Page 4 of Long Live the King

We floated down the river, playin’ and splashin’ in the water, kids swimmin’ and jumpin’ from the tubes intae the river — except Isla. She remained perched as far from the surface as she could be so when I wanted tae move I had tae pass her tae Fraoch’s chest tae ride while I jumped on the raft and rowed with the boys and jumped in the water and swam alongside.

Then Isla sat on Zach’s chest with Zoe while Fraoch and I rowed on the biggest raft, playing a game of keep-the-boys-from-the-boat. Fraoch said, “Ye remember the last time we were on a ship, Og Maggy?”

“Och do I, ye had a fever and we were terribly hungry, twas a long and desperate voyage. The ship was much larger than this one, though, remember — tae meet that ship we had tae steal a smaller boat, much like this one.”

Archie’s eyes went wide, he whispered, as he swam alongside our raft. “Youstole, Da?”

“Aye, son, I had tae, twas not tae enrich m’self, twas tae get home.”

Fraoch said, “Then he saved m’life. So we ken God thought on it favorably.” His eyes went wide and he asked the boys, “Dost ye think there are gators in this water?”

The boys yelled, trying tae scramble ontae the raft.

Fraoch pretended tae battle them off, saying, “If there are gators, we must feed them with boy-appetizers, so they winna be hungry for the men.”

The boys swam tae the back near me and tenaciously held on, pulling their legs up.

Archie said, “Da is safe zone!”

Ben yelled, “No appetizers for the gators!”

Fraoch said, “Og Maggy, ye just goin’ tae let the appetizers use ye like that?”

Then Lochinvar snuck up from under the water, yanked the boys off, swam tae the side, flopped ontae the raft, climbed taehis feet, and rocked us back and forth, dislodgin’ Fraoch who slid off the raft tae the water. “Och, ye are too wily, ye stole m’raft!”

I held on, as Lochinvar kept rockin’ until he capsized the whole raft, knockin’ me intae the water as well. Lochinvar flipped the raft right-side up, climbed on, and yelled, “I am king of the river!”

He pretended not tae see us as Fraoch and I each hoisted a boy and flung them ontae the raft where they wrestled Lochinvar down until he slid off intae the water.

He said, “Och nae, the pirates hae taken m’ship.”

Archie said, “It’s okay, Uncle Lochie, I had tae take the ship, I needed tae save m’life.” Sounding verra much like a young Scotsman.

Everyone laughed.

I swam away from the raft leaving it for the boys and climbed back on m’tube and pulled Isla over tae m’chest again, pretending for a moment that I might drop her in the water. She shrieked so loud m’ears rang.

“Isla! If ye scream ye will get tossed in!”

She clung tae m’arms, “Da, I am very sorry, I just not ready.”

There was a cooler of fruit and snacks tied tae Zach’s tube, floatin’ along behind us. At lunch time Zach passed out sandwiches. While I was eatin’ m’roast beef with pepper jack cheese, Isla remained perched on m’chest, havin’ her peanut butter and jelly, and assurin’ me that this was all verra fun.

We all grew quiet while we ate. Archie was sittin’ on the big raft, with his sandwich on his lap, and his feet trailin’ in the water. “How long have you been a king, Da?”

I said, “Och it feels like centuries — how auld are ye?”

Ben and Archie laughed.

Isla said, “You don’t know how old he is, Da?”

“I forget, sometimes, Isla, as time is rollin’ by and has blurred the details.”

Archie said, “I’m eight years old.”

Fraoch said, “Eight! Och, ye are nearly ready for yer first broadsword. How much ye weigh?”

Archie said, “I don’t know.”

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