Plot Twists are Casual.

Pt. 2 of 4

Growing up Dad would take us at least once a summer to Yellowstone National Park. Our trip in 2008 was particularly special because Paul had just gotten his motorcycle endorsement so we got to ride the bikes through the park. One afternoon Paul and I pulled over by a stream to fish while Dad went ahead to reserve a campsite. We started getting our fishing gear out of the saddlebags as Paul began to joke about the thin grass trail leading from where we parked on the road to the water. He made up an extravagant story about the two of us getting murdered by a herd of buffalo that own the trail before Dad could get back to scare them away and save our lives. On and on he went while eleven year old me was just having a ball. I was laughing with my eyes closed, but I could hear Paul’s story turn to just quietly whispering my name with an increasing sense of urgency every time he had to repeat it. I opened my clenched eyes to see him pointing at something down the road and in an instant my laughter was silenced. We couldn’t believe what was happening! Moseying along the same yellow line we were parked was a real life buffalo! As it got closer and closer to the bike our breathing got heavier and heavier. The animal eventually reached the front tire and there was a fifty-fifty chance of it walking along the side of the bike unoccupied by humans or the side Paul and I were standing on, and of course it came along our side! I remember us being so close to the buffalo as it walked by that I curled my toes in my shoes because I was sure that they were going to get crushed under it’s massive hooves. Those three or four seconds between the motorcycle and giant animal felt like hours, and when it was over we both bust out laughing with fear and relief! It was crazy!
    

    That’s how it was for Paul and I growing up. Every Time something crazy could happen it did! I’ll admit that most of the time we put ourselves into situations that could only end in a strange, unexpected plot twists, but even when we’d try to be casual and do it completely by the books, things would somehow turn out crazy. It was like we constantly drew  the short end of the stick, and March 28th, 2012 was no different.