PART I / PART II / PART III Birth pangs
PART IV Rising Tide / PART V Wall of Water
Ted’s knees ached from the violent contact with the concrete, but the pain diminished as his mind focused on a life-or-death task. He reached out his hand and one of the men on the balcony helped him stand. Ted wiped the tears from his eyes.
Looking at the faces of strangers, Ted said, “I have to find my son. I don’t care what happens to me. If I have to swim in this mess, I will. But does anybody have anything that will float?”
Ted looked into the eyes of people on different balconies. The lack of response sent a searing pain through his gut.
“Please,” he offered in a barely audible tone.
His eyes grew dim and he felt his heartbeat slow. He turned to face the intruding ocean of water.
For you, my son. I will find you or die trying.
He made one final sweep of the eyes that beat down upon him. Before he looked back at the water, a young boy on the balcony a floor above and diagonal raised his hand. Ted’s heart skipped a beat and his eyes nearly jumped out of their sockets. He made prayer hands and locked eye contact with the boy, who tugged on his dad’s shorts.
“Dad, you told me we could take the air mattress to the ocean one day,” the boy said, his voice trembling.
The boy’s father kneeled, kissed his son on the forehead, and said, “Oh, Kendall, son. I didn’t mean for real. Bless your heart.”
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