Penny came over about 9:00 as we had planned. We looked at the tide tables and found that high tide, the best time to swim, would be in the afternoon. The day looked nice as we loaded Penny’s bicycle with the big rope, a light rope for a puller, lunches, swimsuits, and towels. We had decided that the assistant would carry all the stuff.
I was in a strange mood — I didn’t feel like saying much. I guess I was a little scared, but I wasn’t sure of what. What am I doing? Who am I proving myself to? I couldn’t think of anybody in the world who cared if I could climb trees or not. Except . . . my very best friend Penny . . . and myself.
I took a deep breath, looked up at the blue sky, and pedaled harder to catch up.
“Penny, did I ever tell you that you are my best friend, and the best friend I could ever imagine having?”
“Really?”
I didn’t say anything, but we smiled at each other as we rode into the park.
“I shall test my mastery of the Air first!” I said, shouldering the big coil of rope. Penny stashed our bikes in the bushes and I headed along the cliff path.
I was looking for a special tree, one I had never climbed before, but would make a good swing. I looked at several and finally stopped.
It hung way out over the beach, with smooth, strong limbs. Penny looked at me a little worried. “How are you going to get up the main trunk — it’s so smooth and big!”
I looked around for a rock, found the one I wanted, and tied the end of our light puller rope to it. I aimed for the first fork in the branches and tossed the rock. On the third try, the rope went over the branch, just where I wanted. I used the light rope to pull up the big rope, then held both sides of the big rope as I climbed. I think our Teacher had done something similar once.
“Can I breathe now?” Penny asked from below.
I sat on the branch and looked down at my friend. I hadn’t come far from where she was standing, but now there was a 30 foot drop below me. “When I get through these tests, I’m going to buy myself a banana split!”
“I’ll buy, and after tomorrow, you can buy me one!” Penny said.
“Agreed.” I coiled the rope I had just climbed, then looked up to where I wanted to hang the swing. One part was so steep I almost had to shimmy.
When I got to the right place, the branches were starting to bend a little under my weight. I fed the rope down between the branches. When it looked long enough, I started it swinging so Penny could grab it.
“Got it! Give me another 2 feet. Perfect!”
I tied a good strong knot. When Penny finished making a loop on the end, she let it go. I slid down, rope between my feet, hands controlling my descent.
I stopped at the loop and tied on the little puller rope. I lowered myself down until I was hanging by my hands from the loop, then dropped to the ground.
When I got to the top of the cliff trailing the puller rope, Penny was bouncing up and down. We checked to see where the swing would take us.
“This would be the perfect place to take off from, but we could get speared on that dead branch over there,” I said.
Penny frowned and nodded, then crept around to the other side of the tree.
“This looks good. You might hit those leaves and twigs.
“That’s better than getting speared. I’ll take it.” I crawled along the cliff edge and looked. Yes, the ride would be nice. I pulled in the big rope, coiled the puller rope and tied it up, tested my knot in the tree, and took a deep breath. Foot in the loop, hands high on the rope . . .
I was flying! Down toward the beach, then up to green leaves. Smash! I broke through the veil of leaves and into the blue sky, beach and water below me. Then back down through the leaves toward the cliff, and up toward my laughing friend.
On the second swoop, I only touched the leaves instead of breaking through them. After that I played — hanging upside down from the rope, or swinging around and around, or just holding with my hands. The rope slowed, I dropped off and climbed back up the cliff.
“My turn!” Penny said.
“On the first swing, you break right through into the daylight!” I said.
“I saw you. Here goes!” She flew.
I sat on the cliff and watched. She was beautiful . . . graceful. I remembered my own flight, especially bursting through and seeing the sky. I had used more than half the rope to make the swing — 60 feet I guessed.
When Penny got back up with the puller rope, we threw our arms around each other. “That’s the best swing I have ever ridden on!” she said. We looked at each other with big smiles on our faces. We had both worked really hard, and our reward was being able to fly.
“Well, on with the tests. I’m sure not going to climb up that puller, so I’ll just have to swing again!” I said with a cheesy grin.
“Oh,
how
sad!”
I untied the puller — I wouldn’t need it again — put in a foot and sailed into the air. “Whoopee!” I yelled as I burst through the leaves.
I began to climb even before the swing had stopped. I think it was a longer rope than I had ever climbed before. I rested about half way up, then again just before scampering onto the limb.
Up came the rope, and down I climbed. I just jumped down the last section of trunk where I had to use the rope on the way up.
