4
“You’re not gonna believe this, but I ain’t never been canoeing before,” the man said from the bow.
This time I did believe him, despite the linguistic red flag. My knees and chest were spattered with cold water from his awkward strokes. Mike had suggested Emmett take my paddling spot to better balance the canoe, and our new friend had agreed.
With nothing better to do, I reflected on the arrangement. Although a few inches shorter than Mike, Emmett was much thicker, and I’d guess he weighed at least twenty-five pounds more. I wasn’t exactly an expert, but it seemed to me the canoe would be most stable with Emmett’s weight in the center. He could have been chivalrous, but I suspected Mike’s real motivation for the arrangement was to keep Emmett busy and prevent him from sitting between
