Chapter 6

The next morning, I went out for my normal run on the beach. It looked like the start of another beautiful day. About halfway through, I heard someone approaching from behind. It was Britte.

"Howdy handsome," she said with a smile.

I tensed in anticipation, but it didn't appear that she was going to sprint off suddenly, so I continued the pace I had established.

I learned that a situation had developed that she needed to deal with on the previous day. She told me that she had really enjoyed our time together at the plantation.

"How would you like to go to a wedding on a yacht?" she abruptly asked.

I paused to think. I had been to weddings on boats before, but never down south. I always like to experience new things, so I decided to give it a try.

"When is it?" I asked.

"Tomorrow," was her reply.

"Sure, I'll go," I replied.

"Good, I'll pick you up at six." Suddenly, she began to accelerate.

I was ready this time so I stepped it up a notch. I was pleased when I discovered that I was now able to keep up with her. I glanced sideways and watched as her long slender legs moved swiftly across the sand. She occasionally looked my way, giving me a big smile.

When I reached my turn-around spot near the lighthouse, I began to slow. Britte continued on, but gave me a wave. I made a half circle and headed back toward camp.

On the way back, I saw my neighbor's husband riding his bike on the sand. A family of four was making sand castles on the beach. A pair of pelicans flew by as I turned onto the path that led to my campsite.

After breakfast, I decided to head over to a local store that advertised homemade products. When I walked into the store, I instantly knew I had come to the right place. Everything looked so good. They had frozen pies and quiches. They had homemade jellies and jams. They also carried fruits along with a wide variety of vegetables.

I purchased a quiche, some jam, and ice for the cooler. Then I headed back to my campsite. My plan was to relax for a moment and read, and then later I would take a hike.

After knocking off a few chapters in my book, I headed off into the woods. I paused by each pond, eagerly scanning the surface for alligators. I watched for birds in the trees. I noticed a few frogs and turtles. The air smelled so clean and crisp. I spotted a patch of white through the trees and moved to get a better look.

It was an egret hunting for food. What I found unusual was that it was fishing from the bank. I watched with curiosity. I didn't see how it was possible for the bird to be able to reach its beak that far into the water.

The bird's long neck curled back as it intensely studied its prey. I guessed correctly when it would shoot out, and sure enough it did. Not only did it reach into the water, but it came up with a small wiggling fish. After success from the bank, the egret moved into the water where its thin long legs allowed it to move stealthily, and with minimal ripples, though the pond.

Back at the campsite, I decided to whittle an extra stake for the tent out of a small piece of firewood. I located my stone and sharpened my knife until I had the perfect edge. Everything was going well until I decided to remove one small piece of burr near a knot. The wood in that area was harder and I found that I was required to apply extra pressure. Suddenly, the knife slipped and I instantly felt the blade ripping through my flesh.

I looked down to see blood gushing from my hand. I also noticed that a big flap of my finger was hanging loosely by a small section of skin.

"Dang!" I said out loud. The wound looked pretty serious at first glance. It looked like there might be the possibility that I would lose the tip of my finger. I have cut myself before, and because of that, I'm usually very careful around knives. This time, however, I had violated my one cardinal rule of never pulling a knife toward myself. It was very evident that I would probably need to see a doctor.

"You hurt?" I heard someone say. I was in the process of getting up to retrieve my first aid kit. I looked up to see who was speaking and thought I recognized the voice. I was very pleased to see the mystery woman approaching.

"I just cut my finger," I said.

"Please let me look," she said.

She took my big mitt and held it in her delicate, beautiful hand. Then she led me over to the water container where she rinsed it thoroughly with the fluid.

It hurt like hell.

"You have medical supplies?" she asked.

I applied pressure to my finger, after moving the flap back into place, then pointed in the direction of my first aid kit. I watched as she picked up the gauze and expertly wrapped it around my finger.

"I am doctor," she said. "You must go to hospital."

I paused for a moment while I analyzed the situation. I had repaired one of my fingers before, making my own splint out of a piece of a Popsicle stick. However, the current wound looked to be much more serious.

"Thank you for your help," I said. "I should probably head to an emergency clinic."

I saw her hesitate. "Can you drive?" she asked.

"I will be just fine," I stated. I gave her a big smile and then climbed behind the wheel of my Rover.

As I was driving along, the finger began to throb. I became concerned that the pain might get really bad before I arrived at the hospital. I parked my car and headed for the emergency entrance. After I had been asked me a few questions, the receptionist told me to have a seat. I looked around at the people who were waiting along with me.

