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A Shipwrecked Sailor badsha Flipbook PDF
A Shipwrecked Sailor badsha
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AShi pwr eckedSai l or
Myf i r sti mpr essi on wast hatIwasut t er l yal onei nt he mi ddl e oft he ocean.The shi p pl unged i nt o an aby ss and di sappear ed.Ihadnoi deawhatwashappeni ng.It ookhol dof oneoft hebobbi ngcr at esandst upi dl ybegant ocont empl at et he sea.I twasaper f ect l ycl earday .Exceptf ort hechoppywav es pr oduced by t he wi nd and t he car go scat t er ed acr oss t he sur f acet her ewasnoev i denceofashi pwr eck.SoonIbegant o hearshout snear by .Thr ought heshar pwhi st l i ngoft hewi nd,I r ecogni sedt hev oi ceofJul i oAmadorCar abal l o,t het al l ,wel l bui l tof f i cerwhowasy el l i ngatsomeone,' Fat so,hol dt her e. 'I t wasasi fi nt hati nst antIhadawakenedf r om amoment ' sdeep sl eep.I tdawnedonmet hatIwasn' tal onei nt hesea.Ther e, onl y af ewmet er saway , mymat eswer eshout i ngt ooneanot herand t r y i ngt ost ayaf l oat .Qui ckl y ,Ibegant ot hi nk.Icoul dn' tswi mi n j ustany di r ect i on.Iknew we wer e aboutf i f t y mi l es f r om Car t agena, butIwasnoty etf r i ght ened.ForamomentIt houghtI coul dhol dont ot hecr at ei ndef i ni t el y ,unt i lhel par r i v ed.I twas r eassur i ngt oknow t hatal lar oundmeot hersai l or swer ei nt he
samepr edi cament .ThatwaswhenIsawt her af t . Ther e wer et wo l i f er af t s aboutsev en met er s apar t .They appear ed unexpect edl yon t he cr estofa wav e,nearwher e my mat eswer ecal l i ngout .
I tseemedoddt hat noneoft hem coul dr eacht hel i f er af t s.I nan i nst ant , oneoft her af t sdi sappear edf r om v i ew.Icoul dn' tdeci de, If oundmy sel fswi mmi ngt owar dst heoneIcoul dsee,whi ch wasmov i ng f ar t herawayf r om me.Iswam f oraboutt hr ee mi nut es.Il ostsi ghtoft her af tmoment ar i l y , butIwascar ef ulnot t ol osemybear i ngs.Suddenl y ,ar oughwav epushedt her af t s al ongsi deme-i twashuge, whi t e, andempt y .Ist r uggl edt ogr ab t her i ggi ngandj umpaboar d.Imadei tont het hi r dt r y .Onceon t her af t ,pant i ng,whi ppedbyt hewi nd,i mmobi l i zedandf r eezi ng, If oundi thar dt osi tup.ThenIsawt hr eeofmymat esneart he r af t ,
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Ir ecogni zedt hem i mmedi at el y .Cast i l l ohadaf i r m gr i par ound Car abal l o' sneck.Car abal l o,whohadbeenonwat chwhent he acci dentoccur r ed,waswear i nghi sl i f ej acket .Hey el l ed:‘ Hol d ont i ght ,Cast i l l o. ’Theyf l oat edami dt hescat t er edcar go,about t enmet er saway .Ont heot her si dewasLui sRengi f o,t r y i ngt o st ayabov ewat erwi t hhi sheadphonesal of ti nhi sr i ghthand.He hadst r i ppedof fhi sshi r tsot hathecoul dswi m bet t er ,buthe hadl osthi sl i f ej acket .Ev eni fIhadn' tseenhi m,Iwoul dhav e r ecogni zedhi scr y , ‘ Fat so, Paddl eov erher e. ’ Iqui ckl ygr abbedt heoar sandt r i edt ogetcl osert ot hemen. Car abal l o,wi t