Crossing the River

…

Here, the river runs shallow, the Falcon said, before it meets another one and becomes as large as the sea. It must be crossed.

They have been walking for past five days along the meandering river. The progress was sure but slow. None of them were in any hurry to get over with the journey. They relished every step of it, learning something new with every passing day and every fleeting night.

I don’t know how to swim. Akapat declared ardently.

You don’t have to know it, you are born with it. The snake hissed as he pushed his head from the two side of the flap which closed the bag Akapat carried.

The Tiger gave him a vexed look and spoke. You my friend, can’t even walk straight, yet you want to speak about swimming across a river. I am sure you won’t even survive the first draft.

I know I won’t, the Snake said with his voice echoing with gratitude, and I am thankful to you my friends for taking me along with you.

That very much unlike a snake, the Falcon said as it can and perched on Akapat’s shoulder, just inches away from the Snake’s head.

The snake took no time to withdraw to the safety of the bag. You scared me. He said in a muffled voice.

Why should a friend scare you, Akapat said, as he waked towards the river bank. Then he stood and took off his bag and kept it on the ground.

The river surely gets lazy over here, the tiger said as he inspected the flow, but it is a bit wider. And keeping the depth in mind, as you told Falcon,it should not be difficult to cross it here.

The current is a bit too stubborn towards the center, the Falcon spoke to the tiger, while you with your sheer size may find it easy, the boy will have to fight it. And after his admission that he can’t swim, it would be challenging.

What are the other options? Akapat asked.

We can walk one day back and try to cross it at its narrowest point, the tiger said, but the current there is so fast that even bears don’t cross it there.

And further downstream, the Falcon said, you will get trapped in between a fast flowing river and this one which expands to become almost as wide as a sea.

It that only water there or there are islands too, the tiger asked.

There are only sandbars, the Falcon said, and they keep sifting everyday, every-time. So one tends to lose the sense of direction and ends up being where he never intend to be.

So this is our only option, the snake spoke, wiggling out of the bag.

Not yours, the Falcon said amusingly If you are keen I can grab you in my talons and fly across the river.

The snake gave him a scorned look to the Falcon and spoke, I would prefer the less adventurous opinion in this bag and he withdrew himself inside the bag.

Should I take off my clothes? Akapat asked.

You can never cross a river without getting wet, the tiger spoke laughingly. No matter where you keep them, they will get wet.

They certainly will, the Falcon spoke, but to me the idea seems to have merit. It will make his limbs free to fight the water.

But will leave me nothing to hold on the tiger said thoughtfully. I can’t grab his neck without hurting him.

Akapat looked at the tiger with dismay in his eyes. What do you intend to do tiger.

He intends to drag you across the river, the Falcon said, and it is a fair option considering that you cannot swim across, and you don’t have enough time to learn.

Not even a day or two, the snake popped up his head again.

The Falcon looked towards the sky and spoke. No not even tomorrow. The clouds are traveling towards the hills with haste. It will rain soon and rain for some time to come. The river will become impassable everywhere and we will get boxed in between, till the rain ends. So we have no time to loose.

That decides it, Akapat said, we are crossing the river now. And both of you are correct, I need to take off my clothes to make sure my limbs are free, and tiger you can hold my bag, if, he gave a deliberate pause, if you need to. And my friend snake, he said opening the flaps, it’s better you take a ride with Falcon. Your choice is between a birds talons and a tigers jaw. I think you will prefer the first one.

The snake looked at Akapat with dismay and asked. Do I have an opinion to swim along.

Yes you have, provided you can swim straight, Akapat replied opening his shirt.

..

Look at that huge tree, the falcon said pointing towards a banyan tree on the far bank of the river, we have to reach there.

Why downstream, Akapat asked curiously.

So we can compensate the downwards draft of the water, the hawk said as it came and sat on his shoulder again. The falcon has just flown across the river to ferry the snake, and while it also choice the best path across the flowing water.

You will be on the upstream side, the falcon instructed. Tiger you will flank him from the downstream side, so you can help him if he needs it. And both of you will follow me, as i will fly along with you to show the right path.

So what are we waiting for, the Tiger said entering the water. Come on man cub, let’s cross this river before it gets dark, let’s get going.

Akapat followed him like an obedient student.

We will walk for as long as we can, the Tiger said. However if the water becomes chest deep, you should start swimming. Just keep your head cool and move your limbs slowly.

The river was apparently shallow. The water didn’t crossed the waist height and they had already crossed the mid stream.

It seems so easy, Apakat spoke to the tiger, splashing his hands in the water.

We still have halfway to go man cub, the tiger cautioned him. Keep an eye on the falcon and follow him to the tree.

Akapat looked downstream at the tree. It was still some distance away. Then he looked straight ahead. The far bank was just a stone throw away. He looked at the tiger and asked. Why do we have to walk so much when we can just reach the shore in a straight line.

Because, the tiger spoke, the river has focused the might of the current there. Crossing it means a lot of fight, for which you are not prepared. If we walk toward the tree, the river spends its energy in the curve and losses its strength. It will be easier and more important safer to cross there.

I am not scared to take risk, Akapat declared as he headed straight into the current.

The falcon saw the boy deviating from the path and heading straight into the current. It dived and before he could caution him the boy was gone. The river seemed to have swallowed him.

….

Tiger, Tiger, Tiger Akapat shouted at the top of his voice as water made way into his lungs. He had suddenly plunged into a bottomless pit with water pushing him down. Panic gripped his limbs and he felt paralyzed.

I am going to die, he felt when suddenly his feet hit the river bed and as a reflex he pushed himself up. He found his body bouncing back to the surface and he had just enough time to surface and draw a desperate breath before he was pulled back again into the abyss.

…

The tiger saw him disappearing into the water and rushed towards him. He was so focused that he didn’t even notice the falcon landing on his shoulders. He was just a body length away from the palace where Akapat surfaced and he made a desperate stretch to reach him, when the Falcon pecked his head and stopped him.

Let him learn the lesson tiger, the Falcon said.

What if he drowns, the tiger asked, still stretching him.

No he won’t, the Falcon said, there is much more in him and he needs to discover that.

Yes you are right, the tiger said pondering over his words and stopped in his tracks.

…

Akapat felt he was being crushed between the gravity and the buoyancy, while the current made him lose his orientation. He rolled, he tumbled and he bobbed, in what he felt was eternal time. For a while he felt that the tiger will come from somewhere and save him. Then a thought occurred to him that maybe the tiger himself is dead. He looked up through the water to catch a glimpse of the sky, but all he could see was fading light.

Become one with the water and let it carry you. He heard the falcon in his head. He closed his eyes and focused, and suddenly he felt that he was one with the water and flowing along with the current. He also felt light and he felt he was being lifted up by a pair of invisible hands. He thought he was dead and that is when he surfaced and drew a deep breath.

He opened his eyes and scanned around him. All he could see was the banyan tree in a distance. He looked around again. The tiger and the falcon were nowhere to be seen.

Just keep your cool, he heard the tiger in his head and move your limbs freely. And he followed the advice. He drew a deep breath again and focused his vision at the tree and felt that the current was carrying him towards the shore.

As he progressed, the felt that the current was loosing its strength and as he neared the tree, he felt that the river was getting still. He eased himself and his feet touched the river bed. He stood up and realized that he was only waist deep in the water. He turned around, and saw that the tiger and the falcon were just two steps behind him.

He looked at the tiger and looked into his eyes. It was not that difficult, he said with his chin up. And then he rushed, hugged the tiger and began to cry.

His skin glowed brilliantly in the setting sun.

….