Calculated
We decided to take the canoe to an island just past the tip of Eastpoint. The island was really part of the big island, but the water was so high this time of year, that the footpath was covered. We took the canoe to the backside of the island, where there were flat rocks jetting out of the water. A huge tree leaned over the water from the little island. From that tree, there was a rope that was used to swing into the water.
“You need to take more calculated risks,” said Red. “You think?” I rolled my eyes. Maybe Red was right a little, but he should take less risks, especially less uncalculated ones.
Red stood up and before I could yell at him to stop, he jumped out of the canoe and into the water, which sent the canoe rocking like crazy. I slipped into the bottom of the canoe, but it did not flip over.
I yelled at Red for rocking the canoe. He laughed at me and swam backwards, all cocky like. He climbed up the side of one of the rocks and stood on top, but only for a second before he started screaming and dove back into the water. Water snakes, who had been sunning themselves on the top of the flat rock, followed him and scattered into the water.
I’d never seen Red swim so fast, and he screamed the whole time. I would have helped him, only there wasn’t much I could have done to get him in the canoe faster.
“Let’s go!” He yelled. I started laughing at him, “You’re scared of snakes?” I couldn’t believe it. “You’re not?” “No, they’re water snakes. They won’t hurt you.” And I meant it, those snakes didn’t scare me for some reason. I knew they were harmless. “Then you go ahead.”
So, I jumped out of the canoe this time and swam to the flat rocks. I knew that when I got to the top there probably wouldn’t be any more snakes since Red scared them all. And there weren’t, not that I would have cared too much anyway. I swung into the water using the rope, and I got pretty far too. Then I swam back to the canoe feeling real proud of myself.
Red shrugged, “Calculated risk.”