hCast i l l o cl i ngi ng t o hi sneck,near ed t her af t . Muchf ar t heraway , l ooki ngsmal landdesol at e, wast hef our t hof mymat es:RamonHer r er a,whowaswav i ngatmewhi l ehehel d ont oacr at e. I fIhadhadt odeci de, Iwoul dn’ thav eknownwhi chofmymat es t ogoaf t erf i r st .ButwhenIsaw Her r er a,t hehappyy oungman f r om Ar j ona,whohadbeenwi t hmeonl yaf ewmoment sbef or e, Ibegant opaddl ef ur i ousl y .Butt hel i f er af twasal mostt wo met er sl ong.I twasv er yheav yi nt hatl ur chi ngsea,andIhadt o r ow agai nstt hewi nd.Idon' tt hi nkImanagedt oadv ancemor e t hanamet er .Desper at e, Il ookedar oundoncemor eandsawt hat Her r er a had di sappear ed. Onl y Rengi f o was swi mmi ng conf i dent l yt owar dst her af t .Iwassur ehewoul dmakei t .Ihad
hear dhi m snor i ngbel owmybunk,andIwasconv i ncedt hathi s ser eni t ywasst r ongert hant hesea. I n cont r ast ,Car abal l o was st r uggl i ng wi t h Cast i l l o,so t hat Cast i l l owoul dn' tl etgoofhi sneck.Theywer el esst hant hr ee met er saway .If i gur edt hati ft heygotj ustal i t t l ecl oser ,Icoul d hol doutanoarf ort hem t ogr ab.Butatt hatmomentagi gant i c wav el i f t edt her af t ,andf r om t het opoft hehugecr estIcoul d seet hemastoft hesmal lshi p,headi ngawayf r om me.WhenI camedownagai n,Car abal l ohadv ani shed,wi t hCast i l l ohangi ng on t o hi s neck.Al one,t wo met er s away ,Rengi f o was st i l l swi mmi ngcal ml yt owar dst her af t . Idon' tknowwhyIdi dt hi sabsur dt hi ng:knowi ngIcoul dn' tmov e f or war d,Iputt heoari nt hewat erast hought r y i ngt opr ev entt he r af tf r om mov i ng, t r y i ngt oanchori ti npl ace.Rengi f o, exhaust ed, pausedamoment ,t henr ai sedhi sar m ashehadwhenhehel d hi sheadphonesal of t , andshout edagai n:‘ Fat so, Rowov erher e! ’
The wi nd was bl owi ngf r om hi sdi r ect i on.Iy el l edt hatIcoul dn' tr owagai nstt he wi nd,t hatheshoul dmakeanot hert r y ,butIf el thehadn' thear d me. Thecr at esofcar gohaddi sappear edandt hel i f er af tdanced f r om si det osi de,bat t er edbyt hewav es.I nani nst antIwasf i v e met er sawayf r om Rengi f oandhadl ostsi ghtofhi m.Buthe appear edi nanot herspot , st i l lnotpani cki ng, ducki ngunder wat er t o pr ev entt hewav esf r om sweepi ng hi m away .Ist ood up, hol di ngoutt heoar ,hopi ngRengi f ocoul dgetcl oseenought o r eachi t .Butt henIcoul dseehewast i r i ng,l osi nghear t .He cal l edt omeagai n, si nki ng:‘ Fat so!Fat so! ’ It r i edt or ow, but . . .i twasashopel essast hef i r stt i me.Imadea l astt r ysot hatRengi f ocoul dr eacht heoar ,butt her ai sedhand, whi ch a f ew mi nut es ear l i erhad been t r y i ng t o keep t he