One of the patients was wearing a burka. Another had his pants so low that I thought they would fall off. Two men in dresses came walking through the room, probably from some African country. It became very apparent that I was in a multicultural facility.

Patient after patient was called in until an hour and a half had passed. When it began to look like people who had arrived after me were being called, I stopped one of the nurses.

"Am I even in the queue?" I asked.

"You are number two," was the reply.

""If I lose this finger, I am going to be one unhappy person," I responded.

"Let me see what I can do," the nurse said, as she headed over to the desk.

After that, things started happening rather quickly. I was led to a room and a doctor arrived after a short period of time.

"Let's take a look," he said.

He complemented me on the fine wrapping job.

"Well, I'm going to numb your finger with lidocain. You will feel temperature and other sensations but you won't notice the needle when I begin to sew. He went on to insert the needle in order to numb the area. As he did, he moved the tip around in my finger. It seemed like he was trying to make it bend around corners. When he was finally done, a numbing sensation began to move through my finger.

He did a very masterful job of sewing up my finger, giving me six stitches. He even put a stitch through my fingernail. He warned me that it was going to hurt, but I didn't feel a thing.

After it was wrapped, he sent me on my way. All I lost out of my day was a little less than four hours. I headed for a restaurant in the city in the hopes of finding some way to salvage the day. So far, the only other bright spot was the rescue by the mysterious woman.

After my meal, I walked along the park near the lift bridge. I found a place where I could sit and watch as people passed by. Young mothers played with their children on the playground. Old men sat by themselves. Occasionally young boys would pass by on the skateboards. It was enjoyable to watch the people as they went about their various activities.

My finger was a bit awkward, as it was pointing straight out. I discovered I could still use my hand; I just needed to compensate for my injury. Surprisingly, the pain wasn't too bad. I figured I had better enjoy the fact that it wasn't hurting too much because I was sure it was going to get worse.

I diverted my gaze when the bridge siren signaled it was time to let a boat pass. The traffic stopped and began to back up. I watched as the big span swung to let a sailboat through. I noticed a couple of elderly men fishing from the railing along the river. Having no other pressing business, I stayed until the sun had set and found that I had enjoyed myself immensely.

The next morning I went on my run as usual. I didn't see Britte, which disappointed me. When I arrived back at camp, I made breakfast and then headed out for the day's adventure. I wanted to make sure I was back in time for the date with Britte.

I rented another kayak and put it in at a boat landing near a backwaters area. The sky was overcast, making the temperature very pleasurable. I slowly made my way through the channel, staying close to the clumps of grass along the shore. I figured out a way to paddle which didn't interfere with my wounded finger. I reasoned that the extra motion could only help the blood flow.

I noticed turtles dropping into the water when they saw me approach. A goose and a pair of ducks startled me as they flew out of the dry brush. My biggest surprise was when a great blue heron was flushed from the cattails. He made a great amount of racket in his attempt to lift off.

Unknown fish, of about two pounds or more, were jumping out of the water. Something big was moving amongst the cattails. Unfortunately, I couldn't see what it was. I could see the tall leaves moving as the creature moved through the tall grass. I waited, but I never got a good look at the mysterious creature.

It was a great day to be out on the water. A cool breeze was blowing and it felt so refreshing against my skin. The air smelled so fresh. Wildlife could be seen in abundance. I made my way around the corner of a channel and noticed a seaplane docked off to my right. Up on shore, I noticed a small group of float planes in a rainbow of colors.

I listened to the rrmmba ... rrmmba as one of the motors began to idle. The mechanic must have been checking the engine, as it wasn't too long before air was once again filled with silence. I continued to paddle, finally getting into a rhythm.

Spit ... spit ... spit went the paddle, as it dipped into the water. I was gliding smoothly, making a slight adjustment for the wind. My finger didn't hurt too much, as long as I kept it pointed away from my hand. Every so often I would stop and take in the world around me. I noticed a wooden deck, on a small island, and paddled toward it.

As I approached, I could see some people walking onto the structure. As I grew nearer, they waived. My whole countenance changed when I recognized one of the folks. It was my mystery woman. She smiled and waved enthusiastically.

"You have fun?" she asked, once I was close enough to talk.

"I'm having a great time," I replied.

We chatted a little and I learned that she was there with her relatives. They were on a hiking trail that had boardwalks that stretched across the marshy areas.