CHAPTER 7 – HURRICANE

One day, three friends come to our house.

They tell me that they want to go to Africa. They ask me if I want to go with them. I say, “Yes, I want to go with you.” We start to prepare for the journey. Soon, we are ready. I say goodbye to my wife. Then we go. We want to come back two months later.

We leave Brazil in September. Our ship is very big. But we are only seventeen men. The ship is full of things for business.

The weather is good but very hot at the beginning. One week later, we see a hurricane. The hurricane is very strong. Our ship is in danger. The hurricane is finished after three days. But when the hurricane is away, we have a problem. The ship is broken. We can’t go to Africa. The captain wants to go back and repair the ship. But I don’t want to go back. We talk about it. We think about the best solution.

Then in the evening, a second hurricane comes. The wind is strong. The waves are very big. Then one man shouts, “Land!”

When the man shouts “Land!”, the ship stops. The sea is not deep enough. It is bad for our broken ship. The ship can break every second.

We must go on a smaller boat. This is very dangerous because the boat is very small for 17 men. But we must do it if we want to survive. So we go on a small boat.

The waves are very big. The wind is very strong. The wind pushes us to big rocks. We know that the crash is near.

Then, a big wave comes. The wave turns the boat. I am under water. I can’t breathe. I don’t see the other men. I don’t see the boat.

Then, my head is above water. It is only a short moment. But I can breathe. I see a small beach between the rocks. A big wave pushes me to the beach.

I am still in water. But I feel a land under my feet. I know that I must stand up. I must get out of the water. The next wave can take me back to sea. But my body is weak. I can’t stand up fast. The next wave comes. I am under water again.

I can’t breathe again. But then another wave takes me back on the beach.

I am in water. But I can stand up. I can go ten metres. I am on the sand.

I am safe. But my arms and legs are very weak. I collapse. And I lie on the beach.

After some time, I stand up. I look for the other men. I can’t find the other men. I am the only man alive.

All my friends are dead. I only find three hats and two shoes on the beach.

It is horrible for me.

WORDS FROM CHAPTER 7

above
alive
arm
breathe
back
bad
beach
because
wife
best
body
between
break
away
feet
collapse
crash
turn
dead
get out
enough
other
every
moment
find
full
deep
goodbye
hat
head
hot
hurricane
leave
leg
lie
look for
broken
near
only
evening
shout
push
repair
solution
sand
shoe
short
prepare
smaller
rock
still
standiup
survive
take
talk
danger
under
weak
wife