Crunch Read Online Free PDF Page B

purpose,” she assured them. “They just float along, and you bump into them because they are mostly underwater and hard to see.” Bethany turned to Maggie. “Don’t they have jellyfish at the beach here?”
    â€œI am sure they do, but most of these children have never been to the ocean—even though it’s only twenty minutes away.”
    â€œI wish there was some way to fix that,” Bethany said softly. She took a deep breath and then proceeded to tell them of the morning when she and her friends had been surfing and how quickly and without any warning she had been attacked. “Did it hurt?” “Why didn’t it eat all of you?” and other similar questions exploded out of the young audience.
    â€œNo, strangely enough, it didn’t hurt until later,” Bethany said. “I felt a tug and a pinch and that was it.”
    â€œShow them the picture,” Kai prompted.
    Bethany grinned at him and pulled a book out of her backpack that showed her standing next to a surfboard with a huge U-shaped bite out of it.
    The children gasped before rushing at her with more questions: “Why didn’t you bleed to death?” “Who saved you?” “Did they kill the shark?”
    Bethany glanced at Maggie who seemed pleased but exhausted from the rapid-fire translations, and moved on to explain how she had been pulled out of trouble by holding on to her friend’s dad as he paddled both of them to shore.
    She told of her journey to the hospital and how God had helped her heal and given her the strength and ability to continue surfing.
    â€œAren’t you scared? How can you go back in the water again?”
    â€œMost of the time I’m not scared,” Bethany answered honestly. “And I trust God. That’s how I can go back in the water.”
    â€œHow can you trust God? Have you ever met him? Have you seen his face?”
    Bethany and Maggie both turned to the source of the voice: a little boy standing in the doorway of the room. His hands were clenched at his sides. He was skinny with scratches on his legs and shoes that were so filthy Bethany felt her heart would break.
    â€œI haven’t seen his face, but I have felt his love and protection,” she answered gently. Then, remembering her dad’s words, she added, “He’s the best father any of us could ever imagine.”
    The little boy’s eyes widened in surprise, but then he thought for a moment and frowned. “I have to see his face,” he said and then abruptly ran out of the orphanage.
    Bethany turned back to Maggie. “Do you know him? Should we go after him or something?”
    â€œHis name is Eduardo. He visits us when he is able.” Maggie shook her head. “Most likely he is heading back home…though I should tell Eddie to check on him. I have never heard him talk that way before.”
    Bethany looked out the door, pondering on what had just transpired, until she caught sight of another little boy grinning up at her.
    â€œDid they catch the shark?”
    She smiled down at him and opened to another page in her book that showed a huge shark being held up by a backhoe.
    â€œThey caught it. It was fourteen feet long,” said Bethany. Maggie, taking a second to do math in her head, changed the measurement into meters for the group.
    â€œHow big is that?”
    Bethany paced out approximately fourteen feet and said, “From here to there!”
    Ooohs and ahhhs filled the room. Holly and the girls gave her a thumbs up.
    â€œYou’re a hit,” Kai said with a teasing grin.
    â€œYeah, kind of like Jaws ,” Dano added, and they all laughed.
    â€œSpeaking of movies,” Bethany said, giving Dano a look before turning back to the group, “Would any of you like to see what it’s like to surf in Hawaii?”
    â€œSí! Sí!” The boys clapped excitedly.
    â€œOkay, here we go!” Bethany pushed a