Team building

On either side of the ridge was a drop of about forty meters, the Colonel is moving quickly along the game trail that ran long the top of the ridge. At its widest point the ridge was just short being a two meters at lot of places it was less than one. The wind pickup with dark clouds coming with afternoon storm. My outfit for this outing had become less advisable to wear, not that I had been giving much a choice. The oxford on my feet hardly gave any secure footing and I kept slipping every so often but the Colonel never slow her pace once. Thunder roar in distance and I was wondering how well my suit coat would keep the rain off me when I step through some brushes to face a meter wide gap in the trail.

Looking down I could see if I fell there were plenty of rocks to break my fall, my neck and just about everything else. The bottom of the gap was just thirty meters, much shorter than the side. Looking up I could see the Colonel pushing on. I step back has much as possible then took running leaf. I easily clear the gap but the landing on  the oxford was anything but graceful as I barely avoided falling on my face. Undeterred I press on to trying  to catch up with the charging Colonel. After a couple of turns and plugging thru some more brushes then wondering how many holes I had torn in my coat I step out long stretch of clear trail and starting making up some time. Then one more bunch of brushes and I came to a complete stop. Stepping out the brushes brought into view another gap.

This one is closer to two meters across and meter up to the other side. Waiting on the other side is the Colonel.

“Jump Archie I’ll catch you.” The Colonel says her most pleasant voice.

I look down at the stream running thru the gap noted that it had plenty of water to drown in but not enough to get my ankles wet, much less break my fall at over forty meters.

“Archie come on.” The Colonel urges me.

“Colonel Colonel, you look to me weight no more than one hundred thirty pounds and I must sadly confess I weight close to one hundred seventy-six pounds. If you catch me we’ll both end up on the rocks below…”

“Archie consider this  a team building exercise. You jump and I’ll catch, that’s promise.” She gave me the most wonderful smile.

“Oh God, I’m idiot for beautiful smile. Ok here I come.” I step back has far as I can then take off.

Leafing into the air I head for the other side. My hand is reaching for a rock I might just be able to get when I realized it was five centimeters too far for me to reach. Just has I thought this is dumbest thing I had ever done in my life. The Colonel’s hand grabs mine and I’m jerk up to the trail on the other side. She looks calmly at me with no signs that she had put much effort in pulling me out of the air.

  “Thank God, there’s truth to the rumor of secret robot rebellion going on.” I said once I certain of my footing.

“Oh you heard about that.” She says with a smile then leans over and kiss me on the forehead then take off down the trail again.

“That was not funny nor good team building.” I took off to follow her wondering who and what she was.