Chapter 8 The Happy and Sad Day

Chapter 8
The Happy and Sad Day


Once David got back from writing the letter he went back to the mountain, picked up Richard, and brought him back to George.
"Set him on the bed," George ordered. Richard started to move a little.
"He's alive?" George said. George went over to Richard and tapped him on the shoulder.
"Richard, Richard can you hear me?" Richard rolled over and nodded his head.
"He's alive!" George yelled out loud. "I've got to say, you are a tough young man." Richard smiled feeling good about himself.
"What's the last thing you remember, son?" George asked.
"Well, I was in some hole, and then it went black. Oh! Now I remember, I was putting dynamite in the hole to blow the mountain. But I still don't know how it went black!"
"I'm afraid we have bad news, Richard," one man said. "David sent a letter to your wife saying that you died."
"Then I'll send another one saying I'm alive," Richard said. The man shook his head, "We are all out of ink." Richard lied in the bed shocked.
"She's probably so worried right now," Richard said.
Richard got up from his bed and got on a boat. George ran after him, "Richard! Where are you going?"
"Back to work," Richard said.
"But... do you even feel good enough to work again? I mean you just smacked your head on rocks."
"I feel fine," Richard replied. As Richard's boat got closer to the mountain everyone at the mountain looked over that way.
"Who could that be?" David asked. David got in a row boat and paddled over to the boat.
"I'm sorry sir but, the canal isn't open yet," David said. "Please turn back around." Richard leaned over the wall of the boat.
"I'm actually here to help," Richard said.
"Richard!" David exclaimed. "It's... it's really you! How did you survive."
"I'm not quite sure," Richard said with a smile on his face. David looked over at everyone at the mountain and screamed, "He's alive!!" Everyone jumped up cheering and jumped in the water to greet Richard.
"Be careful of gators!" Richard warned them. Quickly everyone swam back to the island going very fast. When Richard and David got back, everyone gave Richard a pat on the back saying how tough he was.
"I bet we could shoot Richard right in the head and he'd survive!" one man said. Everyone laughed in agreement. Richard was laughing so hard and then he stopped. His face was very serious, then it began sort of sad.
"What's wrong Richard?" David asked.
"My wife doesn't even know I'm alive, while we're here celebrating, she's probably home crying." Now everyone was silent. Richard headed back on his boat and that was both a happy and sad day.