[Stylist] writing prompt

[anniecms64 at gmail.com]

Cue the   Da-Dum, Da-Dum .

 

By Ann Chiappetta

 

 

Spending the summer on Long Island sound is one of my favorite childhood
memories.  My Dad bought a boat after the divorce and I spent the first year
learning how not to be motion sick. I was eleven and spent each weekend with
Dad trolling for bluefish, bottom fishing for flounder, or diving into the
cool Atlantic water when it got hot.   

 

One weekend afternoon my cousins were with us to go water skiing. Dad had to
be convinced because he didn't want to use all his gas for something so
frivolous. My cousins actually coughed up the gas money and after filling up
at the fuel dock, we rode out of the harbor proper finding open water. It
was the summer that the movie Jaws had been released and terrified
generations of movie-goers, including me. 

 

When it was my turn to dive in and get help from my cousin to help buckle on
the skis, and grab the tow handle, I didn't have time to feel afraid. My
adrenaline was making my hands shake and I was grinning like a fool.  

The boat drifted off, my Dad straightening the tow line, then he gave me the
thumbs up, and       I heard the throttle rise and the boat roared into
life, I felt the powerful jerk on my hands and arms but I did what Dad
instructed, kept my arms bent, my   toes pointed up knees bent, leaning away
from the pull. I was up and skimming the water, then I hit a dip in the
water and my skis flew into the air and when I landed back in the water,
they both flew off my feet.  I'd let go of the handle as soon as I felt the
fall coming and floated in the water thanks to the safety flotation belt.
The boat wasn't far off, already circling around to get me. In that moment
of floating I   thought of the movie and I began to scan the surface of the
water, trying to look down past my feet but the water was a murky green. I
began to panic, closing my eyes and trying not to cry.  I watched the boat
come closer, then   gratefully swam to the ladder when Dad put it into
neutral. 

 

"Want to try again?" asked my cousin. 

I shook my head and unbuckled the flotation belt.  After bobbing in the
water, helpless and possibly   being mistaken for a meal, I was happy to
only try water skiing again in a freshwater lake.

 

 

 

Author

` Making meaningful connections with others through writing `

www.annchiappetta.com <http://www.annchiappetta.com/>  or
www.dldbooks.com/annchiappetta/ <http://www.dldbooks.com/annchiappetta/>  

Blog: www.thought-wheel.com <http://www.thought-wheel.com/> 

Facebook Annie Chiappetta

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/stylist_nfbnet.org/attachments/20191004/340ca88a/attachment.html>