Labor Day Weekend 1985

“Daddy!” the moppy haired three year old laughed “fishy!”

 Nathaniel Hendricks smiled at his son as he continued to tinker away the boat’s  motor

“Daddy fishy now?”

“Almost Marty Daddy has to finish fixing the boat”

Martin Hendricks swung his chubby little legs back and forth excitedly “Catch a big fishy Daddy!”

Nathaniel chucked at the little boy’s enthusiasm “We’ll see about that son”

Martin turned to wave at his mother who was chatting with her friends and serving refreshments

“Mommy we go fishy!”

“That’s nice honey!” Wendy Hendricks waved back at him and blew her husband a kiss.

“You really lucked out Wendy” her friend Cynthia said “you’ve got this beautiful lake house home on Lake Michigan none the less, that fine hunk of a Hendricks husband, and that adorable son”

“Yes God really has blessed you Wendy” Shirley added

“I wouldn’t have it either way”

“Are you really happy out here Wendy?” her rather snooty envious friend Charlotte pointed out “you’re pretty far out from town and I never thought I’d see you with a outdoorsy woodsman like Nathaniel”

“Yes Charlotte I’m quite content” Wendy replied

“Surely you two aren’t planning on raising little Martin out here” she said “I wouldn’t raise my Timothy anywhere near here I don’t think it’s safe---“

“Well now Charlotte you don’t have to worry about that now do you?”

The rest of the ladies chuckled as Charlotte turned deep red with embarrassment.

Martin stood up and toddled his way over to edge of the pier. The little boy got excited when he saw some of the fish swimming around swiftly beneath the surface.

“Daddy I catch fishy!”

Nathaniel didn’t look up from the motor but replied “Just a minute Marty Daddy’s almost ready”

“I catch it for you Daddy!”

“Catch it for me?”

Nathaniel looked up and his heart dropped to see his young son now leaning dangerously over the edge of the pier stretching his little arm out to the water’s surface.

“MARTY NO!”

“Daddy?---“

Losing his balance Martin fell over and into the water and began to panic and flail around.

“DADDY!”

“OH MY GOD MARTY!” Wendy ran down to the dock and Nathaniel immediately dived into the lake after their son.

The current was pretty strong despite it not being a very windy day; due to all the heavy rains from the past few days the lake was a bit overflowed.

As a full-grown man Nathaniel could swim through the current but a three-year-old boy didn’t have a chance. Right now Nathaniel was pulling together every muscle in his body fight the water to get to his scared son.

“Oh my Lord!” Cynthia gasped

“Call the Sheriff!” Wendy cried to her friends “don’t just stand there!”

The women quickly ran inside the lake house to phone the police and Wendy ran out the pier after her husband and son.

After what seemed forever the police pulled up and Nathaniel was finally swimming back up to the shore with Martin.

Wendy felt a wave of relief and rushed over to join them; however her heart dropped when she saw Nathaniel leaning over their son’s pale motionless body.

Nathaniel tried to breath some breathes into Martin and shook him desperately.

“Come on Marty….come on son…Marty…MARTY!”

Tears streamed down Wendy’s face as she fell to her knees.

“Nathaniel he’s gone!”

“No!” Nathaniel cried, “come on Marty! Come on son…MARTY!”

“HE’S GONE NATANANIEL!”

Nathaniel hugged Martin close and crooned out a cry that reached the heavens; but no matter how much he begged God for his son back he was shown no mercy.

                          MARTIN “MARTY” NATHANIEL HENDRICKS

                    Sunrise                                                   Sunset

         JANUARY 30TH 1982                                              SEPTEMBER 5TH 1985