Daredevil Drop

"Because I'm a champion, because I'm a daredevil," shouted my nephew as he persuaded himself not to give up. I did my best to keep him excited during the ascent, but there was still something inside me that was prepared to comfort him if he decided to turn back. From our vantage point, everyone looked like ants. We had just painstakingly climbed the countless flights of stairs to reach our destination. Now that we were here, the real test would begin. We were on a slick, wooden platform, that was waterlogged and positioned more then seventy feet in the air. The water park was not crowded today because of an early morning drizzle that convinced most people to stay indoors, but not us. Here we were, staring down the barrel of one of the tallest, most intimidating water slides on the East coast; the Daredevil Drop.

There were some that would turn back when face-to-face with the "Drop." A trail of tears mixed in with the stagnant water on the dimpled steps told the story of many a crushed dreams, and ambitions. The eyes of Demarcus seemed sure and steady, and I knew that today, something inside him would change forever. I noticed that his self-confidence rose with every step he took. As we continued on, he even found time to encourage other kids and adults that became scared en route to the top. Even though he seemed so sure of himself, I still found myself a little bit nervous for him. Of-course though, I wouldn't show it, I couldn't show it. Had I displayed that emotional weakness at such a pivotal moment in his development, the outcome would have been disastrous. I've always been a believer that young boys enjoy an advantage when they are privileged have a stable man in their lives as an example. Because of this belief, I purposely carry myself to the best of my abilities in every situation, especially when I'm around Demarcus.

The lifeguard motioned for him to come over. Without hesitation he trotted right along. I had to let him go first, so that I would be there just in case he needed some support. As his tiny feet met the edge of the slide, the water rushing down looked as if it wanted to grab his ankles, and drag him to the bottom against his will. Even with that, he was still fearless. After giving me a thumbs up, he nestled his petit body into position. My heart pounded with excitement. Thankfully his mother decided not to come today, because if she had, there is no chance that he nor her would be up here right now, her fears would have became his reality.

I pressed myself towards the ledge so I could take a picture of him for proof of his big ride. I can only imagine what must have been going through his head at that moment. God only knows what fears, and bondages were broken that day when he was staring down that narrow half-pipe that began in the heavens, and quickly plunged into the unknown. With only a faint "Go" from the lifeguard,

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