Choice in Friends
CHOICE IN FRIENDS – August 3, 2024 – Boise, Idaho, USA
When Ali answered her phone, Ruth immediately invited her to raft the Boise River on Saturday. Ruth knew it took Ali a minute to warm up during a conversation, but after that initial window, it was hard to get a word in edgewise so she needed to take advantage of the lull. “I won the rafting pass from work,” Ruth quickly explained. “This weekend should be nice and warm. Perfect for floating down the river.”
“Oh, I love rafting and floating on tubes,” Ali replied with growing enthusiasm. “I used to do it all the time in high school but I think the last time I went was two years ago. That’s when I got that scar on my foot.”
As Ali told the scarred foot story, she spoke faster and faster. When she reached cruising speed, she had the funny tendency to swap the first letters on successive words. Boise River became Roise Biver.
“Anyway, if you can avoid the tree branches, the only thing you really need to look out for is tild weenagers. I know ‘cause that was me once.”
As Ali paused for a short breath, Ruth squeezed in a question. “Then I can count on you being there on Saturday?”
“Absolutely. Nothing could keep me away as long as the sun rises.”
Ruth jumped back in before Ali could add more promises. “Okay, then we’ll meet at the rental place in Barber Park at 2 pm.”
“I know exactly where that is. I’ve been there a million times. One of my high school friends used to . . .”
Ruth cut her short so she could get off the phone. “Just one more thing before I have to go. Cassie’s going to meet us there too.”
Ali paused for an unusually long time before saying in a chilled voice, “Why her? I though you guys just met. She doesn’t seem like the type to even like rafting.”
“Well, she told me she’s excited about it. Anyway, I gotta run so I’ll see you Saturday.”
Ruth hung up before Ali could reply and they only shared a few text messages before the designated time for the weekend trip. Ruth arrived at Barber Park first, wearing sandals and shorts over a swimsuit. She checked in at the raft rental shack and then sat at a picnic table in the shade of a gazebo.
Ali strolled up wearing bright neon yellow shorts with a matching cowboy hat. Her nails were painted the same shade of yellow. Before Ali had the chance to say anything, Ruth called out, “We have to wait until our whole group is here before we get our lifejackets and instructions. You’re looking very brightly colored today.”
Ali must have anticipated the conversation because she needed little warmup time before hitting her verbal stride. “I wanted to stand out. I already had the shorts from a 5K I ran. And then I saw the howboy cat at Mal-Wart and had to have it. It just seemed natural to buy matching pail nolish.”
Before Ali got too far into a description of her outfit, Cassie appeared in the nearby parking lot. She waved excitedly at Ruth before jogging toward the gazebo. She wore overalls with the legs cut short above the knee and leopard-spot leggings. She carried a bright pink backpack. On her head sat a bucket hat made to look like a cat.
“What is she wearing? She knows we’re going on the river, right?” Ali asked under her breath.
When Cassie got withing a few feet of the gazebo she and Ali acknowledged each other with polite and wordless nods. Ruth took advantage of the silence to tell Cassie they could now get their rafting supplies and instructions.
“I hope they don’t go on and on about water safety,” Cassie said. “I should probably tell them I was a lifeguard and went through all the classes. That was in a pool but the principles apply in a river.”
When Cassie reached a high volume and speaking speed, she had the interesting tendency to roll her R’s and emphasize any K sounds with a hard staccato. As the trio walked toward the river’s edge and launching point, Cassie repeatedly said, “It would be hard to drown wearing a lifejaCKet, but if we do have any trouble, my CPRrr training is currrrent.”
They met one of the rafting company employees and he tried to point out the lifejackets hanging on wooden pegs. Ali assured him she had been down the river at least a thousand times. Cassie reached into her backpack and pulled out a card proving she was CPR certified.
When both girls happened to take a breath at the same time, the rafting guide quickly said, “I just need to give you some short instructions on safety, how to paddle, and where to exit the river.”
