As the book continues to unravel, Rita’s pregnancy continues, as does Chris’s experiences across the country in alternating chapters. On page 54, we see Chris contemplate whether one can step into the same river twice. This references to the title of the book, and in my opinion casts some foreshadowing to future events. At four months, Rita decides she wants an amniocentesis, which is an amniotic fluid test that is used in prenatal diagnosis of chromosomal abnormalities and fetal infections. While reluctant, Chris finally gives in and they find that their baby’s chromosomes appear to be “structurally sound.” Though a short chapter, I found this one especially important. It ends with a strong image of the circle of life with the words, “The embryo has already set cells aside for its own offspring like a farmer saving seed corn for next year’s crop. Female mosquitoes land on my skin, needed fresh blood for their young.” In the next chapter, he heads to west Texas where he takes a job painting houses with Bill, a Vietnam war veteran. Bill tells Chris that the only adrenaline rush that even comes close to what he experienced at war is skydiving, and he offered to pay for Chris to do it if he would go with him. Half a mile above the earth, Chris began freaking out a little bit, but he was “…too scared to be a coward” after witnessing the way the instructor regarded another guy that chickened out. I thought this was an interesting phrase that many can relate to. I know I’ve experienced this feeling several times in my life. Growing up as a competitive cheerleader, I got this feeling before every competition. I would be so nervous that I would get sick, but I’d always do my part because I was too scared to let my team down to be a coward and back out. Soon after, Bill killed himself without explanation and Chris moved along to Colorado, then to the Grand Canyon where he worked as a dishwasher until a degrading manager took control. He decided to head to California from there, and the story drifts back to Rita’s pregnancy and their shot at Lamaze classes. On page 77 when the setting shifts once again, Chris is asleep in the desert when a white coupe comes by to pick him up. He said, “My mind groped the curious state between sleep and vigilance that stained reality like a minor hallucination.” I thought this was an interesting and accurate way to explain the struggle to adjust after waking up from a deep sleep. The two men he hitched a ride with were extremists on both ends of the spectrum, but he finally ended up in California where he soon discovered wasn’t the place for a dreamer and amateur. From there, the memoir goes back to Rita’s pregnancy and a snow scene where Chris blends in with nature by sitting in a dead maple, concealing himself. Bad thoughts once again creep in his mind, but he sees Rita at the end of the chapter waiting on the porch, and all of his worries evaporate. The next and final chapter in this section has been my favorite thus far. I thought it was really cool that he began working for a circus, and slowly worked his way up from the very bottom of the totem pole, even if he didn’t make it far up. I loved the part where Gabe wouldn’t participate in the circus activities because of his embarrassment, and it took everyone apologizing and Arnie showing his goods to Gabe for him to accept their mistake and the next day he “performed exceedingly well.” I also found it interesting that they had Chris dress up in walrus suit to please the crowd and pretend that the walrus was very intelligent. After drinking martinis with the parrot lady, however, Chris couldn’t perform under the harsh circumstances of heat, and thus “decapitated” himself (took off the walrus head) and didn’t stop until he was headed out of there. It seems to me that Chris knows when it’s time for him to move on, and he doesn’t stop until he’s far, far away.
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