The Man On the Mississippi

The River Rises

It seemed that no matter where he looked there was something going wrong that morning. Charles had talked more than once about the people that were all around. It was really kind of interesting. It wasn't something that he knew anything more about. He could remember the kinds of things that happened to the people all over this area. It was like the people could no longer be trusted. At the same time there was something else going on... something that he could only hope would get better. 

The hot air was still. It was not a good day to be out, but Charles always lived on the outside of the world. He had seen things that people were not supposed to see. 

"What's on your mind Charles?" John asked walking out onto the pier. 

"Nothing more than the usual." 

"That could be a challenging thing. It is not like people do this kind of thing every single day."

"No, people do stupid things every single day. I guess that is why I have always lived on this side of the wall instead of that one." 

He had heard plenty of people talk about their lives in the city but he was just annoyed with the whole thing. He was getting more and more annoyed by the moment. He didn't like it when the city people invaded his place. 

"You got the ferry fixed, didn't you, Charlie?" 

"Yeah. It was no problem at all. Just a couple dents." 

"Well, you know how appearances are to the people of this town." 

"I know all too well. I think people need to quit judging a book by its cover."

"Everyone wants to believe they aren't doing that." 

"I wish they would just come right out and admit it. It needs to be understood that the world does not revolve around the people of this city!" 

"It is alright, just calm down. I am sure things will get better. It is just going to take a little time." 

Charles took one look and he knew that there was nothing else that they could do. It was hard for people to understand the things that happened to the people on the outside of this wall. It was not that Charles' home was actually outside the wall, it was that his livelihood was on the outside of the wall. 

There was something magical about the world that was outside of everything else, but he was not sure that there was really anything that they could think to do but to come out and see the things that were once there. Life was different for people who made a living off this river. He had seen so many beautiful things that it was hard to tell what they were going to see. At the same time Charles had always grown to the point that he hated seeing the people of the city. 

"All these stupid people do is throw their garbage out their car window. What do they think this river is, a garbage dump?" 

"Calm down, Charlie. You know that the people care about this river." 

"Some of them care. I don't think that the others care one lick about anything. The whole thing could be gone, and they couldn't give one hint that it was missing." 

"I know. But you know as well as I do that this river ain't goin' anywhere, and if it was then we would be out of work. As long as the river is here, we have work." 

"I guess that's true. It is probably the truest thing anyone has ever really said to make sense of it all." 

As Charles stood there, he flicked a cigarette, or what was left of one, out into the river. He thought about it for a minute and then waded out to where it was and pulled it out of the river.

"What was I thinking?" 

"What were you thinking? That would have been part of the problem." 

"I know." 

"I think that there will come a day when people will think about the things that are going on out there. It is something that many people will never think of until it is too late." 

"No doubt about that." 

"It is sad that a man that lives a long way up this big old river thinks about the things on this river more than the people who live on this river do. It is very sad. The whole world forgets that these things are so precious." 

"I know. It is hard for us to get across to people that there is something precious about the river." 

Charles again turned and looked out at the river. He had seen it at so many different times of day, and at so many different places. He had fallen in love with the river. He had pictures of as many different spots along the river as he could find. He even had some good pictures of different landmarks that were along the river. 

This river was all Charles had. His wife had died several years back and they had never had any kids. It was one of the few things that he had wished they had worked harder on. He wanted people to know that he was a good man. Sadly the death had rocked his world in a very harmful way. He had not gone back to God. He was not sure how to go back to God. He wanted someone to blame and God seemed to be the only one there. He was sure that God was the one who had done it. 

He had reached out to many people, and this was just a fact of life. He was going to have to learn to live with the cards that had been dealt to him. He had been in some dark places all by himself over the last couple of years.

He was not going to ever figure out what he was going to do. He felt stuck. He had the house that they were living in, and he had pictures of her everywhere, but he still longed for her to be there. He still wanted to be with her, and someone had taken her. Just plucked her right out of his life. You better believe he was bitter about the whole thing. 

"My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" he cried out at nights. 

It was the only thing he could think to cry out. He could have gotten drunk, but that would not have helped. Besides he knew what would happen if he started drinking. He would never stop.