In the middle of the trail lurked the pink alligator, the whites of its eyes glowing like fireflies in the fading twilight. It didn't move as Derrick Collins approached, but its unexpected appearance made him stop in his tracks.
Derrick stared, sweat running down both sides of his face, his heart pounding, gasping for breath. He checked his watch. Twenty minutes to 6. He looked ahead, past the alligator. Another two miles to go. He looked back and chewed his lower lip.
It couldn't have been five minutes since he passed the elderly Asian couple ' the woman carrying a boy no older than 3, the man pushing an oversized stroller, both paying little attention to the fact the boy was crying. If he sprinted, he could catch up to them. Again his eye fell on the alligator. It would be easy enough for him to go around, and Sarah was expecting him to be home by 6. But she'd also been on him lately to try helping others. 'You may surprise yourself and find you like doing good,' she'd told him.
With a deep sigh, Derrick scooped up the rubber alligator. It'll only take me a few minutes out of the way, he thought as he turned and ran the way he came. Sarah can't get bent out of shape by a few minutes. And maybe I'll get a reward for my trouble.
Six minutes later, long after he passed the point where he expected to find the couple, Derrick screeched to a halt. He looked this way and that, trying to figure out where they could have gone. They weren't moving fast enough to get that far ahead of him and there were no side trails. Squeezing the toy, he wondered what to do.
A young woman approached, holding the hand of a little girl. Running up to them, Derrick held out the toy and asked in a gush, 'Excusemedidyoudropthis?'
'What?' the woman asked, wrinkling her nose at him.
Derrick drew two long breaths and tried again, forcing himself to speak slower. 'Sorry. Did you drop this?'
'No,' the woman answered, ignoring the girl's attempts to grab the toy.
'Well, did you see an Asian couple back there?'
'No,' she said, grabbing the girl's hand and hurrying down the path.
'Thanks for the help,' he called out. A glance at his watch revealed it was almost ten minutes to 6. He no longer thought of reward, but maybe the couple would report his good deed to the paper and then Sarah wouldn't mind his being late.
Just as he turned down the trail, he heard a child laughing near the pond shore. He sprinted across the grass and stumbled down the slope to the beach. It was easier to see there in the clearing, where the last fading rays of sunlight reflected off the water's surface. A few feet away, a man stood by the water's edge. A little boy at his feet squealed as he threw rocks and watched them splash.
Derrick was only a few feet away when the man turned to look in his direction. Taking three long breaths, he held out the alligator and asked, 'Did you drop this?'
The man raised an eyebrow as he inspected the toy before shaking his head.
'Did you see an elderly Asian couple?' Derrick asked.
'Yes,' the man replied while the boy reached out his hand, making grasping motions for the toy. 'We passed them a few minutes ago, heading that way.' He pointed in the opposite direction Derrick had been heading.
'That way?' Derrick asked, mimicking his point. 'You're sure?'
'I think I know what an Asian looks like,' the man snapped.
'No, I mean ' I just ' Oh, forget it.' Squeezing the alligator tighter, Derrick raced back up the slope and headed back in his original direction. He no longer cared about reward or recognition. All he wanted was to ditch the toy and go home.
As he crested the hill, Derrick couldn't believe his eyes. The Asian couple was headed directly toward him. How could I have missed them? he wondered. In the distance he spotted a public restroom. Of course. They were inside when I ran past. The man was in front, still pushing the stroller. Derrick ran up to him, grateful that his ordeal was over.
Stopping a few feet in front of the man, Derrick held out the alligator and asked, 'Did you drop this?'
The man tilted his head quizzically, but held out his hand and said, 'Thank you.'
Derrick's heart sank. It was obvious this guy didn't speak English. 'Did you drop it?' he asked. 'Is it yours?'
The man's hand took the toy and he bowed his head. 'Thank you,' he repeated.
Derrick hesitated. Did this man really lose the toy or did he think it was a gift? Maybe he should take it back and look for the real owner, but the man had already given it to the little boy, who happily shook it back and forth. Seeing the boy's pleasure filled Derrick with warmth.
The gratitude is enough, he thought. I like it. Wait until I tell Sarah that I get it. I want to help people.
A glance at his watch revealed it was two minutes to 6. If he sprinted the last two miles, he wouldn't be that late.
Three minutes later, a flash of pink caught his eye. His stride didn't break as he ran past. Now you're just seeing things, he chided himself as he scanned the trail ahead. You're so worked up you just '
Derrick stumbled to a stop. He blinked and rubbed his eyes, but nothing could change what he saw:
Pink alligators scattered on both sides of the trail.
After a long moment, Derrick pulled out his cell phone and hit speed dial. He heard the other end connect as he bent over the first alligator and said, 'Honey, I'm going to be late.
THE END
