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Show Fair Forever. , 76 exhausted. The current is stronger, the waves larger: I have to keep rowing to hold my place; .. . , : - !.\. ., '• , 7, ;, ,. . ." . J ' . : . ' ,: I scan the rough water and holler over the wind. "You probably didn't expect me today, Cornelius. It's rough."A wave crests the bow and splashes my back. I turn into the wind and try to rest. I scan the waves, but all is churning and froth. "Why don't you come up and talk? No one would see you?on a windy day like today. Only me,,of course." 7 . A gust rocks the skiff and spins the bow.' "Amanda said you were shy, Cornelius. She said you had lived a very long time and seen a very many things.. But you were shy. She said she would introduce me someday. She,promised." Something hard thumps the bottom of my skiff and I jump. Cornelius? His shell would sound like that if it rubbed against the skiff I look over the side. A wave splashes into the bow and washes along the floor. I hear the clunk again and search the other side. I listen. The wind howls. I pull the nose of the skiff around and hold steady. "I heard you, Cornelius!" I holler. "Thanks for letting me know you're here." Scooting to the back bench, I look over the stern, but the nose of the skiff rises and spins in the wind. I hurry back to the middle. "It's too rough today, Cornelius. I. can't,stay out very long. My arms are gettirig tired." A large wave slaps the.bow and rocks Fair Forever, washing from bow to stem along the bottom of the skiff. My feet are resting in deep, rolling puddles. I spy my large mason jar submerged in the water, my bailing jar for emptying water from the skiff. For a few minutes, I, bail while I listen. . |
