part seven

 

   Just before Matt climbs the face to rejoin us we hear the chopper again. We stand flabbergasted and watch it LAND! It is on the other side of the Havasu creek but it lands none the less. WOW.  Ruby and Cedar confer with the park rangers across the smallest part of the canyon, they are about 15 feet apart. The rangers are a special rescue unit known as the yellow and black.

     For me time stands still for a moment.  Like the centrifuge brakes on a huge turbine engine that is about to change directions, I slow the inertia of plan A and get ready for plan B.  Their news is enlightening and threatening, an earthen dam gave way last night and another one forty miles away has released a far greater volume which should be here soon. Oh wow... again.

     A game begins, an ancient game, the game of cat and mouse, protector and victim, fear and reaction. We begin to shift from in command to victim. They are here to execute a rescue.  When we talk about our plans they counter with theirs, unquestionably the better... the only. "We will save you all" We are scattered, the information comes in fragments, our ideas are countered with new ones, our options seem to dwindle. I still feel the powerful feeling of 'sticking together' that began with the urgency of our situation, the feeling that has created our tight functioning group, the relief of being all together.  So now, after one more question, 'how much will it cost', we concede.  The minute that decision is made the conversation turns to commands .... it is out of our hands, we listen and wait for the next move.

     I watch as their spokesman explains the procedure. He is kneeling, telling us not to worry, we are in good hands.  They haven't actually done a rescue of this size before but they are prepared... they practice for this every year. His body language expresses excitement, nervousness and .... is that fear? He squats on the other side of the canyon, smiling, wringing his hands. His eyes dart from one person to the other as if he is sizing us up, counting and judging our abilities and weaknesses.