“I shouldn’t have come” A 6 year olds voice, cold and shivering drifts off behind me. “I shouldn’t have come” I think I hear him again, but can hardly make out the words as I pull myself out of the river and reach for the hand.

Not 10 mins earlier I was headed out to my tiny apartment, my little home away from home on the island. I’d left my cousins, walked through the garden and had just hoped on my golf cart when I noticed that Knox had followed me out.

“I wanna come”

“Knockie” I said “il be right back, im just going to change”

“I wanna come”

“Okay, hope on. We’ll be right back”

Down the road along the rivers edge, right turn, around the bend and over the salida bridge…like we’d done a hundred times before. To our home away from home on our favourite island.

Beside me I hear a “humph” and my little nephews olive tan arms are strongly crossed against his chest. “Humph” again

“What is it bud?”

“We passed the ice cream place, I thought you were secretly going for ice cream”

With a huge belly laugh I looked back towards the road and we approached the bridge. On the way back, I think but don’t say aloud.

“I shouldn’t have come” he pouts with such conviction. And I laugh again, crossing the bridge.

Then I wake up, we’ve fallen asleep in my bed,

in my apartment, it was just down the road, around the bend, over the salida bridge, like we’d done a hundred-

NO, no no no…Im wet, cold, and it’s loud. Water is rushing around me, over me, under me…ME…ME… no not just me, where is Knox?

We’ve fallen into the salida and its quickly sweeping us towards the river. Us.

Where is Knox?

I feel under water, rolling, waving, grasping around untill there it is, his hand. I grab it and hold on tight pulling him towards me, all my strengths fighting against whatever is pulling him away. As we connect, his arms tighten around my waist and we manage to get closer and closer to safety slowly crossing to the edge of the river.

Laying in the tall brush, thick and prickly we breath, just breath. “I…. Shouldn’t “

“I know knocie, I know, just breath”

It’s cold now, we are alone and scared. In the thick of the rapids my leg hit a rock, or a brocken tree maybe and there’s blood. Yup, A lot of blood and when I look over Knox’ breathing is labours but mine is to, I can’t scream or yell for help.

We hang onto each other, warming up and catching our breath as the sun sets and it quickly gets dark. We are at the edge of the jungle a few miles down the river, in a small town in Mexico.

Seconds to minutes go by and I lose consciousness, everything goes blank. When I come to there’s no light, no warmth and it smells blood and rotting earth. I’m dead. Where is Knox.

As I start to wiggle my extremities the slow tickle of dried leaves brings me back to full consciousness. I’m alive, still by the river but not as close as when I’d climbed out and yes, my suspicions correct I’ve been covered in leaves and foliage. Touching the wet spot of my thigh a sharp pain shoots a high pitch ringing down my spine, through the eardrums and shakes my soul. Yup, that’s bone. But what is this above it, a belt? Where is Knox?

I panic, the pain takes a back seat as the panic set in. Where is my nephew. I can’t stand, can hardly roll over to my side but with an agonizing push and the help of some deep routed vines I’m able to slows get on my tummy and begin to feel around in the dark, all to aware of the creepy crawlers I may be disturbing. “KNOX, where are you?” I yell over and over with a strained voice, raw from the rapids, much like in a dream.

Then I see them, what seems like 100 lights coming towards me. And I hear them, it sounds like 100 voices calling my name. Knox is leading 2-3 paramedics and his mom towards me through the trees and dense wood. Help!

They reset my leg before blocking it and moving me onto a carrier. After seeing the full extent of damage I look over at Knox who hasn’t left my side, his hand hasn’t left mine since it connected under water, besides the break for help

“Knox”

I manage to keep a steady voice “Bud what happened, how did you get out alone?”

“I wasn’t alone, neither were you. Didn’t you see the fairies?”

I can only blink at his innocence, confused and wondering if the pain was making me delerious.

“The pretty lady with the wings, she was waiting for us on the other side. I saw her when we fell in, and then she helped you find my hand in the water, she helped me pull you up and out auntie, she helped us both get out and she stayed with you while her friends showed me the way out and mom was there waiting”

Memories of the past minutes flood in second by second. He’s right, something was there with me, guiding our hands. And assessing the damage to my body, there’s no way I would have been able to get myself out let alone us both.

As they lift me up and carry me out I squeeze Knox’ hand a little tighter and sigh, choosing to belive and be thankful for this miracle boy and silently thanking his fairies.

“Hey bud” I say “I’m really glad you came”

I make a promise from now on to always stop for ice cream. I smile and he does too.