Sanz of Time

By Dexter Lives

"You only live once."
The mantra spoken by Jet Sanz uncle Coop just before he took his dives off of some of the most beautiful cliffs in Glen Canyon. Tragedy had entered Jet's life at a young age. And he looked up to his uncle Coop more than anyone. His uncle had planned on giving young Jet the  best 16th birthday that he would never forget. And he did just that. This day was the beginning of a much bigger purpose for Jet. It would just take him nearly as many years to find out what that bigger purpose actually was?

From chapter 4
They weren't the highest cliffs in Glen Canyon, but they weren't the lowest either. "You sure about them?"
He nodded, and I pulled to the shore, parking the boat. My legs shook as we climbed up to the top of the cliff. No one was around – at first. Then a family of five came up behind us, the dad asked, "You boys gonna make a dive today?"
"We are," Coop confirmed.
"Mind if we watch?" the dad asked.
I minded. I didn't want to shriek like a little girl in front of the man's whole family — especially the teen girls in his brood. But Coop didn't mind at all. "That'll be cool. Won't it, Jet?"
"Sure." I so was not cool with it.
The teen girls squealed with delight, "Yes!"
Coop and I went to the edge of the cliff, looking straight down. "I've never looked down like this and even once thought, I'd sure like to jump off this cliff and plunge into the deep water below." I looked at Coop. "What do you think when you look down there?"
"Feel that heat, Jet?" He lifted his arms in the air. "It's all of ninety-five degrees out here. Dry as a bone too. And that water is cool, clean, crisp, and inviting me into its blue embrace. The air when you're going down is cool against your hot skin. You can feel every hair on your body bristle as adrenaline courses through your veins. Then you hit the water, hands first, then your head goes under the refreshing liquid and life is a hell of a lot better somehow."
"I hope you're right." I watched the water rippling as a fish jumped down there. "How many feet down do you think it is?"
"Twelve feet, Jet. I picked it because it matches your age now." He smiled at the people who'd come to flank us on both sides. "Today Jet is twelve-years-old."
"Happy birthday, jet," they all said in unison.
"Thanks, guys." I gulped as I looked down. "Why does it seem more like twenty feet, instead of twelve?"
"You'll get used to it when you dive more." Uncle Coop got ready to make the dive. "Okay, I want you to do it just like me, Jet. A simple dive – nothing fancy." His feet left the rock. "You only live once!"
I held my breath as he went down, down, down, splash! One, two, three, four - his head came up, and he waved. I nodded and looked at the people around me. "I guess I'm going now. You only live once, anyway. See ya."...
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dexter Lives
• Release date: Mar 23, 2019
• ISBN: 9781386291763

Book preview

Sanz of Time

Dexter Lives

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THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination, or are used fictitiously.  Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter One

The sun beat through the windshield of Dad’s Ford Fusion that afternoon in June. He and Mom listened to old songs on the radio as I watched the scenery fly by. How much longer now, Dad?

Jet, we’ve just gotten on 89. Like I told you before we left, the trip to your uncle’s house in Page will take a little over two hours. Dad pulled his aviator style sunglasses down his nose to peer over them at me through the rearview mirror. Since we’ve only just begun this journey, can you try to keep from asking how much longer it’s going to take?

Mom turned to look at me over her shoulder. Arizona has some interesting scenery from Flagstaff to Page. You should keep looking out the windows to see it all. It’ll make the time fly by.

And how I wanted the time to fly by quickly. I’ll do that, Mom.

Dad’s younger brother and I had always been best buddies. Dad called him Coop most of the time, and I liked to call him that too. Mom called him Cooper on account of that was his real name and Mom never called anyone by their nicknames. Not even old Bubba who came to cut our lawn. She referred to him as Lance, as she’d known him since her school days.

My uncle had lived with us in Flagstaff when I was born. Only in the last year had he taken a job working as a paramedic in Page, Arizona. It had been about six months since I’d seen my only uncle. I missed him.

