Gabriel was heading out the front door toward the van when Jimmy jumped out of the truck, opened his arms, and yelled, “What’s up, brother?”
The spontaneous greeting made Gabriel feel like a million bucks. He smiled and received one of Jimmy’s famous bear hugs.
“Let me go get my stuff,” he said, and Gabriel ran back into the house to retrieve his duffel bag. Rio stood up on the front porch and wagged his tail, excited by all the activity.
“Bye, Mom!” he said as he gave her a quick hug. “We’ll be back in no time.”
Gabriel climbed into the side door of the van. Then Miss Vonda appeared on the porch, holding a picnic basket. “Wait—I got some homemade sweet rolls and snacks.” She waddled down the front porch steps toward the van.
Gabriel jumped out to fetch the wicker basket. “Thanks, Miss Vonda.”
“We have an extra seat in the van if you’d like to join us,” Jimmy yelled out. “We could use some cooking help around the campfire!”
Miss Vonda batted her hand in the air and gave Jimmy a coy grin.
The guys sitting next to the windows leaned out and started slapping the sides of the van as they pulled out. Gabriel peered out the back window to see his mother and the Cartwrights standing on the porch, getting smaller and smaller. The guys hooted and hollered like rabble-rousers off to a party.
Am I really doing this? Going all the way to Colorado with a bunch of guys I don’t even know? Looking my past straight in the face?
Gabriel had a smile on the outside, but inside, his guts were churning.
He felt better after Jimmy’s friends introduced themselves to him during the first hour of driving. Each one was quite gregarious and confident:
Brian James, a.k.a. Cig, sat on the front seat. He never took an unlit cigarette out of his mouth, hence his nickname. He could chew gum, drink soda, and talk about the origins of the universe without dropping the cigarette. Portly, with black bushy hair and a beard that seemed to cover his entire face except for his eyes, Cig was a quirky intellectual who didn’t say much but was quite funny when he did.
Redhead Stevie Jones took up the van’s rear bench seat. He had slightly bucked teeth, lots of freckles, long red sideburns, and a lanky build. He might have weighed 130 pounds soaking wet. Stevie always seemed to take the brunt of the jokes, but he didn’t mind. When he wasn’t in school, he worked at his father’s shoe store in Topeka. Jimmy said he was smart at the business stuff.
A childhood nickname had followed him all the way to college—Stink. He got the nickname when he was ten years old and lost a bet. It seemed that one time he had to chase a skunk out of its home in a hollowed-out log. Stevie got sprayed. . . and he stunk for days.
Last but not least was Rollie Sever, who didn’t lack for self-confidence with the ladies. He was about six feet tall with perfectly feathered wavy brown locks, dark brown eyes with plenty of soul, and a too-cool-for-school attitude. His ego was bigger than his hair.
His air of self-assurance drew girls to him like a magnet. Jimmy would always tease him about his constant neglect of buttoning the top three buttons of his shirt. He was quite proud of his chest and the grizzly-like hair growing on it.
So Jimmy Bly, Brian “Cig” James, Stevie “Stink” Jones, Rollie Sever, and Gabriel Clarke set out on their road trip to Colorado. With sweet rolls, a cooler of soda, and a welcome opportunity to have some fun and make some memories, Gabriel hoped this trip to The River would change everything for him.
TEN
The Trip to The River
GABRIEL HAD NEVER SEEN AN ORANGE SUN FALL beneath the jagged-tooth skyline of a mountain range before, but he was exhilarated by the sight.
They had pulled off the main highway thirty minutes earlier onto a winding gravel road that would lead them to their campsite. During the overnight part of their trip, he and the guys had traded off napping for a couple hours while they took turns staying up with the driver. Jimmy drove most of the time, but even the great Bly needed a break from time to time.
“Almost there, fellas!” Jimmy blurted with excitement.
Everybody came to their senses and was excited to finally arrive and get out of the van after nearly two days of driving. Their campsite was in an area of Splash Canyon known as “the beach” to locals. The dirt road got narrower as the van moseyed deeper into the forest. Up one steep grade and down another, and the farther they traveled, the stranger Gabriel felt.
