David Calcutt - Matt's Father (Crete Holiday Story)

This is another river story. In 1995 we went on holiday to Crete - me, Sue, Jon, Helen, Matthew and our friend Stewart. Matthew was 18, Jon was 11 and Helen was 7. We stayed at a place called Aghia Galini on the south coast of Crete. One day we went exploring in some woods that grew on a slope a little way up from the beach. There was a small river running down through the woods and me and Matt and Jon decided to wade down the river until we came to where it opened out into the sea. There were trees growing along the banks of the river and as we were making our way downstream Matt reached up and took hold of an overhanging branch and pulled himself up and climbed along the branch. Then the branch gave way and cracked and Matt fell into the river. The river's strong current began carrying him away downstream, so me and Jon decided to join him and sat ourselves down in the river too and the three of us, laughing and shouting, let the river carry us down through the woods, out onto the beach and into the sea. We were soaking wet and happy. Matt stood in the waves in his tee-shirt and shorts, laughing. It was the kind of adventure he loved and that made time spent with him so joyous and memorable.