Lemuria by Burt Clinchandhill (epub e ink reader TXT) 📕

a corner lay a stack of lifejackets that were probably once orange. There were no windows, the only light inside filtered through the openings in the water reed-thatched roof. “We need four lifejackets, four oars and I suggest we take two shovels as well.”

“Shovels?” Ignatowski asked.

“Just in case you want to dig for something on the island,” Mansoer answered.

The men picked up the items, and when Ignatowski picked up two lifejackets, he wondered if they would float considering their weight from the mud they were covered with. He wanted to ask, but before the words left his mouth, he realized he already knew the answer.

“Let’s get this stuff to the raft, and we’re ready to go.” Mansoer left the shed with an oar in both hands.

“I hope you know what you got us into,” Ignatowski grumbled to Bishop.

“Me too.”

In a few minutes, the raft was filled with the materials, and everyone pulled on a lifejacket.

“Is everyone ready?” Mansoer asked. With nods all around, he said, “All right. Now, when I give the signal, you all get into the raft. I’ll go front left with Mr. Ignatowski behind me. On the right, next to me, Mr. Bishop will take his place with Ms. Lindsey behind him. I will untie the raft, and we will float into the river. There’s not much current in this part, so we’ll begin easy. The only thing you need to do is paddle. When I say ‘left,’ then my side will paddle. ‘Right,’ that’s your side or ‘all,’ and we all paddle. When I give the command, you paddle as hard as you can. We should be all right. Okay? Oh, and when I say stop, you stop and raise your oar out of the water. You’re ready?”

They all confirmed and got onto the raft. After Mansoer untied the boat, he gave a small push with his oar, moving the raft onto the river. The current picked up and the raft slowly drifted downstream.

“You see, nothing to it.” Mansoer leaned back casually.

For two minutes, the raft casually rocked the brown water before picking up speed. Mansoer slowly back-paddled to slow their speed. Then the raft took the first dip into the stream, and coming out of it, water bashed against the raft, then against the rubber boat and then it splashed inside as the raft fell back onto the water again. The dark brown water from the river now turned white as it bashed against the rocks rising from the river.

“This is it,” Mansoer spoke loudly over the sound of bashing waves. “Take out your oars, hold on tight and listen for my commands.” They held their oars outside the boat and over the water. The raft dove into another wave, and coming out of it, a five-foot long shark fin-shaped rock appeared dead ahead of them. “Left,” Mansoer shouted and paddled. Ignatowski copied his pace behind him. Carried on top of the white water, the boat went right and passed the rock without any problems.

“Great,” Mansoer called out. “Here comes the next.” A wide square rock appeared after the raft dipped down and came back up again. “Right.”

Bishop, with Lindsey behind him, dipped their oars into the white water.

“Faster,” Mansoer yelled when the raft quickly neared the rock. He back-paddled to help the boat go left. Ignatowski followed Mansoer’s example, and when the raft lay transverse in the river, Mansoer called out, “all!” The four of them paddled as hard as they could, and the raft passed the rock with only a few feet to spare.

“Left.”

Bishop and Lindsey pulled their oars out of the water, and within seconds, the boat lay straight again in the water.

“Stop.” Mansoer and Ignatowski took their oars out of the water.

“Yes,” Bishop cried out, shaking the water from his hair.

“Amazing. We did it,” Ignatowski yelled, raising his hand to Lindsey, who gave him a high-five.

“You all okay?” Mansoer didn’t wait for an answer. “One more to go.” He pointed his paddle to a rock rising ten feet over the river. The white water bashed high against the lava rock, sometimes curling over it. “We call this one Beëlzebub. Do I need to explain why?”

They all shook their heads.

“We need to pass it on the left. After we pass it, the current will take us straight into the island’s cove. Are you ready?”

They all confirmed loudly, yelling.

“Here we go. Right,” he called out some thirty feet straight in front of the rock, and the boat slowly turned.

“Stop,” he yelled as the raft neared the shore. With raised oars, Mansoer let the boat drift sideways. “Here she comes.” Whoosh. The raft took a big dip into the white water, where at its deepest point, it turned straight again. The raft raised over the waterline, nearly vertical, only to smash down onto the roaring river with a big splash, taking in heaps of water.

“All, now, all,” Mansoer called out, passing Beëlzebub within a few feet. Now, all loudly screaming, they paddled with full force, and within seconds that seemed like minutes, they passed the fierce-looking rock, and the water calmed again.

Some fifty feet ahead, the island now showed its crescent-shaped cove, and they slowly drifted toward it. The sound of high fives and primal sounds soon drowned out the sound of the wild river behind them. Within a minute, the raft found its way into the cove, running ashore at the farthest end.

Mansoer jumped off and pulled the raft as far into the bank as he could. “Please take all the materials.” He pointed them onto the island.

“That was quite a ride,” Bishop said as they all got off.

“I have to admit I had fun,” Ignatowski confirmed.

“Me too,” Lindsey added. “Wait until I tell my children about this.”

Bishop eyed Lindsey. “You have children?”

“Didn’t I tell you? A boy, fourteen, and a girl, twelve.”

“You didn’t say you were married.”

“I’m not. Divorced.”

“I hate to break this up,” Ignatowski intervened, “but it’s getting late, so if you don’t mind.”

“Later,” Lindsey addressed Bishop.

Bishop picked up a shovel