“How much longer?” he asked nervously.
“Only five or ten minutes,” replied Jimmy. “Wait till you see this place. It’s amazing.” His soothing words calmed Gabriel.
Turned out Jimmy was right. As they pulled through the last clump of tall fir and spruce trees, the forest opened to an incredible scene that took Gabriel’s breath away. It was like Mother Nature had raised the curtain to reveal a theatrical stage like no other. They parked the van and immediately started looking around like little kids at an amusement park for the first time.
“Amazing,” said Cig.
“Like a postcard,” observed Rollie.
The guys were going on and on about the panorama surrounding them, but Gabriel remained quiet because he was soaking in the beauty of the canyon. The beach was just that—an opening along The River where the forest dissolved into a sandy clay floor, a hundred feet wide and about a quarter of a mile long. Since the riverbed gradient was slight, the water flowed steady and calm, bubbling over the rocks and creating a sonic backdrop to soothe the soul.
Beautiful hues of light reflected through the trees, and being inside the gorge was like being in another world. Gabriel walked up to The River’s edge and saw the stream and the canyon curl to his left about five hundred yards downstream. He could hear in the distance a dull roar from the thundering falls that were around the corner.
The beach was nestled in the crook of a horseshoe that The River had carved through the canyon. On the other side of the water, the canyon walls rose sharply into the sky—way over five hundred feet. Boulders both sharp and round covered the canyon walls like a reddish-brown tapestry, with trees jutting out and shooting toward the heavens like skyscrapers in the big city. All he could hear was the occasional screech of an eagle and the soothing sound of rippling water flowing by. There were no city or traffic noises. This was untouched heaven on earth.
When Gabriel inhaled the beauty of The River, he locked eyes with the water and time stood still. He couldn’t shift his gaze. Then his heart beat faster and faster as he began to recall episodes from his childhood. Like flash cards of memory, he saw happy images of The River from his childhood. He saw his father and grandfather working at their camp, fixing rafts and planning trips. The smell of the forest pine and the crisp air reminded him of everything that was good at The River.
Then in an instant, like images from a horror movie trailer, flashes of light and scenes from the day The River took his dad crowded out the beauty he was experiencing. The breadth of emotion he was feeling was all-consuming. His heart began to race even more, and he couldn’t catch his breath. It was like the canyon walls were closing in on him, but he didn’t want to let the other guys know what he was going through. He turned his back to The River and started walking toward the van.
“Where you going?” Jimmy asked.
“Just taking a walk,” Gabriel replied as the fear and panic crushed his chest. I can’t do this. Why do I feel this way? I want to go back to Kansas.
He could hear the muffled conversations the guys were having by the water as they skipped rocks off the surface of the placid water and washed their faces in the crystal clear flow. He wanted to be part of them. Gabriel managed to regain his composure as the negative thoughts faded into the background. He helped himself to a Nesbitt’s from the cooler and returned to The River’s edge, where he sat down on a fallen tree stump and tried once again to enjoy the beauty of the wilderness.
Jimmy clapped his hands. “Let’s unload and set up camp so we can party, boys! Only about an
hour before it’s dark.”
Jimmy was the initiator for almost everything. In quick order, the guys untied the tarp that covered the gear strapped to the roof of the van. They unloaded three tents, five sleeping bags, five beach chairs, two coolers, several lanterns, and assorted camping paraphernalia.
“Stink, you were an Eagle Scout, right?” Jimmy was directing traffic again. “Why don’t you and Gabriel get the fire started, and the rest of us will work on the tents.”
“Right on, man!” Stink said. “I love making fire. It’s a legitimate art form!”
Everybody always responded well to Jimmy’s delegation efforts, although Rollie needed to hear things two or three times before he kicked into gear. Gabriel noticed that every chance he got, he checked out his hair in the side mirror of the van.
