A High Dive (Cont.)
Screen 3 of 4My friends were no longer jeering or making fun of me. They were not even kidding each other about it, but were all staring in blank silence. I think they were by that time quite apprehensive--perhaps even afraid. I know I was. But there I was standing alone and just about ready to let go. But still I was not ready. I pulled up the shoulder straps of my bathing suit, both to make it fit a little better--and to kill some time. (This was long before the time of bathing trunks for boys. Everyone--girls and boys--wore one piece bathing suits which covered most of the body from the shoulder: to the middle of the thigh.)
"Come on, Check. It's getting late," Thurman yelled up at me from below. "Either jump or come back down the tree." I felt he was in hopes I would not jump, but he didn't say so.
No more delay could then be justified. I had to go through with it??and I did, just falling backward as I had done off the stationary tower at camp. But as I floated down toward the water, over and over slowly, I became quite sure that the oak tree was considerably higher than the tower. How much higher I didn't know, but shortly before I hit the water I had already completed my first full turn (that's all I intended to do) and was beginning the second.
In another split second the downward journey was suddenly over. Such a shock I had never experienced before--nor have I since. The blow was thundering. Stars of all colors jumped in every direction in front of my eyes. Then everything went black, and I knew nothing. My friends told me later that I was unconscious and not moving after landing on the water perfectly flat, just like a wooden board thrown down at the water in a horizontal position.
[Contents Vol. 1]
[David's Home Page]
- 30 -