Everyday Snippet #19 - Rowing Down A Silent River

I slip into my kayak, and someone sends me off onto the winding river. Within its dark and mysterious water lies all manner of unknown treasures. That mystery that surrounds the water seems to grab a hold of my heart and pull me onward: my eyes become desperate for the sight of what lies around the next bend. Around each twist and turn I go, but the landscape does not change. The banks are clothed in lush green, silence hovers in the air, and the waters remain still. Occasionally, I spot a shadowy cove or a glimmering trickle of water falling from the walls of earth on either side. "Can nature not do better?" I think to myself, disappointed.

At that moment, I perceive a noise in the distance, nothing more than a hush at first. The farther I row, the louder it grows--until it is like the sound of a rushing wind. I crane for a glimpse. There ahead lies the feared rapids speeding forcefully past a bastion of rocks cloaked in moss. I brace myself for the drop...

My boat dives into the hoary foam, causing a wave of water to flood my kayak. In an instant, it has passed, and it seems all my fear was for nothing. I laugh as I row onward, looking back with relief at that ferocious rapid. Suddenly, I feel a drizzle over my head. I look up to see a dark grey stormcloud hurrying to block out the sun, and within mere moments, a full shower is pouring down on my head. 

But I do not mind. It is as if nature heard my challenge and restored to me the wonder of all its vast beauty whilst I rowed on the once-silent river.