The Golden Stairs by Al Lacy

Author:Al Lacy [Lacy, Al]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-56290-6
Publisher: The Crown Publishing Group
Published: 2012-08-16T00:00:00+00:00

Down in the cold, choppy water, Jess Colgan bobbed up and down, gasping and coughing each time his head went below the surface and came back up. He barely knew how to swim, and realized that even if he were a good swimmer, he was too far from land to ever make it to safety.

His heart pounded savagely.

Struggling and splashing about, Jess thought of what Chaplain William Glaxner had told him about dying in his sins without Jesus Christ and spending eternity in hell. He also remembered Fred Matthis urging him to open his heart to the Saviour.

Suddenly, in the expanding distance between himself and the ship, Jess saw a man standing at the rear of the second deck, just behind the pilot’s cabin.

Jess waved his arms wildly and cried out, “Hel-l-l-lp! Hel-l-l-lp!”

Tom Varner heard the cry for help from out on the oceans surface, and because of the bright moonlight, he was able to quickly focus on the terrified figure splashing and waving his arms.

Tom ran to the pilot’s cabin, stuck his head in the open doorway, and said to the man at the wheel, “There’s a man overboard! He’s behind the ship! I’m going in after him!”

The pilots eyes were wide. “Go! I’ll turn the ship around and alert Captain Fillmore!”

As Tom ran toward the staircase, he felt the ship’s speed ease back as the pilot cut the engines. He nearly flew down the stairs to the main deck and dashed to the railing. He could still see the struggling man in the foamy water of the ship’s wake in the distance. He kicked off his shoes, climbed over the railing, stood on the lip of the deck for a second or two, then dove into the ocean.

Tom swam with every ounce of his strength, praying that the Lord would help him. In a matter of minutes, he drew up to the bobbing, floundering man and was able to make out the stark panic in his face as he grabbed him by the shoulders and said, “Hold onto me!”

Jess Colgan was gasping for breath. His strength was almost gone. He feebly wrapped his arms around his rescuer’s neck and felt a great surge of relief as two strong arms tightened around his chest.

Tom held the man’s head out of the water and looked back toward the ship. It was heading toward them. “It’s all right, my friend,” he said. “They’ll pick us up real soon, now.” Tom saw the relief on the man’s face and said, “I’m Tom Varner. What’s your name?”

“Jess … Colgan. Thank you for … for coming in after me.”

“Glad I could get to you in time. I don’t think you would’ve lasted much longer.”

Jess took a shallow breath and said, “I … I know I wouldn’t.”

Soon the ship coasted up close to the two men in the water. A lifeboat was lowered, and within minutes, two crewmen had pulled Jess and his rescuer safely into the lifeboat. When the boat was raised up to the main deck of the ship by thick ropes, Captain Eric Fillmore and several crewmen were there.

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