My family didn’t have a lot of members. Mom and Dad had grown up in Flagstaff. Mom didn’t have any brothers or sisters, and her parents had moved away to Arkansas before I was even born. We saw them at Christmas mostly. Once Mom took me to spend a week with them. I didn’t like it much. Gramma and Grampa didn’t want too much noise in their house. Keeping quiet for a whole week wasn’t easy nor fun.

Dad and Coop’s parents were killed in a car accident, and Dad became the man of their house at only twenty-years-old. Uncle Coop was eighteen back then, barely about to get out of high school. Things had been tough on them, but they managed to pull it all together.

Dad credited Mom for a lot of that as the two met when they were both twenty-one. He’d said that she was the best wife material he’d ever seen. She came into their home and took right over when they got married a year later. Another year passed, then I was born. We all lived right there together until Uncle Coop got the job in Page.

Oh, look, Jet. Mom pointed at the passenger side window. Can you tell me what those mountains look like to you?

The way the ground swelled reminded me of something I’d seen on television. It kind of looks like a volcano, but like it’s already erupted.

You’re right. Mom beamed at me. About nine hundred years ago was when that last eruption occurred. You’re so smart, Jet.

I do try to make good grades. I loved making good grades, prided myself in them. The ‘B’ I got in spelling at the beginning of the last school year nearly had me having a serious meltdown. Mom and Dad were there to help me study and taught me how to write the spelling words ten times each, and from then on, I aced every test.

Look out your father’s window, Jet. That’s the highest peak in Arizona. Mom looked back at me with a big smile. Do you happen to know the name of the highest peak in the San Francisco Peaks?

I had no clue. Mom, you know I just finished third grade, right? I’m only eight. I can’t know everything.

Nodding, she agreed that I couldn’t know everything just yet. Well, the highest peak is called Humphry’s Peak, and it’s – well, it’s.

Dad turned to look at me over his shoulder. That peak is 12,643 feet high, Jet.

Wow. I looked at the majestic mountain range out my Dad’s window, wondering how it ever got that way.

Soon, we’ll go through the painted desert. Mom changed the radio station as it had fizzled out. Well, it looks like it’s time to drag out the CDs. The mountains have cut us off.

The rest of the trip, we sang showtunes and watched the scenes change out the windows until we came to Page. Is that water? I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Did that sign say we’re in Page? Does Uncle Coop live by the water? Is it an ocean?

Dad laughed. "We are in Page. That water you see is called Lake Powell. And it is gorgeous – clear blue water, big cliffs, sunsets and sunrises that’ll inspire you to write novels. It’s as close to Heaven as you can get. Well, in Arizona anyway."

When Dad pulled into the driveway at Uncle Coop’s house, I sprang out of the car, sprinting to the front door. Uncle Coop! Uncle Coop! It’s me, Jet!

The door opened, and there stood my uncle, wearing his paramedic uniform with his arms wide open, and I ran straight into them. Hey, nephew!

It’s so good to see you, Uncle Coop. I hugged him tightly, not wanting to let him go. I’ve missed you so much. It’s so quiet at home without you around.

Putting me down, he ruffled my hair. It’s quiet here without you too. I’ve missed you, Jet. It’s lame around here without you.

At least we’ve got this week. I looked around at the little house. Small but nice. I hope you’ve got two bedrooms.

I do. He looked at Dad who came in, carrying my bags. Hey there, Cane.

Dad dropped the bags on the floor then he and his brother did their personal handshake that ended with them bumping shoulders. Pretty sweet place you’ve got here, Coop.

I call it home. My uncle looked around his modest place. It’s a bachelor pad. Page was our favorite childhood vacation place. It’s like a dream, living here. The lake is only about five miles away. I go out there most days. He turned his attention to me. And I’ve got this badass Waverunner too. You and I will be touring Lake Powell in style, Jet.

Badass. I held up my fist for a fist-bump.

Dad put his hand between mine and my uncle’s knuckles. You are eight, not eighteen. No cursing. Got it?

Nodding, I fixed my language, Bad-butt.

Coop and I bumped fists as he laughed. Yeah, bad-butt. He looked at Dad. I’ll watch what I say around the youngster, don’t worry.

Reviews for Sanz of Time

[Tex · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a nice read. Wasnt expecting the ending to be...