Just a Memory of Maine

[Alison] Here's a fragment of a short story I wrote about Maine called, "Swimming the Narrows...First." Enjoy!

The rule was, ‘All children must wear lifejackets on the dock until they turn thirteen. OR prove they can swim the Leadbetter Narrows to Vinalhaven and back.’

Jumping into the water stopped your breath. Swimming the Narrows might be impossible. The Leadbetter Narrows were wide. The tide pulled so strong sometimes the sailboats went backwards. We laughed at the people from our dock. Motorboats sped through, faster than fast. Lobster boats putted through. Lobstermen hooked their bright buoys, pulling their traps, throwing back what they didn’t want. Sailboats sailed through, people sipping cocktails on the deck at sunset.