| Women Drivers continued..... |
| The boat slapped the water hard as they made their way across the bay toward Patterson Bridge with its huge arches. Baby hated it when the boat performed like this--bucking; but then it happened to a lot of the sleek white water river racers. It still made her feel amateurish. She glanced quickly at Jot's Resort, off to her left, and noted the crowd forming. She could see the announcer's striped tent. White caps were forming on the water and the wind seemed stronger. Her sister clutched the sharp edge of the boat with one hand and held down her helmet with the other. Great! Baby thought, she's going to be mad at me. Kay had already been to the doctor for neck pain caused by the helmet pulling at her head. When racing the wind gets up underneath the helmet and feels like it wants to pull a person's head off. Baby had rememberd to attach her own helmet with a strap to her life jacket; but not Kay's. There had been talk of Kay not being her navigator if the neck didn't get better. And here she had forgotten to help her tie it down. She smiled at her sister and Kay pointed to the helmet. Baby looked away. Just as they passed under Patterson Bridge and just ahead a shaft of sunlight shot through the clouds making a circle of sparkiling light. Several boats were in the middle of the river, circling around, getting ready to line up. They were staging. Sounds about right, Baby thought, I feel like a star. She was at the circle of sunshine, that had broken through the clouds and would have liked to stay, but she needed to get to the dock and tie her sister's helmet down. Baby Ann (she liked Baby Ann better than just Baby) frantically looked for a spot at the dock. Twenty-eight boats were entered. The dock was full. A few feet here and there between the boats, but not enough room for Baby Ann to confidently try for it A hand shot up, indicating that the pilot was leaving; she could have his spot. "Good," Baby Ann yelled to Kay. Her sister bobbed her helmeted head. I can tell she's upset, Baby Ann thought, and I don't blame her. This whole race hinged on Kay's neck. How careless Baby Ann had been, not to fasten Kay's helmet to her vest. Just the night before, after the safety check-in, Kay was complaining about it. The evening had been spent heating damp towels in the microwave for heat and running down the long motel hall for ice--for cold. Kay was older by two years. They had always been close. The neck issue was serious but the evening was spent laughing until they were both several times to tears. Now both of them single women, they joked about makeup. Should they wear it for the race? "Are any of these racers single men?" Kay asked as she looked in a hand held mirror while pulling down a lower eye lid. "Stop that! It'll stay that way if you're not careful!" Baby Ann said. They at the same time broke out laughing, remembering their mom telling them that often as girls. "I don't know the single men from the married ones, Kay. It doesn't matter your whole head will be covered with that helmet." "Well, that's just when we're racing." |
| Kay pat the area around an eye and said, "I'll just leave off the makeup, these black circles draw enough attention to my eyes." "Good idea, besides you wouldn't want mascara running in your eyes. Wouldn't be safe." "I know. I was thinking about that. I am going to wear my contacts. Just seems easier. My glasses are so big and they fog up so easily." Kay leaped from the bed with a hand to the back of her neck, heading for the small room-size fridge. "Do we got anything good to eat? I'm starved. . . . That's another thing, no one will notice the extra pounds in those big old race suits." "Can't stay in them all the time." "Wanna bet!" Kay broke a gooey candy bar in half and waved it at Baby Ann. She took it. Baby Ann eased the boat up to the dock and shut off the engine. Kay threw the bow line to an offering soul, grabbed the dock and pulled them in parallel and up close. Baby Ann released the seat belt straps and tugged her full-face helmet off. "Thanks," she yelled to the tall, tanned fellow while he tied the bow line to the dock. The cords on his arms bulged and rippled as he worked an expert knot. Baby Ann noticed the hard tanned arms: she saw in her mind Jack's arms. Her husband worked out every day plus his work helped give him stone hard arms. She pulled her gaze away and and noticed Kay still with helmet on, smiling silly at him. Baby Ann hit her shoulder and pointed at her helmet and said "Okay, where's the cord to fasten that helmet down?" Kay looked forward stopped, then at Baby Ann. "You don't know where it's at?" "No, I don't. . . .I was afraid of this. It wasn't dangling from your gear so we didn't get it tied down!" Jack's list came to mind. She shook her head. "I guess we left it in the back pack . . .in the truck." Kay held her helmet turning it, examining it, as if looking for the cord. Her blonde hair flew two feet in every direction. Long strands flew across her face and caught in her mouth. She spit daintly, took both hands and smoothed the thick mane back. Baby Ann glanced at their bow line helper still on his knees. She laughed, he all but licked his lips as Kay fooled with her hair. Why she hadn't tied her hair down was a mystery. Kay's hair was one of her best feminine assets. And she knew how to play it! "Bungee cord." Kay finally said, as the guy leaned closer to Kay to hear over the roaring engines. "Bungee cord." She said again. "We need a bungee cord or something." Kay made a move to get out of the boat. Baby Ann put a hand on her arm pulling her back. "We don't have time for this. Stay in the boat." She motioned for the guy to come closer and she yelled across Kay so he could hear. "We need something to tie her helmet to her life jacket. Do you have anything? . . . Can you think of something?" He stuck out his hand introducing himself. "Doug Barns. . . .Let me think. . . " "He could drive us to the truck." Kay said. "Boy, we don't have time for that." Baby Ann fell back in her seat, frustrated. "The race is starting." Kay said. "There goes the first boat!" Kay was being helped out of the boat by Doug. "Get back in here." Baby Ann yelled. "I'm not racing until we get this helmet tied down. I told you that!" "Think of something." Baby Ann yelled. She felt like pounding the wheel! Unbelievable she thought, here they were on the starting line and now this! "I'm not racing until we get this helmet tied down! . . . I told you that!" (BACK TO WAVE AND RAPID) |
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