Fraidy Grady

The clouds overhead created an ominous, if somewhat appropriate atmosphere over the lake. Grady stood at the end of the dock, watching the teal water get darker by the second. A storm was coming, and Grady suddenly found himself wishing that he had just gotten it over with earlier that day when everyone else was around.

He had remained on the dock, nervously watching his cousins and siblings slashing around in the shallow, azure water as the sun shone down on them from above. They had taunted him with choruses of "Fraidy Grady", pointing at him, laughing at his reluctance to get in the water.

Grady had begrudgingly followed his family inside an hour ago, where he was teased and ridiculed even more. With his parents making dinner in the kitchen, Grady slipped outside onto the porch to escape his torment ... and found himself face to face with the source of his shame. The dock loomed in the distance, reminding him of just why he deserved the moniker "Fraidy Grady."

He hated every second of that long walk down to the dock, and the even longer walk along the dock, out over the water. He knew it was shallow and probably still even a little warm from the sun heating it all day. But the darkening, glassy water seemed full of promises to the contrary.

Grady turned back and looked at the house, which seemed so inviting from his place out on the dock. But he knew that the minute he went back inside, he would still be known as "Fraidy Grady".

With that thought fresh in his mind, Grady again turned his attentions to the water.

One little jump, he reassured himself. All it takes is one little jump.

Out of nothing more than sheer procrastination, Grady set about preparing for his jump. Stretching, practicing a few times, and generally thinking of anything and everything he could do to avoid actually jumping off the dock.

But time was running short. Soon dinner would be ready and the family would be looking for him. And if they found him before he accomplished his mission, he would be in a lot of trouble. Heck, he was probably in a lot of trouble either way, so he might as well have some good come of it.

And sure enough, he heard his name being called.

Dinner was ready.

It was now or never.

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes ... and jumped.

As Grady's head re-emerged above the surface of the water, he sucked a deep breath of air back into his lungs. The first breath of a liberated man.

He laughed as he waded back to shore, slogging along in drenched clothes and matted hair. He could only imagine what his parents and siblings and cousins would say when they looked at him, soaking wet and dripping with salt water. A wide grin spread across his face when he realized that the one thing they absolutely wouldn't be able to say ... was Fraidy Grady.


(507 words)