am flying!

Author's Note

Dabbling with short story writing!

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

I use to free-climb. Hard climb would mean beautiful ending. I enjoyed your story. You took me back to my days of my youth. Free Bird, one of my favorite songs of all time. Thank you Dara for sharing the excellent story.
Coyote

[Patricia Wedel]

dear Dara... I lived with a white water enthusiest...
God rest his soul.. he passed from natural causes.
When my son was a Babe in arms,
we paddled in a Canoe at night through
the inlets in the woods with the moonbeams
shining through. He was an artist with
the paddle as he managed the white rapids...
I am told. I understand your story and can
appreciate your experiences. truly, Pat

[Dara]

Hi Pat 😊 Thank you for sharing this part of your past with me. What a thrill to canoe at night. Your man must have been a very skilled paddler to carry you and your little one. I imagine it helped the baby sleep well, too!

[Einstein Noodle]

oh can i ever relate to this...i went white water rafting in Utah one summer as a side adventure while looking for a retirement place to live in the high desert ... it was a 2-3 so not so difficult beginners could not go but enough thrills to make it fun for all..we stopped at a large tree (not a rock) that had a rope hanging from it and were invited to give it a swing ... we had to climb the tree up about ten feet so to catch the rope that swung us out over the "pool" about 15 feet below the "let go" ;) i will never forget that time ... your story reads as if you are telling it from personal experience too .. very easy for me to be drawn in ..thanks for sharing Dara
E.

[Dara]

Yes, what fun you must have had! I only experienced this ride once in my life and am thinking I should add it to my bucket list to do one more time 😊 Great as always to see you here my friend!

[Einstein Noodle]

i recommend it ...great fun indeed!

[613]

This story was written well. However, your use of exclamation marks took me a way from enjoying the piece in a way I would have liked to. There's nothing wrong with sharing excitement; but I think it was a bit overdone.

- Brittney

[Dara]

Thank you, will keep that in mind.

[613]

Sure thing.

[Samya Fraser]

Love this! Great theme, well written.. reminded me of a few experiences Ive had travelling :)

[Dara]

So glad it brought back some good memories and thank you for taking time to read and comment.

[Relic]

A fine story that kept me gripped until the end, I've seen kids jump from cliffs on youtube. Looks like fun.

[Dara]

This is good news! I have been mostly writing poetry but wanted to try something new. So glad you liked it and yes, it was great fun!

[Samuel Dickens]

You've done a great job of carrying this reader along on your adventurous outing. The song, of course, is a huge classic.

[Dara]

Many thanks Samuel! I am so glad you saw this because I love reading your short stories. I almost sent it to you to see what you thought but was a bit shy about it :-)

[Samuel Dickens]

Never be shy about such a thing, Dara. I hope to see more short stories from you!

[Dara]

Ok thank you so much!