quickly and
sank to her thighs in the water.
After an exchange of greetings, Paula asked Joey if he’d care to try water skiing.
“Sure,” he said willingly.
“Okay. Put on that preserver,” said Paula.
He put it on, then secured his feet to the skis, listened to Cindy’s and Paula’s chorus of suggestions, and took off behind
Ross’s expert piloting of the boat. He didn’t make it up on the skis on the first two tries, but on the third try he was up
on them and stayed up for over two minutes before Ross’s slow turn, which forced him to ride the waves that the boat subsequently
created, made him lose his balance and fall.
He managed to get on the skis again and rode for a few more minutes before Ross headed back for shore. This time Yolanda tried
her skill at it, succeeding after a few attempts, and finally Mary tried it.
Joey, standing next to Cindy and Yolanda, watched as his younger sister got up, fell, got up again, and fell again.
“She won’t make it,” said Joey.
“She will, too,” said Yolanda.
She did make it. But for only a few seconds. She went down, both skis going into an X under her. Ross quickly cut down the
power and swung the boat around.
“I think she’s hurt,” Yolanda said anxiously.
“Oh, no!” Cindy moaned.
Joey watched, his heart pounding. His first thought was what his mother would say. “It’s the last time,” that’s what she’d
say. “The last time you get on water skis.”
And Aunt Liza? “I told you!” she’d cry. “That lake is dangerous! She was lucky she didn’t get killed!”
“They’re both lifting her into the boat,” Yolanda said breathlessly. “Oh, dear, I hope she’s not hurt bad.”
“Maybe she’s not hurt at all,” said Joey. “Maybe she’s just tired.”
That’s what he hoped, but he suspected the worse. Both Ross and Paula were tending to her, as if trying to make her comfortable.
Then Ross got back behind the wheel and maneuvered the craft so that Paula could pick the skis out of the water. In a moment
they were speeding in toward shore.
“Oh, man,” said Joey nervously. “Why did we let her try it? She’s too young.”
“She isn’t too young,” countered Yolanda. “I’ve seen lots of kids her age water skiing. It’s just her luck.”
“And ours,” added Joey.
He and Yolanda ran up on the dock, waited for the boat to come up alongside it, and grabbed it. Ross shut the engine off and
secured the boat to cleats fore and aft.
Joey saw blood oozing from a small cut on the side of Mary’s head as she stepped out of the boat.
“Your head’s bleeding,” said Joey, worriedly, helping her out.
“Never mind. I’m okay.”
“Are you hurt anywhere else?” asked Yolanda.
“No!” she snapped. “I told you I’m okay!”
“Just the same you’d better get up to the house and have that taken care of,” Joey advised.
“I’m sorry about this,” cried Paula, her face pale as paper. “Oh, I’m so sorry about this.”
“It’s not your fault,” said Ross. “Quit moaning, will you?”
“But I was the one who asked her if she wanted to ski.”
“And she said yes. So what? It could happen to anybody.”
“Don’t worry about it, Paula,” said Joey. “She’ll be all right.”
Yolanda removed the life preserver from Mary, then took her sister’s hand, and started to lead her hurriedly off the dock
and toward the steps.
“I’m going with her,” said Paula.
“You don’t have to,” Joey told her. “It’s just a cut. A bandage will take care of it.”
“But your mother will blame me,” exclaimed Paula, stepping out of the boat. “I know she will.”
“No, she won’t.”
“Let her go,” declared Ross, irritably. “You’re not going to change her mind.”
Joey watched her run off the dock and catch up to the girls.
“I guess you’re right,” he said.
He looked back at Ross. Their eyes met, and a wide grin came over the tall boy’s tanned face.
“Hey,
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