“I learned recently that we should always thank the tree or plant we use,” I said and gave the trunk a big hug. Penny took the rope and we headed off to the alder grove.
I wandered deep into the grove, the trees getting taller and taller as I went.
“Jeez, Ariel, how tall are these?”
“About a hundred feet, I think.”
I looked around and Penny followed. I felt a little scared again. I wanted to go up a tall one. I knew the thickest part of the trunk wouldn’t bother me on the may up, but I’d still have to come down. I stopped in front of a very tall, slightly curving alder that was about a foot wide at the bottom. Penny
handed me my jacket.
I started up. It got easier as the trunk got slimmer. Twenty feet. I stopped to rest and looked down.
“You look good!” Penny said.
I continued up. Thirty feet. The trunk was perfect for me now, about nine inches wide. I stopped and puffed. I looked up — I wanted to go to the first branch, pluck a leaf as a souvenir.
Forty feet. I was getting tired. About 10 more feet to the first branch.
Come on, Ariel. forty-five feet. Nothing could stop me now. I looked down.
Wow! It was scary to look, but I was proud.
Fifty feet, and some sway. I wrapped one arm around the trunk and reached out for a leaf. “Thank you, tree. You are great! I hope it’s okay that I take a leaf.”
I slipped the leaf into my pocket and started down. Forty. Thirty. My arms were shaking. I rested.
“Are you okay, Ariel?”
“Just shaky.” The trunk was getting bigger, and I had to hold tight with my legs, as my arms didn’t feel like they had much strength left. Twenty feet.
I could hardly feel my arms!
“Don’t let your mind limit you, Ariel!”
Hold on, arms. I don’t care if I can’t feel you, just hold on!
Ten feet. Five. I almost fell on top of Penny.
I lay there, staring up at the tall tree. Thank you, tree. You took me a little closer to God, and made me a little stronger.
After several minutes, I pulled the leaf out of my pocket and showed it to Penny.
She smiled. “What’s next?”
“Earth,” I said.
We walked to the north end of wildest section of the park. I wanted to do the hardest part first, the forest run.
“I’ll get my bike and meet you at the picnic tables, then I can ride along with you on the two miles.”
“Okay. I’m going to be ready for lunch after this!”
I darted into the woods, sliding between slender trees. It was a good half
mile or more to the picnic area. Along a fallen log and into the bushes I hopped. Soon I was climbing upward toward the hill. I didn’t want to go to the top, but I couldn’t avoid part of it. The brush was thinner, but sticker vines tore at my legs. I trotted at an even pace and pulled free each time one tried to trip me.
Near the crest of the hill I had to duck under bushes and watch for rabbit holes. My foot went into one hole, but I stopped myself quick with my other foot so I wouldn’t pull any muscles. Back on my feet, down hill.
The swampy part. I hopped between clumps of grass and logs. I was in a slightly different place than ever before. My eyes were wide and my mind alert for the deep muddy places. I heard a crow above me but didn’t dare look. Finally out of the swamp and into the woods. Lots of thick fir to brush past, looking hard for berry vines between trees that would trip me or tear my skin.
I burst through some trees and came face to face with a huge anthill. No thank you, back and around. Not much farther now. More brush, more thorns. Along a log, and another. I’m tired. Keep going, feet! My ankles were starting to sting, and I wondered if a vine got me and I hadn’t noticed.
Through the trees.
I could hear voices ahead. The picnic area! Down a little hill, across a clearing, through the trees.
“Ariel!”
There was Penny and her bike at a picnic table with some other people. I started walking to catch my breath.
With a grin on her face, Penny said, “These folks forgot their matches, and I thought maybe you could help them get their barbeque started.”
I was breathing hard, hands on my knees. I realized what Penny was saying — she wanted me to do my Fire test.
“There’s the biggest anthill in there I’ve ever seen!” I gasped.
“You just came through the wild area? It must have taken you hours!” the man said.
Penny looked at her watch. “Fourteen minutes from Carter Road.”
“You’re bleeding!” the lady said, pointing at my leg.
“A blackberry got me. I’m okay,” I said. Penny tossed me my fire pouch.
“Aren’t you a little young to carry matches?” the man said.
“Oh, I don’t carry matches.” I gathered some twigs off the ground, went over to the barbeque, and opened my pouch. I took a little burnt cloth and a cotton ball, and set up my tinder right on the charcoal. The three of them gathered around to watch.
