BANANA MUFFIN
There is something about the element of water. Infinite. Healing. Soothing. I have always wanted swimming. The feel of water on my body and skin. Of me treading, stroking, floating. Of just the calm and serenity I have when I swim.
Whenever something bothers me, I swim. It's like the water have this magic spell that binds my thoughts and freezes them. It's like it heals my troubled heart. Like I'm a wounded animal being brought back to life by dipping in the water. Of the miraculous water.
I plunged one more time in the olympic size pool inside our school. I moved my hands and feet synchronously to swim in deeper on the darkest depths of the pool. Where the rays of light refracted and is almost not reaching this part.
I stayed under. And put myself at ease. After minutes of holding my breath and the burning in my lungs is too hard to ignore I ascended to the surface again. I inhaled one whole breath. Like it was the first breath of life.
I stayed afloat and moved my feet and hands to keep me on the surface.
It was a Friday. For the rest of the week I have spent my after class here. To just swim. And think.
I paddled myself to one side of the pool to make one last lap. It's almost six in the evening. I positioned myself and like a spring I lunged myself into the water once more pushing my feet against the tiled wall of the pool. I kept my fast pace of free stroke. Maintaining the stroke of my hands and my legs like a turbine from a boat. I moved my head to the side to take in one full breath of air when I saw a tall figure on the sidelines. The adrenaline in me pumped so fast and hard that I wasn't really able to stop, not until I heard a splash on the distant part of the pool. I neared the other side of the pool and held on tight to the side of the wall. I removed my goggles and steadied my breath. I looked around to see a body swimming under the water approaching me. I can still feel the loud pumping of my heart. In one swift fluid motion the body ascended into the water leaving sprinkles and mist of water with him. He stayed afloat in front of me and removed his goggles in a flick of a hand. He whipped his head to remove the wet hair covering his eyes. Breathing hot and ragged fanning my face. His hands placed on the pool's wall. Hands tight. His biceps and triceps flexing. His face and neck covered in water dripping slowly to his bare rock hard chest. His lean big frame covering me. Cornering me.
I looked up. Just to be reminded of why I'm here. The wet disheveled hair. The dark eyes that can see right through you. The lips that whispered words of love and longing. Why I spent the last days of this week avoiding him. A slap to the face that I will never be able to make him disappear.
I tried to duck under his arm. But he held me into position. His other hand holding my arm to keep me still. And his other hand still griping hard on the pool side enclosing me. Trapping me.
"I've been looking everywhere for you. You should have told me you were here. I could have-" He said and I stopped him.
"You could have what? Skipped another practice? Niccolo why are you even skipping your practice? You know so well that it's nearing finals. The team needs you. And this basketball thing.....it's your dream. It's your life." I sounded tired.
He looked at me and met my eyes. He looked determined about something. Like he's sure. So sure about something. "Not anymore." He said two unshakeable words. Echoing in me.
I pushed him off me. And swim my way back to the shower rooms and change. I didn't look back. I can feel my whole body trembling from the cold. My heart pounding like I did another one of my laps. I never wanted to hear those words. I refuse to listen. I feared what is about to come. Feared for the both of us.
