3-8

 

8.

There were eleven of us. Marko, of course. Adi, of course. Two Mikes. Brent. Bidders¹. David.

Jakie. Skippy. Viv. The whole gang. I met up with them in Maun. We loaded three silver flat-bottomed boats and set off. Days of floating, drifting, fishing, dancing. In the evenings we gotfairly loud and very naughty. In the mornings we cooked bacon and eggs over open fires, went forcold swims. I drank bush cocktails², and African beer, and ingested certain controlled substances.

When the weather got really hot, we decided³ to break out the Jet Ski. I had the presence ofmind, beforehand, to remove my iPhone from my pocket and stow it in the Jet Ski console. Icongratulated myself on being so prudent⁴. Then Adi jumped on the back of the Jet Ski, followedby a very anarchic Jakie.

So much for prudent.

I told Jakie to get off. Three’s too many. He wouldn’t hear me.

What could I do?

Away we went.

We were cruising around, laughing, trying to avoid the hippos. We roared past a sandbar onwhich a ten-foot crocodile was sleeping in the sun. Just as I curved the Jet Ski to the left I saw thecroc open its eyes and slither into the water.

Moments later, Adi’s hat flew off.

Go back, go back, he said.

I did a U-turn, not easy with three onboard. I brought us alongside the hat, and Adi leaned overto snatch it. Then Jakie leaned over to help. We all fell into the river.

I felt my sunglasses slip from my face, saw them plunk into the water. I dived after them. Themoment I came up, I remembered the croc.

I could see Adi and Jakie thinking the same thing. Then I looked at the Jet Ski. Floating on itsside. Shit.

My iPhone!

With all my photos! And phone numbers!

MEG!

The Jet Ski came to rest on the sandbar. We flipped⁵ it right and I grabbed my phone from theconsole. Soaked. Ruined. All the photos Meg and I had taken!

Plus all our texts!

I’d known this lads’ trip would be wild, so I’d sent some photos to Meg and other mates beforeleaving, as a precaution. Still, the rest were surely lost.

More, how was I going to be in touch with her?

Adi said not to worry, we’d put the phone in rice, a surefire way to dry it out.

Hours later, the moment we got back to camp, that was just what we did. We submerged thephone in a big bucket of uncooked white rice.

I looked down, highly dubious⁶. How long will this take?

Day or two.

No good. I need a solution now.

Mike and I worked out a plan. I could write a letter to Meg, which he’d take home with him toMaun. Teej could then photograph the letter and text it to Meg. (She had Meg’s number on herphone: I’d given it to her when she first went to collect Meg from the airport.)Now I just had to write that letter.

The first challenge was finding a pen among that bunch of muppets.

Does anyone have a pen?

A what?

A pen.

I’ve got an EpiPen!

No! A pen. A biro! My kingdom for a biro!

Oh. A biro. Wow.

Somehow I found one. The next challenge was finding a place to compose.

I went off under a tree.

I thought. I stared into space. I wrote:

Hey Beautiful. OK you got me—can’t stop thinking about you, missing you, LOTS. Phone wentin river. Sad face…Apart from that, having an amazing time. Wish u were here.

Mike left, letter in hand.

Days later, wrapping up the boat part of the lads’ trip, we returned to Maun. We met up withTeej, who immediately said: Relax, I’ve already had a reply.

So it hadn’t been a dream. Meg was real. All of it was real.

Among other things, Meg said in her reply that she was eager to speak to me.

Jubilant, I went off on the second part of the lads’ trip, into the Moremi forest. This time Ibrought a sat phone. While everyone was finishing dinner I found a clearing and climbed thetallest tree, thinking the reception might be better.

I dialed Meg. She answered.

Before I could speak she blurted⁷: I shouldn’t say this but I miss you!

I shouldn’t say this as well but I miss you too!

And then we just laughed and listened to each other breathe.

 

1 bidders   

n.出价者，投标人( bidder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Bidders should proceed only if they intend on using a PayPal account to complete payment. Bidders的唯一形式，应继续只当他们在使用贝宝帐户，以完成付款打算。 来自互联网
• The other bidders for the contract complained that it had not been a fair contest. 其他竞标人抱怨说该合同的竞标不公平。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 cocktails   

n.鸡尾酒( cocktail的名词复数 )；餐前开胃菜；混合物

参考例句：

• Come about 4 o'clock. We'll have cocktails and grill steaks. 请四点钟左右来，我们喝鸡尾酒，吃烤牛排。 来自辞典例句
• Cocktails were a nasty American habit. 喝鸡尾酒是讨厌的美国习惯。 来自辞典例句

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 prudent   

adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的

参考例句：

• A prudent traveller never disparages his own country.聪明的旅行者从不贬低自己的国家。
• You must school yourself to be modest and prudent.你要学会谦虚谨慎。

5 flipped   

轻弹( flip的过去式和过去分词 )； 按（开关）； 快速翻转； 急挥

参考例句：

• The plane flipped and crashed. 飞机猛地翻转，撞毁了。
• The carter flipped at the horse with his whip. 赶大车的人扬鞭朝着马轻轻地抽打。

6 dubious   

adj.怀疑的，无把握的；有问题的，靠不住的

参考例句：

• What he said yesterday was dubious.他昨天说的话很含糊。
• He uses some dubious shifts to get money.他用一些可疑的手段去赚钱。

7 blurted   

v.突然说出，脱口而出( blurt的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She blurted it out before I could stop her. 我还没来得及制止，她已脱口而出。
• He blurted out the truth, that he committed the crime. 他不慎说出了真相，说是他犯了那个罪。 来自《简明英汉词典》