headphonesf r om si nki ng, sankf or ev er , l esst hant womet er s f r om t heoar .Idon' tknowhowl ongIst ay edl i ket hat ,bal anci ng i nt hel i f er af t ,hol di ngoutt heoar .Ikeptsear chi ngt hewat er , hopi ngt hatsomeonewoul dsur f acesoon.Butt heseawascl ear andt hewi nd, get t i ngst r onger , bl ewagai nstmyshi r tl i ket hehowl ofadog.Thecar gohaddi sappear ed.Themast ,gr owi ngmor e di st i nct ,pr ov edt hatt hesmal lshi phadn' tsunk,asIhadf i r st t hought .If el tcal m.It houghtt hatone ofmy mat es had managedt or eacht heot herl i f er af t . Ther ewasnor easont heyshoul dn' thav er eachedi t .Ther af t s wer en' tpr ov i si oned-i nf act ,noneoft hel i f er af t soft hesmal l shi pwasout f i t t ed.Butt her ewer esi xoft hem,apar tf r om t he r owboat sandt hewhal er s.I twasr easonabl et o bel i ev et hat someofmymat eshadr eachedt heot herl i f er af t s,asIhad r eachedmi ne,andper hapst hedest r oy erwassear chi ngf orus. Ver ysoon Iwasawar e oft he sun.A mi ddaysun,hotand met al l i c.St upef i ed,notf ul l yr ecov er ed,Il ookedatmywat ch.I t wasnoonont hedot .Thel astt i meRengi f ohadaskedmet he t i me,ont hesmal lshi p,i twas11. 30.Ihadcheckedt het i me agai nandt hedi sast erhadnoty etoccur r ed.WhenIl ookedat mywat chont hel i f er af t ,i twasexact l ynoon.I thadt akenonl y t enmi nut esf orev er y t hi ngt ohappenf ormet or eacht hel i f er af t , andt r yt or escuemyshi pmat es, andst andmot i onl essi nt her af t ,
sear chi ngt heempt ysea, l i st eni ngt ot heshar phowloft hewi nd. It houghti twoul dt aket hem atl eastt woort hr eehour st or escue me. Twoort hr eehour s,Ical cul at ed.I tseemedanext r aor di nar i l y l ongt i met obeal oneatsea.ButIt r i edt or esi gnmy sel ft oi t .I hadnof oodorwat er ,andbyt hr eei nt heaf t er noonIwoul d sur el yhav easear i ngt hi r st .Thesunbur nedmyheadandmy ski n,whi chwasdr yandhar denedbysal t .Si nceIhadl ostmy cap,Ispl ashedwat eronmyhead,andIj ustsatont hesi deof t her af t , wai t i ngt ober escued.I twasonl yt hent hatIf el tt hepai n i nmyr i ghtknee.Thet hi ck, bl uedr i l lf abr i cofmyt r ouserl egwas wet ,soIhadahar dt i mer ol l i ngi tup.ButwhenIdi d,Iwas st ar t l ed:Isaw adeep,hal f moonshapedwoundont hel ower par tofmyknee.Idi dn' tknowi fIhadgashedi tont hesi deoft he shi p, ori fi thadhappenedwhenIhi tt hewat er , f orIdi dn' tnot i ce i tunt i lIwasseat edi nt hel i f er af t .Thought hewoundbur neda l i t t l e,i thadst oppedbl eedi ngandwascompl et el ydr y ,because oft hesal twat er , Ii magi ne.
Uncer t ai nast owhatt odo, Ideci dedt omakeani nv ent or yofmybel ongi ngs.Iwant edt o f i gur eoutwhatIcoul dcountoni nmysol i t udeatsea.Fi r stofal l , Icoul dr el yonmywat ch,whi chkeptper f ectt i me,andwhi chI coul dn' tst opgl anci ngatev er yt woort hr eemi nut es.I naddi t i on, Ihadmygol dr i ng, whi chI ' dboughti nCar t agenat hey earbef or e, andachai nwi t hamedaloft heVi r gi nofCar menoni t ,al so pur chasedi nCar t agena,f r om anot hersai l orf ort hi r t y f i v epesos. I nmypocket sIhadnot hi ngbutt hekey st omyl ockeront he smal lshi pandt hr eebusi nesscar dsIhadbeengi v enatast or e i nMobi l eonedayi nJanuar ywhenIhadgoneoutshoppi ng. Si nceIhadnot hi ngt odo,Ir eadt hecar dsov erandov ert o di st r actmy sel funt i lIwasr escued.