Waterballoons

Story Time of "The Day"

JAYNE/JAY

This day was one for the books, the memory is abit blurry, but the feelings are still raw.

It was one of those times when the friends got together to have a little picnic/pool party. And no this wasn't one of those teenage pool parties where alcohol was involved with drunk hormone driven teenagers making out at every corner.

No, this was a kiddy kind of pool party. Primary School days like maybe class 4 or 5 or maybe 6, between the ages of 8 to 10 years old.

Mum would always take my older brother and I to these gatherings, and yeah It was fun, but we would always feel awkward and sort of out of place amongst the other kids. (Well at least I did, not sure about my brother) Sometimes wonder why?

Now being a kid, I knew of the bad word 'shit' and yeah it slipped my lips a couple of times when I almost fell, since I was always too clumsy. Till today I am still clumsy, just shows how much I've matured over the years. (CLEARLY NOT MUCH).

Anyway so since I was too young to even know of that word or to even use that word, I was not only getting alot of weird and disapproving looks from the other adults/parents but also the telling off.

Totally understand where they were coming from, didnt want to be a bad influence on others. (Oops I really am sorry okay bad habit of saying 'shit' and I clearly didnt think at the time it was a VERY bad word.)

So after getting the growling from some of the other parents, (by the way sorry mum I have no idea how you must have felt at this time, your youngest daughter saying a bad word and getting told off for it in front of the other kids. I really didnt mean to embarrass myself or you, it was just an innocent slip of the tongue.)

I was feeling out of place, since the other kids would just stare at me getting the growling and then go on with their little pool games, where someone would throw coins into the pool and the kids would compete on who could find them first. Mind you my brother included (that traitor aha jokes totally understand you only wanted to have fun).

Oh and at this time I didnt know how to swim, so I was really out of place since apparently everyone else knew how to swim. And my brother was trying to help me at first to float but then mum came and so he joined the other kids.

So there I was in my swimming togs and wearing goggles (even though didnt really need them considering I couldn't swim anyway), near the railing trying to float ( yeah those of you who didnt/don't know how to swim you know this spot, hand always clinging onto this railing for dear life)

Mum didn't growl at me, or anything like that, she was just patiently sitting by the pool trying to help me float and probably get over the feeling of embarrassment. (I LOVE YOU MUM)

Moments where i felt like I just couldn't take the sinking anymore she kept pushing to keep trying that I'll get it soon enough. So I did keep trying, and eventually I did let go of the railing.

But as soon as I let go my mind decides to do a little panicking and i start sinking again but it was progress. I would come up each time after sinking happy and excited that I got to float just for 5 seconds ahahahaha. Mum would show me she was excited and laughing too. (Come to think of it, maybe she was just making fun of me ahaha )

So it being a beautiful clear sunny, day I was floating with the sun shining /burning onto my face. (That point while floating you begin to frown abit from the sun glare and the heat, not pretty but yeah)

Now mum leaves me for a little bit perhaps seeing that I could float and that I was okay. The other kids continuing with their pool games, I'm just minding my own business.