My first two sparks went wide, but the next one nestled into the cotton ball. I blew carefully on it, nudged the cloth closer. A tiny flame. I blew life into it and laid twigs on. When a little fire was burning, the man got his kerosene out and thanked me.
“Will you two eat lunch with us? You saved me a trip to town!”
I
was hungry. I looked at Penny and she nodded. “Sure!” I decided it would be nice to rest before my run.
The man grilled hot dogs and I let the lady look at my ankles. I had gotten a good scratch. “I have an herbal salve that will keep it from itching. Would you like me to put some on?”
“What is it?”
“Goldenseal root,” she said. “Also, it will help it heal.”
“Okay.” I held up my pants leg and she spread the yellow-green goo onto the scrapes. It felt nice.
Hot dogs, potato salad, cookies and milk. I ate lightly — I knew I couldn’t do my run if I was stuffed.
“Why would you want to run through the wild area?” the man asked.
“Because it teaches me faith in myself and in God,” I said.
He didn’t ask any more questions.
After eating, we thanked them and walked around so my lunch would settle.
“You only have the run and the swim to go!” Penny said.
I was dreading the swim, but I didn’t tell her. I tried to keep my mind on the two mile run. “Thanks, Penny, for letting me help them with the fire. You could have done it.”
“Tomorrow is my big day.”
We walked a little more. Finally I said I was ready, and we strolled to the starting place.
“I’ll talk to you again at Williams Road,” I said.
“Good
luck!”
I started, not too fast. Pace yourself, Ariel. It’s a long way.
My side didn’t give me much trouble, but I was tired almost from the start.
After about a mile, I really had to make myself keep going. Glancing at Penny on her bike gave me courage — she would be doing it tomorrow. Breathe, 2, 3, 4. Breathe, 2, 3, 4.
There was Williams Road! Penny pedaled ahead and waited. I plodded up to the road and slower to a walk.
“It was . . . easier than I . . . expected it . . . to be.”
“Free ride back to the park. Hop on!”
I let the breeze dry the sweat on my face as Penny took us back. I dug my bike out of the bushes, and then it all hit me — I had climbed into a large maple, swung on a 60 foot long rope, shimmied 50 feet up I an alder, run through the wildest part of the woods, lit a fire with no matches, and then run two miles! And now I was going to swim a mile in salt water! All because I was trying to do something, be something . . . and I didn’t quite know what.
“Ariel?”
“I was just remembering the things I’ve done today. More than I have ever done before in one day. Let’s go!”
I was feeling good on the ride out to the swimming inlet. I felt a lot of energy inside me — not so much my own strength, after all I had done, but something else, something that wasn’t quite me.
I stood on the sand and looked at the dark blue water at high tide. Penny handed me my swimsuit.. I looked around, stripped, and pulled it on. I looked at the water some more.
“Scary?”
“Yeah. I know I want to do it. I know it will be hard, and close, but somehow that’s why I have to do it. Close. Very close.” I waded into the water and started swimming.
I was hardly aware of what I was doing. My arms dug at the water. My mouth grabbed air. I didn’t stop to see where I was and I didn’t break my rhythm. Two kicks per stroke, three strokes per breath. Slow and steady. I knew where the buoy was. I could see it in my mind. I couldn’t feel the water anymore. I was floating above it and I could see myself swimming. There,
dead ahead of me was the buoy. I could see myself reach up and touch it, turn and head back toward the shore. Without thinking about it, I went to a breath every stroke.
It seemed like I was seeing myself from farther and farther away. I was moving toward the shore, but slower and slower. Then I was completely still, but only half way back from the buoy. I could see that my arms weren’t moving anymore. I thought I heard a voice, but it seemed to be coming from far away. What was it saying? I tried to hear.
“Float,
Ariel!”
Float? Why? Then I felt something cold and salty in my mouth, and an alarm sounded somewhere inside me. Move, arms! Turn me over! I was back in my body, and I could see water. I could feel my arms moving. I could see sunlight and water splashing. I was gasping for air, trying to float.
“Float,
Ariel!”
A part of my mind took over that I had been training for months. My arms went out and my feet started kicking. I had to conserve energy. I had to get onto my back and float.
“You
want
help?”
Penny. She was with me. “No. Am I at shore?”
“A hundred yards.”
“Right
direction?”
“Yeah. You’re doing great.”
I floated and kicked. Penny kept talking to me. “Just a little more. You look great, Ariel!”
I felt sand under me. I tried to get to my hands and knees but stumbled. I felt slender arms helping me onto the beach. Then everything went dark.