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| Baby Ann stumbled along behind Kay and Steve while rubbing at the bruise on her side where the seatbelt straps caught her. She would tighten them up this leg. The bruise hurt. She missed her husband. She missed him asking if she were okay, at a time like this. Tears threatened, she rubbed hard at the bruise then straightened the shirt down over her thin hips. Raising her eyes, she just missed running into the back of Steve as he and Kay stood talking to one of the pilots. Baby Ann recognized the pilot and offered her hand. He stood in front of her all smiles. She had guessed Steve and Kay had informed him of their run up river. "Sounds like a hair raising trip." "More so than when my husband piloted the thing!" Baby Ann continued on to the boat. The pilot stood watching her. She held up a hand, ending the conversation. "Come on Kay." Baby Ann called back to her sister. "Let's get in the boat." Now that Kay was showing some interest in at least placing, they needed to get down to the business of strategy--winning stategy! The boat started and kept up its roar as Kay, on hands and knees, worked her way across the top of the snout of the boat and into the navigator's seat. She had with much effort pushed the boat off the sand. Baby Ann gave it gas so that it slowly moved. It tried to turn back to the beach, then fianally headed out to the middle of the river, where several boats were revving engines and circling, getting ready to take off on leg two. The sun was high and bright. A lone little cloud here and there. Rain seemed no threat. Okay, Baby Ann said to herself, think about the river, how they would come up on the rapids from the back side--just opposite of this morning's run. She can remember Donnie Smith, a U.S. Unlimited Champion, saying he found it easier to go down river than going up river. We'll see. She pulled the seatbelt strap tight. Kay pulled the bow line tight and gave Baby Ann the thumbs up sign. Baby Ann was happy that Kay had not mentioned her neck since her interest had changed: winning, placing at least! The green flag went down, the nose of the boat went up and they were off on leg two. This leg of the race was not going to be as layed back as the last leg--boats were behind them. Baby Ann had no intention of going at a break-neck speed. She just wanted to race. She just wanted to be able to say that she and her sister were the first all woman's team. Now this--she could almost feel the boat coming up behind them. At the speed she was going, it could be any second now. Two-Mile Rapids loomed. Her mind raced, remembering where the rocks were and how to avoid them. Kay pointed out the way. She kept turning checking on the boats behind them. She must be worried too, thought Baby Ann. She pressed down on the gas: just ahead the water lay calm. Any time now it would boil and froth and her foot would try to back off the gas. A war would begin between brain and foot. Brain saying keep the speed up to keep it off the rocks and foot looking for the brake. There was no break. |
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| Baby Ann leaned into the seat belt straps to make sure they were tight enough. She eased off when the bruise started hurting. Could be a little tighter. She positioned her bottom a little more soundly in the seat and pushed down on the top of her helmet. She was ready--ready for two-mile-rapid. Kay kept looking behind knowing a boat could be there any second. And one could be. As soon as they could see it coming, Baby Ann would move over so it could go by. The river loomed black with an occasional star sparkle on the crest of a wave. Baby Ann watched the landmarks for the rocks that were hidden. The system was working. Her rock was next then the one Kay was to watch out for. The river seemed to be the same level as the last time they scouted the river. Okay, two-mile, she steered to the right sharply, to miss the black flat rock, then straight ahead until Kay directs the path through a stretch of foaming fury. Kay's hand pointed, motioned to the right, thumb and index finger an inch apart to indicated a little to the right, and then straight ahead again. Great, almost throught. One more bit of white water and then free to race full out for a few miles. Kay pulled on Baby Ann's sleeve. She wasn't to do that, but every time she'd do it, making Baby Ann crazy. Baby Ann motioned for her to stop. Kay pointed over her shoulder-- that ment a boat was coming. Great! She had to keep to the middle , there was no where to go except the middle! Fans lined the bank. Some hanging out on rocks. She had to get through this stretch as quickly as possible. The boat coming up would be right in their rooster tail. Well, it would just have to back off a little until she got through this and then she'd move over. Unbelievable, it was moving up. Where was she suppose to go? There was no where! The boat was trying to pass her. The white churning water pulled at the back of the boat. She had let up on the gas now the tip was going up and the back was trying to dip into the foam. She punched the gas. The boat hung, not moving with tip up. The boat passed, beating the water to a froth and finally heaving with one big wave Baby Ann's boat forward. One second more and the back of her boat would have taken on too much water and they would have been scrambling to get out of the boat as it sunk--heavy engine-end first. The pumps shot the water out they had taken on. Baby Ann let out a loud whoop, looked over at Kay and bobbed her helmeted head up and down. Kay looked away. It was her way of saying she didn't appreciate the situation! Baby Ann punched the gas. She headed for the middle of the river. The rooster tail showered a crowd of fans. During the ordeal Baby Ann felt a scraping. The boat had hit a rock. She was hoping the scrape and possible tear was above the water line. It was on Kay's side on the right. Baby Ann laughed to herself remembering her husband always used the correct terms for the front and back and different sides of the boat. She'd always just said front right, back right and so on. It just really made the man mad. She really missed him, and she was beginning to wonder if racing his boat was such a good idea. It wasn't helping her get comfortable with his death. She was thinking about him constantly. Water was coming in the boat. Kay pointed to her feet. Baby Ann indicated she could see the water sloshing around her sister's feet. Great, she could see Patterson Bridge, but could they make it! She held up her hands showing her sister that is was up to her to make the decision: pull in at the next available place along the bank or try to make the finish line. Kay pointed straight ahead. Baby Ann gave it gas. She was thinking, she needed to keep the front of the boat as far out of the water as she could. The thought then came--should I let the tip of the boat really come up. She'd watch carefully. The front of the boat was hollow, so they could hold a lot of water or so she was thinking. Patterson Bridge was just ahead. Kay jabbed forward with her finger, indicating to continue. (to continue) |
| Women Drivers continued |