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He was a lifeguard at Nags Head, NC, for six summers through high school, college
one year afterward, until he was forced to get a real job or what they call a real job
and they always told him if he could not come back then he should not go after them
but most of the time it was easy, young kids getting caught in the undertow, Weldon
rushing to pull them out by their hand or foot as their body hit one of three
sandbars and of course their mothers and sometimes fathers were always grateful
tipping Weldon and he took it because he needed the money along with all the
glory some nights he even met with the mothers on the side while the husbands
night fished or played poker, drinking somewhere it was about money, doing pretty well never
getting caught or hooked like their kids in the currents, he didn’t think he was sinking
didn’t realize what he was getting into or out of until one night one of them confessed
to Weldon she loved him—she wanted to leave her husband for him—just barely a man
the next day, the very last day of summer, Weldon drove his Jeep back to find a real job
wondering how many would be too far out of reach and which ones would not be saved.