November 30, 2022 / 2 Minute Read

the swim lesson

“Jump in.”

“No.” 

“Jump in!”

“No!”

Our dialogue had been going on for the past 20 minutes.

And I wasn’t budging.

“Come on, you can’t keep doing this.” 

“What’s the point of taking swim lessons, if your too scared to jump in the pool.”

Ha! shows how much he knows.

I wasn’t scared…

I was….

Cautious.

I mean how could I trust him? 

How could I know he’d be a good teacher? 

How could I know he didn’t have some evil agenda to drown a handsome kid like me?

I hate taking chances.

And besides…

My mom always taught me to be safe.

And this clearly wasn’t safe.

“I’m going to give you one more chance.”

“Please jump in.”

“No.” 

I got up and headed towards the exit.

Proud I’d held my ground yet again.

And then…the unthinkable happened

I fell.

Face first, right into the deep end. 

No not fell…

I was pushed!

I couldn’t believe it!

I knew it!

I knew I couldn’t trust him!

I knew he wanted to drown me!

I knew he couldn’t save me!

I screamed and punched.

But I only sank lower.

I can’t believe it.

I can’t believe I’m going out like this.

I could already imagine the headlines.

“Young 8-year-old assassinated at rec center pool.”

How inglorious.

I hit the bottom.

Rock bottom.

And I just laid there.

Waiting to die.

But then, something happened.

Something awakened within me.

I started moving. 

I swung my arms over, and over, and soon I was back on my feet.

I looked up.

My goggles made it perfectly clear just how deep I’d fallen.

I nearly fell again but instead..

I Jumped.

I jumped as high as an eight year-old boy underwater could jump. 

And I started swimming.

My legs and arms were in perfect unison.

Kick push kick push kick push kick push coastttt.

I was ecstatic.

Until I remembered that humans need air to breathe.

My vision began to get blurry.

My muscles began to tire.

I wasn’t going to make it.

I still had at least another six feet to go.

I could stop. 

I could let myself back down. 

I could just sink and let go.

But I didn’t.

I kept pushing.

And then, just as I was about to blackout.

I saw Him.

My instructor.

He was swimming towards me.

Smiling.

I reached.

And he grabbed me.

I guess he didn’t abandon me after all.