The swimming pool is an inviting view from their hotel room. The moment we arrived, she pleads non-stop with her mother and father for a swim. She whispers to me she loves to dip at the pool, even for just awhile, hoping I would ask her mom, my sister, to allow her.
Barely into the second day of our weeklong vacation, her mom agrees. Her mom shows her the shallow side of the pool and reminds her to stay there; she nods in agreement. With her favorite swimsuit, she is off, splashing and playing in the water, having the time of her life.
Taking a bath had been an ordeal for her, fearing water will get inside her eyes and ears. But since the swimming lessons two summers ago, her desire for pools and beaches became insatiable. Her swimming creates a lot of ripples, as if a tsunami is underway.
She continues to swim by herself, although there are other kids, mostly older than her. Now, she realizes she has strayed towards the deeper side of the pool. She attempts to stand but her feet do not touch the ground. Forgetting her trainings, she flaps and kicks vigorously, to no avail, as she gulps a lot of water. With the splashes she has been making since entering the pool, no one notices her predicament, not even the older kids near her. She’s swallowing more water now.
Suddenly a hand reaches out and pulls her up. It’s her mom. She cries, speechless from all the water she just engulfed. Her mom hugs her and tells her everything will be alright.
My sister is wet, even though she’s dressed up, jeans and all, for the day’s itinerary. No one realized what was going on; but she did. She ran and dived into the pool to reach her, for what seemed like an eternity.
Back in their room, she is her usual self again. She excitedly narrates how her mom had pulled her up; without doubt, she always knew she will save her. She just hates drinking pool water.
This trip takes a meaningful turn for all of us. We now have a deeper appreciation of moments spent together; we embrace life and enjoy all it has to offer; and we do the best with the time we are given.
A page from my journal
April 29, 2005