For his part, Gabriel gathered wood while Stink searched for rocks that could be used to ring a fire pit. Within fifteen minutes they had a fire going, just about the same time that two more vanloads arrived full of friends and acquaintances of Jimmy’s. Gabriel watched them step out of the rear seats of the vans like soldiers coming out of a ’Nam transport helicopter. They were mostly guys, but Gabriel was pleased that some girls had come along too.
It was the last girl getting out of the second van who caught his eye. Her long, wavy auburn hair flowed out of a faded orange bandanna, and she had a rock climber’s lean body and tan skin. She wore army-green hiking shorts and a long-sleeve tie-dye shirt with a jean jacket tied around her waist.
Gabriel, carrying an armload of twigs and dead branches, was mesmerized. His mouth parted as he watched her come in his direction. She had high cheekbones framed by light green eyes and thick eyebrows but wore no makeup. She didn’t need any. He was so spellbound that it was like she was moving in slow motion.
Gabriel stepped in her direction, and their eyes locked for a brief moment. She smiled and raised her eyebrows as if to say, Hello, it’s nice to see you, but your staring at me is a little weird.
Nothing ever got by Cig, who picked up on what was happening from the beach. “Hey, wipe your chin, Gabriel!”
Some of the guys laughed, and Gabriel wanted to crawl into a hole. How embarrassing. He quickly looked away and dropped the twigs onto the pile next to the fire pit. She must think I’m an idiot. I can’t believe I just stared at her.
For the rest of the evening, he faded into the background as his thoughts and insecurity got the best of him. If nobody noticed him the rest of the trip, that would be fine with him.
It was about ten thirty p.m., and all the tents were set up. The night sky was clear, and the stars were magnificent. The moon was vivid and so massive that the bright white orb looked like it was almost too close to Earth. The fire was roaring at least five feet high, and everyone had gathered around the warm flames, talking and sipping on various libations—beer being the most popular.
At this altitude, there was a nip in the air. When the sun went down behind the canyon walls, the temperature had dropped a good twenty-five or thirty degrees. Rollie, of course, had two girls next to him to keep him warm, and they were chatting and giggling like eight-year-olds. Cig broke out his baritone ukulele and launched into his repertoire of folk tunes.
Gabriel took it all in and enjoyed the distraction of watching the others interacting. He hadn’t summoned the courage to say anything to the cute girl who had caught his attention earlier, although he’d gathered her name was Tabitha. He noticed she seemed so comfortable with everyone. Just by watching her, Gabriel could tell she was kind, self-confident, and unfazed by her surroundings or the people on the trip. She looked everyone in the eye when she spoke, and her laugh was contagious. Throughout the evening, all of the guys made an effort to interact with her, making stupid jokes or the typical icebreaker comments, but she handled the situation with aplomb.
I hope I get to talk to her—I don’t know what I’d say, though. Probably something stupid. She doesn’t even know I’m here.
Gabriel turned his attention to a conversation he overheard with Jimmy and a couple of the new guys.
“Tomorrow we’ll go to the cliffs and have some fun. You guys are going to scream like little girls,” Jimmy said.
Gabriel decided this was a conversation he wanted to join. “What cliffs?” he asked.
“It’s this amazing place about a two-mile hike from here. There are forty- and fifty-foot cliffs jutting out over The River. The water is deep and swirling. You just jump off and swim. Long way down, but it’s awesome.”
Gabriel began thinking of a way out. His childhood fear of the water still affected him, and he wasn’t that fond of jumping from heights.
Midnight was approaching. The fire was dying down, and the long day of travel was catching up with everyone. They made their way back to their tents spread out on the beach and the edge of the forest. Gabriel was sharing a large tent with Jimmy. They got into their sleeping bags and extinguished the lantern.
“Man, I think I’m wasted,” Jimmy slurred.
Gabriel chuckled. Jimmy was known for enjoying one— make that a few—too many. Thirty seconds later, Jimmy was out. The camp got eerily quiet in a matter of minutes. All Gabriel could hear against the soundtrack of The River was the crackle of the fire as the embers consumed the small logs and twigs.
Gabriel was quite tired, but he lay there for nearly an hour unable to sleep. He hadn’t done much camping, so sleeping on the ground in the wilderness with only a thin nylon tent separating him from the wild did not feel comfortable at all.
