by Codi Moltrup

Created on: June 09, 2008

It seemed to be just another ordinary day at work. Customers asking for certain lottery tickets in which they have a hunch will be a lucky one. One of my coworkers announcing that the coffee pot was empty and she was going to fill it. Everyone is satisfied and we get a momentary break while waiting for the coffee to fill. Then Megan (one of my coworkers) announces something she read in the paper that she snuck behind the counter. At Canjoharie Creek, a girl from Little Falls has been found dead after jumping off the falls. I froze in surprise. Another kid has lost her life. Glancing up, I see a black and white picture of a young boy paper-clipped to a sign on the register. Jessie James was written by his name. From what I heard from the others, he used to be a regular who came to the store all the time. He had also been killed after a jump off the falls. I hear that every year a kid dies by doing that. Some years ago, it could've been my turn.

I forget how old I was at the time. I just know it was a long time ago. My two older brothers have moved out of the house by then, but for a couple days, the rare event happened that they were both home. George was the oldest and Gary is my middle brother. The way we behaved and the way things felt, it's almost as if they never left, except that we were much closer. We've matured by now and didn't fight as much as we used to when all three of us lived at home.

It was midsummer and it was getting very hot. So my brothers decided to go to Wintergreen Park. To my delight, they asked if I wanted to go. In response, I dashed up the stairs as fast
as my adolescent feet could carry me to grab my bathing suit with their laughter at my eagerness chasing at my heels. Climbing into the back of George's car, we stopped at a couple houses to pick up a couple of their friends who were also on college leave. It had begun to get rather cramped in the backseat with my knees banging against the back of the front seat and the older boys pushing into me with the sharp turns that were made, but I didn't mind. All I could think about was going for a swim. Not even the heavy metal music that hurt my ears could pull me away from imagining playing in the cool water.

After a half hour, and many body slams later, we finally arrived at the park. It was a beautiful sight with the rushing water roaring in my ears when we were near some of the small waterfalls and the tinkling of the creek when we were nearer to the more flatter parts of the gorge. While

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