Those Who Wait There...
"You're not saying much."
"It's early."
"Nice, this time of day."
"Day?"
"You're quiet. Not scared, are you?"
"Um, let's see. You're taking me to a place that's all about danger."
"Uh, maybe a little."
"A whole lot."
"You wanted to see the Glades."
"Uncle, do they really eat people?"
"What, gators? You'll be okay, you're with me."
"Right."
Jake inhaled truck window breeze as canal banks whizzed by, welder's hands flopped over the top of the steering wheel. He glanced at her scrunched against the passenger side window. She's a looker, that's for sure. Sarcastic, though. Gets that from my brother. Near thirty and not married. She'll get hitched.
He slowed, flicked the left signal and turned off Tamiami Trail. "Here we go. The real Everglades, actually we're heading into Big Cypress. This the Loop Road."
She didn't move, said nothing.
Jake grinned toward his door window. Must've woke up like this. Was okay last night, going on like she did about warm weather and how Toronto was a meat locker this time of year.
They passed some Indian houses nestled between trees and brush thick enough to hide everything else, a clearing where he'd seen airboats launch, and then fifteen minutes later he stopped at the swimming hole, a huge, shallow pond where wading birds fed.
He glanced at her. "What do you think, beautiful, huh?"
She sat straight, craned her neck toward his window. "Wow. What big birds. Their legs are so long."
"My favorite spot, along the road that is. Wait 'till we hike in back. Pass me the camera, will you?"
"How deep is the water?"
"Depends. Not more than a foot or two. Course, there's holes. Gotta watch for that."
"Not me. I'm not going in. Don't tell me you do. What about the crocs?"
"Alligators."
She could suit herself. Stay in the truck for all Jake cared. He came out with his camera whenever possible and made damn sure his gator shots were the real McCoy. No tourist postcards for him. Eye to eye, that was the way to shoot.
He pulled off the road, got the tripod from the truck bed, attached the Nikon and headed for the water. Snakes often nested in bank grass, so he poked with aluminum legs and then waded in.
The truck door clicked. "Is it safe? I can come down there?"
Jake turned. She bent and sniffed a yellow flower. Morning Glories, stark pink thistles, yellow lily buds, pickerelweed and a host of others, he knew. But the ones she sniffed he just called buttercups.
She straightened and tossed long hair back, ran fingers through it and snapped something around to make a pony tail. He'd suggested she wear long pants but here she came in red shorts and white T shirt and sandals. Stupid girl. If he'd told her the pants were because of the snakes she'd have freaked. Oh well, he'd keep an eye out.
The swamp chattered. Jake grinned. He'd learned to stand still, wait and be counted as another member of the wildlife population.
Tanya slid red toenails into the water and he lifted a finger to his lips. She nodded and waded over, whispered. "What are those beautiful white birds with the bent beaks and orange legs, Uncle?"
"Ibis."
"Sure are dainty. See how they walk?"
He nodded, scanned water for black noses. The two bull sunbathers on the opposite bank hadn't moved. They looked like two crooked logs, the reason he thought, that Tanya hadn't mentioned them. Waiting there. Just waiting.
Ibis beaks jabbed shallow water.
"Look like they're walking on egg shells, amazing. Do they always come this close?"
"Came to see the white Canuck."
She poked him. "You used to be one of us, you know."
Ha. Maybe that's what's bothering her. Me living here and she rolls in snow half the year.
"This is so peaceful. Who'd guess we're just an hour out of the city? Can't hear anything but songbirds and of course, whatever's screeching in the distance. Sounds like a jungle." She stretched arms wide, lifted her face and said she could get used to this, and that he'd been kidding about vicious alligators. "Not one. Haven't seen any because there aren't any, right? So why are we standing here? What's with the tripod?"
One of the sunbathers had moved its head. Jake scoured the canal both ways, searched the pond that wandered inland. He counted fourteen noses. "Patience. It's all about patience."
Tanya's pony tail dangled along the side of her neck as she bent to grab the sandals and then fling them onto the bank. "Two feet deep? I'm going wading. Hot out here."
"Keep your voice down." He whispered it, but she ignored or didn't hear. He reached to pull her back and missed as she took the first step past the tripod. Noses inched up, and he glimpsed movement to his right.
He knew about the hole ahead, which was why he hadn't set up out there. He had once and dropped shoulder deep. He called. She turned and then disappeared.
He wanted to laugh at the face she'd made in that final second, but then she bobbed to the surface and screamed. He went after her.
She clawed. He reached, grabbed, and then came the slap. A sick ball rolled in his stomach as he looked up at the surge and knew that one or both bank gators had body slammed the water, a sign of claiming quarry.
Jake yanked her arm and as her upper body popped into the air he knew it would be all he got, that the gators had the rest. For sure all the noses had come. Tanya never had a chance and it was his fault. He was the stupid one. His eyes stung, blurred the thing he hauled to shore.
The churning water noise reminded him of Niagara Falls, the vacation place she should've gone to instead of Miami. At least she'd have been safe. He let go of her hand, flopped to the ground not caring about anything. A beautiful young woman like Tanya and he'd brought her here. What was he thinking? Why did he like bringing people out here? Why her? What would he tell his brother, his brother's wife, the family?
He peeked between fingers and groaned. Her sandals were intact, pretty, dainty. Just like her, his niece, his blood. This would haunt him. He'd never get over it. The voice that had already spoken was proof.
"Jake." There, it spoke again.
"Uncle Jake. What happened?"
He dropped his hands and his mouth followed as she sat up beside him. "Tanya, your legs, you've got legs. But I thought..."
"I remember sinking. What happened after that? Oh, what's that? What's going on out there?" She hugged her knees and inched further up the bank, pointed and yelled.
Jake jumped to his feet as two otters jetted out of the water and scurried past. Tanya screamed again. Only after the otters, Jake thought. Thank God.
He laughed and watching the water, saw tails and legs and snouts and yellow white bellies and knew they'd keep the camera.