There have to be all sorts of savage animals out there.
As he lay in the tent, alone with his thoughts, he heard what sounded like a splash in the water. That didn’t sound right. Then he heard another splash—and another.
What was that?
His curiosity propelled him to go investigate. He slid out of his sleeping bag, unzipped the tent, and peered toward The River. The ambient light from the fire and the glow of the brilliant moon lit the canyon. But he saw nothing. The water was flowing smoothly, just as it was when he turned in more than an hour ago.
Gabriel looked around the camp. Everyone was still asleep. He got an eerie feeling that he was not alone. At first, he was a bit frightened, but he felt drawn to walk around and check things out. His eyes scanned the campground and The River, but nothing looked amiss. He was approaching the fire to warm himself when it happened again. The waters at the center of The River seemed to swirl slowly in a large circle—about the size of the van they had driven from Kansas. It was as if some huge cosmic spoon were stirring the water.
There’s no fish that big in The River. Maybe it’s a weird current. Or am I dreaming all this?
Gabriel’s heart pounded as the sound of the swirling water increased in speed and intensity. The motion of the water created a deepening hole in the center of the swirl. He couldn’t stop watching as the swirling got stronger and stronger, louder and louder, and then began fading. Slowing down, it finally stopped. The River flowed normally again.
Gabriel looked around to see if any of the commotion had disturbed anyone else. Not a peep came from the tents. He couldn’t believe what he had just seen. While it was terrifying, he somehow felt comforted by what he witnessed. It was like he was allowed to experience something unique to him.
He sat down by the fire and decided to lie down on his jacket and look at the stars. He felt warm, even though he was dressed in boxers and a T-shirt. In fact, the temperature felt as warm as the middle of the afternoon even though it was the middle of the night.
“Gabriel. . . Gabriel! What are you doing out here?”
Jimmy shook Gabriel’s shoulder. The sun was up, and sunlight filtered through the fir trees. Gabriel opened his eyes, bewildered.
“I must have fallen asleep.”
“Man, you’re nuts! You’ve gotta be freezing!”
Gabriel looked around. A few people were starting to stir from their tents, but no one was paying attention to them.
“No, I feel fine. I guess I got hot in my sleeping bag.”
“You’re crazy. It was too cold to sleep outside last night without a sleeping bag.”
“Well, I did.”
Gabriel wasn’t about to tell Jimmy what had happened to him the night before. He couldn’t explain it anyway because he wasn’t even sure what had happened.
Was it all a dream? Was I sleepwalking?
For some reason, though, he felt comforted by what he’d experienced during the night. He wasn’t scared at all.
He had made a connection with The River.
ELEVEN
The Girl
THE SUN WAS STILL HIDDEN BEHIND THE CANYON walls, but its light spilled onto the beach, warming the campers who were starting to rise and shine. The campfire was down to smoldering coals, so Gabriel gathered dead twigs and branches to revive their fire so they could cook breakfast.
One thing he’d learned from Mister Earl was good fire-making techniques. Back on the farm, the older man would always say, “Workin’ a good fire will keep a man’s mind in a good place.”
Gabriel never forgot that. After he got the fire going again, he walked to the edge of The River and looked out into the middle of the wide stream, at the place where he saw the stirring the night before. He began to daydream about what he’d experienced. He still wasn’t completely positive that the event really happened, but what he saw with his eyes seemed so real: the stirring, the warmth, the wind, and the feeling that someone was with him.
“Hey, bro,” a hushed voice said out of nowhere.
Gabriel’s heart skipped a beat. He was so focused on The River that he didn’t hear Cig walk up behind him.
“You trying to kill me, man? You scared me to death.”
Cig grinned. “You know where that iron skillet is to fry the bacon? I can’t have eggs without bacon.”
“I think it’s in Jimmy’s box in the back of the van.” Gabriel pointed toward the parked vehicle.
“You need some more sleep, sunshine?” Cig turned the corner of his mouth down. “Cheer up. You’ll thank me once you taste the food.”
The River Page 9
