The Decision

JOYPEACE

======== I was on a week long journey on the Amazon River. The rainforest was being destroyed, and I wanted to see it before man made a wreck of it. I lived on a riverboat and took long journeys into the jungle. We were on our way back to the riverboat on a small overloaded outboard powered boat. We had just come out of the jungle in a small village and several of the villagers were on the boat with us. The boat was built to hold a dozen people. There were 20 on the boat. U.S. Coast Guard regulations didn’t apply in the Amazon. I was standing along with several others at the front of the boat because there were no seats left. In the middle of the river, another boat came towards us; I assumed to pickup or heaven forbid, drop off additional passengers. They were coming fast, a little too fast. The driver of the other boat didn’t slow down fast enough; and instead of pulling up beside us, he drove headlong into the front of the boat. I saw it coming. “This can’t be,” I thought as I mentally plotted his course and speed and kind of knew he wasn’t going to make the turn. It’s a sinking feeling when you just know you’re going be in an accident. The boat hit us with a loud “BAM!” I don’t remember whether I was thrown or just jumped but the next thing I knew I was in the Amazon River. The boat that hit us was swerving wildly as a spinning propeller churned the water. I wasn’t exactly sure where I was going but I knew one thing for sure, I didn’t need to be anywhere near that spinning propeller. I knew that could chop you up faster than the “Whopper Chopper” as seen on TV. I looked around and saw our riverboat sitting what looked a quarter of a mile away. I wasn’t sure whether both boats would sink, and I sure couldn’t get back in the boat at the moment. Life often presents you with two very unpleasant choices. Neither is particularly desirable but you have to choose. To not choose is even worse. Swim for the riverboat or wait and hope both boats don’t sink? I started swimming. As I swam I felt my boots dragging me under. I had just come out of the jungle and I had on thick hiking boots. “I’ve got to take these clothes off,” I thought and I stopped to ditch the boots and whatever else I needed to take off to be able to swim. As I turned around the sight sent a chill through me. It wasn’t the boots dragging me under. A woman was holding on to me! Our eyes locked as I saw the terrible fear in her eyes. I had not noticed her because everything was a loud roar of engines, propellers, shouting people, and churning water. It was a mess. She desperately held on to me with one hand. I am a good swimmer but I’ve never had lifeguard training. Why was the woman holding on with only one hand? Because in the other arm she held a little baby. I faced one of the toughest decisions of my life and I had to make it in an instant. If I shook this lady loose both she and her child could die. If I allowed her to hang on, all three of us could die. It was one of those instances when everything you really are, everything you believe, all of the real character within, is called to the carpet, and it is called in an instant. You don’t have time to consult your mother, you don’t have time to put it to the committee, you don’t have time to ask your best friend, you have to make a decision, and you’ve got to do it NOW! I started swimming with the lady and her baby in tow. After what seemed like an agonizing eternity, I remember reaching the ladder of the riverboat. I did not have the strength to pull up on the ladder. My arms were like jelly as the three of us just held on. I held on to the ladder, the woman held on to me and her child. Men from the riverboat finally pulled us up to safety. I left my camera in the river but the picture of that moment did not require film for it to be forever burned in my mind’s eye. All of us at some point will face such decisions. We will face a situation where to save another, we must put ourselves or our resources at risk. That is the decision that sooner or later you will have to make. That is the decision but then that is the faith. ~A MountainWings Original~