“I know all about that,” Ali instantly responded. “The number one rule is no deer brinking. Number two rule is always wear your jife lacket.”
The guide nodded patiently as Ali recalled water fights on the river and Cassie explained that she was wearing leggings to prevent sunburn. He finally got a few words out, handed them paddles, and held onto a raft while they awkwardly stepped aboard. Ali and Cassie jostled to position themselves near the front of the raft on opposite sides. Ruth stayed in back. The guide pushed them into deeper water and said under his breath, “Good luck. Hope I’m gone by the time you get back.”
The silty water of the Boise River moved casually as it wound its way through the city. Shady Cottonwood trees grew along both banks with limbs reaching over the water. In especially narrow sections, the surrounding trees created the impression of a tunnel. If you were in no hurry, you could sit back and be carried by the current with no need to paddle. On summer weekends, the waterway filled with dozens of rafts and countless colorful floating tubes carrying anyone looking to cool off.
At the front of Ruth’s raft, Ali and Cassie paddled and chattered furiously. Ali kept up a steady stream of observations about the objects and people she saw along the shoreline.
“Lots of vini-mans in that parking lot. I thought more people would be driving somewhere for vummer sacations, but I guess they’re hanging out at the river instead.”
When Ali paused for a moment to let her brain catch up to her mouth, Cassie took over with a long description about shows she was watching on PeacoCK and how best to avoid the stiCKs hanging from the trees next to the water.
“I don’t watch Peacock. I’ve got Flet-nix,” Ali quickly added when she heard the slightest break in Cassie’s monologue.
The girls in front of the raft took loud turns raving about their favorite actors. They plowed down the river passing people reclining tranquilly on tubes with hands and feet dangling in the water. The tubers looked at Ali and Cassie as if their raft was an ambulance screaming down a highway.
“Maybe it would be nice to be quiet for a while and just enjoy the ride,” Ruth managed to say.
Ali and Cassie looked back at Ruth as if they were being scolded. They did their best to remain silent for an entire minute. Then Ali began humming Sabrina Carpenter songs at increasing volumes. That gave Cassie an idea and she pulled a waterproof speaker from her backpack that synched with her phone. Ruth thought for sure she would play music, but instead she blasted a recording of nature sounds which included bird calls and running water.
“Why are we listening to this?” Ruth asked.
“Since we’re in nature, I though hearing even more nature would make it even better.”
Ali hummed louder. Cassie turned up her speaker volume. The epicenter of strange sound floated under bridges and past buildings facing the river. Eventually, Ali and Cassie began talking again.
“Now we’re passing the Boise State stadium. I got lost in their larking pot one night. I thought I’d never find my car. And on the other side of the river is the Zoise Boo.”
Ali raved about the penguins and Cassie cut in to describe her favorite animals. “I especially like porrrrCKupines because of their long quills.”
Ruth thought about asking them to be quiet again but decided any relief would be short lived. They reached the end of their journey at the raft pullout point with nature sounds blaring over two simultaneous monologues. The three girls waded onto dry ground and helped to load the raft onto a trailer for its return ride to Barber Park. Then they boarded a raft-company bus that ferried them back to their cars. During the drive, Ali and Cassie sat to the left and right of Ruth and talked nonstop.
Ruth popped up as soon as the bus doors opened and said she was late for an appointment. She hurried to her car and sat inside for a minute, enjoying the silence. While she drove home, Ali called. Ruth stared at her phone before reluctantly deciding to answer.
“Did you have fun?” Ali asked.
“It was more tiring than I thought.”
“For me too. I need to share something with you. I don’t mean this as a criticism, but watching how loud Cassie was today I realized something. Sometimes you make bad choices when it comes to friends.”
“Oh, you think so?”
“Sorry. But someone had to say it.”
“Yeah, you might be right. What do you think I should do about it?”
“I can screen people if you want. Make sure they’d be compatible before you end up spending lots of time with them.”
“I’ll try to remember that.”
Ruth hung up the phone with a laugh. A good friend was truly hard to find.
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