chapter seven
The muddy river was calmer than usual, but still gently churning. It stretched a ways back, but not too distant. Close enough to where the opposite shore was visible, but still far to make the emerald foliage of the trees appear tiny. A motor boat zipped across the horizon, leaving a white streak behind.
Nate stood only about a yard in. The water went up to the middle of his hairy shins. It was dirty enough that he couldn’t see his feet. He had on the same cut-off jeans from the day before, but stripped his shirt. The sky was grey and overcast and the air was almost chilly. A wind blew from the east.
Tina had already begun to swim. She was far out into the river and floating. Nate could see just her head poking above the water and her arms gracefully waving back and forth on the surface.
Behind Nate was a houseboat his friend owned. Since it had a massive hole in the side, he kept it ashore like a beached whale. It was a blocky, clunky thing with a ragged maroon tarp that barely hung on. Along the handrail, half a dozen pairs of cut-off shorts hung over to dry. The guy always kept these available so people could borrow them when they came by.
Nate took another step into the water. Circles rippled away from him, getting larger and dissipating over time. The mud underneath his feet was cold and firm, filled with jagged pebbles that scraped his feet. A large branch stuck out of the water in front of him. He stooped over, picked it up and swung it from side to side like he was chopping through tall grass in the jungle.
Nate continued into the water and it was up to his waist. His shorts were pocketed with air and ballooned upwards to the surface.
“C’mon, Nate, the water ain’t that cold!” Tina called.
“I guess, whatever. Come over here!” Nate yelled back. The wind was starting to pick up.
Tina swam in Nate’s direction and he threw his stick behind him. It made a tiny “splish!” Nate crossed his arms and shivered, then turned around and looked behind. The houseboat’s tarp ruffled with the wind.
Tina reached Nate’s side. She stood up, her head meeting his shoulder, and hugged his arms.
“Are you gonna swim or what? I hope we didn’t come out here just so you could stand in the water,” Tina said.
“Baby, I only came out here because you said you wanted to. I don’t even like swimming.”
“Well, at least swim for a little bit!”
“No, I ain’t gonna swim, you just go ahead. I’ll stay here and watch.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I’m sure.”
“Well, okay, but that doesn’t sound like much fun,” Tina blurted before turning her back to Nate and running back into the deep water. She started swimming quickly to the middle of the river.
Nate turned around and walked towards the shore. His foot pressed down on a jagged rock. Sharp pain jolted through the middle of his foot. He lifted it up and started hopping on the opposite one.
When he reached the land, he sat down on the wet, sandy dirt. He bent his leg towards him and looked at his foot. A cut about an inch long stretched across the bottom of it. His heel was caked in wet dirt and mixed with the wet blood that trailed down.
The shirt Nate removed earlier was right behind him. He turned around and grabbed it, then wrapped it around his foot. He tied a tight knot, then reclined backwards to lie on the ground.
He closed his eyes and covered them with his hands. He rubbed them gently, creating little red spots that moved with his fingers. He pulled his fingers off and the red trails evaporated.
His eyes opened and he looked at the sky. The clouds were so thick that he could hardly tell where one started and another began. It was a solid ceiling of grey. A black bird swooped across, gliding with wings held straight across, then gaining speed when he flapped them a few times. It curved smoothly to the right and disappeared out of Nate’s sight.
He sat up and looked out at the river. Tina hadn’t noticed anything was wrong and continued to play in the water. Nate leaned to look at his foot. The makeshift bandage was already soaking through with blood. He picked up a rock that was next to him and hurled it into the water.
His cigarettes, lighter, wallet, and keys rested where his shirt did. He reached behind and grabbed a cigarette and the lighter and lit up.
Tina was swimming back to Nate. He reclined and puffed on his cigarette.
“What happened to you foot?” Tina asked. She rushed to her knees and untied the shirt. The wound still bled, but not as heavily.
“I cut it on a rock,” Nate replied calmly, in between cigarette drags.
“Ow, see, I knew you should’ve gone swimming!”
“Well, I would’ve, but I don’t know how.”
Nate put his cigarette out on the wet dirt and looked back up at the sky.
“Why didn’t you ever learn?” Tina asked.
Nate ignored her. “Tomorrow’s my birthday.”