“I’m good,” I told her.

I grabbed the 6-foot ‘oar’ from Benjamin, a sturdy branch with a thin end and a thick end, and planted it into the sand beneath the water. I placed all of my weight on it and pushed upwards and forward this time. I landed in a standing position on wobbly legs. I managed to balance myself and avoided toppling over. The entire raft sank into the water several inches, leaving me to bob only an inch above the water. I looked to Benjamin, the architect. He didn’t seem too impressed.

         “What do you think?” I asked him.

He shook his head like I’d come to expect of him.

    ...

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