Martha

Chapter 24 Falling Leaves and Clear Water

Chapter 24
Falling Leaves and Clear Water

First, I urged to be at school, then I only wanted to walk back inside home after watching Martha going away. It was as if my world had torn into pieces the moment she left. Despite of that, I armed myself with courage and decided to go to school. Staying home was the worst thing I could do.

I can't deny I was all wrecked, but something I'd learned living in this town and that was to never judge by the cover in any circumstances. Maybe she was off for the week, or to an art tour, or just to visit her aunt... who knows? It was better to be optimistic.

Already in my classroom, I greeted my students in an unusual insipid tone. Under their pry expressions and bewilderment, I sat on my desk. Absentmindedly, I stayed there for the rest of the day. I heard all the murmuring, class after class, army students commented on my behavior. They all made their own conjectures on the manner and ai really didn't care on what they thought. I was plainly sad, sad enough to even give them a lecture.

There weren't any reflections at all at the beginning of the class. I was the only one in need to reflect about own misery. I found myself with no moral to preach my students about life. My life was a mess already.

So, students came in and out the classroom course after course and stayed behind my desk. No collaborative work were assigned, neither oral reports, or investigations. They got used to it pretty soon. It all started from prying looks and intense gossiping to then ignore me and play with their gadgets. Surely I gave them something to gossip about like everyone in this town lived to.

Autumn swirled down the windows in my classroom with golden and brown serenity. From time to time, I watched the leaves fall to form small patches over the green grass in the school yard. The cold breeze carried a few away, while pulled other with invisible fingers. Some defied gravity, fighting with all their strength to subdue under the seasonal spell.

In that moment, I could so easily relate to them, light and lifeless, I felt myself so lifeless, powerless, hesitating to fall into the doom of my own despair and frustration, still gravity, Martha's gravity overpowered me. It was like if I had loose something, but something I'd never had. Immersed in some sort of a limbo with Martha and without her, I hit myself on the wall, because she was never mine. This beautiful lady was my neighbor for the strange gambles of destiny. And once I met her enveloped in this halo of mystery, she soon became an obsession to me. Just like that, for no other reason than fate.

I only wanted to know everything about her, and once I knew enough, I was determined to defend her establishing my point, an undeniable fact, that she was not a witch, but a misunderstood and lonely woman, a woman with a past no one knew, not even me. Making of me a self-nominated hero, my quest was to protect her from the cruelty and all the gossip. In the end, I was as cruel as the rest of the people. Wanting to name her a Saint, I condemned her when I decided to walk into her house without invitation, like a filthy burglar. With that, I also entered into her life, betraying her.

Whatever happened between us was only ephemeral, some sort of surreal attraction evolving from the nothing, an illusion, a trick forced to happen by my constant harassment and obstinacy. I should have left her alone.

The bell rang and I was happy the school day finally was off. I gathered my stuff and closed the classroom behind me. It was Monday, and I had swimming class. I hurried to the natatorium as I really wanted to be there before my students. Swimming a few laps by myself would clear off my thoughts. There's nothing better than clear, warm water to diffuse problems away.

On my way to the pool, I heard someone calling me from the hallway. "Antonio! Antonio!" Paula waved her hand, fast pacing towards me.

"Paula. How are you?" I greeted her.

"I know that you are in a hurry, but can we talk later? Maybe after the swimming class?"

"Sure... Is there anything wrong?"

"Oh no, everything is fine... Anyway. We talk later."

"Okey Paula. We'll see after the swimming class."

The librarian smiled and sashayed away, her long braid oscillated almost to the rhythm of her swaying hips. Perhaps she only wanted to apologize. She didn't look mad at me at all.

Already in the pool area, I quickly changed into my speedos and dived into the water. I braced a few laps before the first group of students arrived. The girls always arrived first. As they gathered on the stands, they talked about me as usual, however, this time I wasn't sure if they were interested in my abs or in my crestfallen countenance.

Twenty minutes after, the group sat on the bleachers waiting for me. As usual, I greeted them and the class began. The group of twelve youngsters dived and swam back and forth the pool. Lap after lap they cheered each other. It took only a few minutes with them by the pool for my mood to change. Like a proud father, I watched them cheering each other, marking their times with enthusiasm. All of them had improved their individual marks and skills in less than two months and that was fantastic for all of us. It was my first time as a swimming coach and I felt pretty confident and optimistic about this group of students.

Like I always did, I joined them swimming on the final laps. They appreciated this immensely, feeling encouraged as we blended as a team and grew pertinency. As soon as we finished, the class was dismissed.

When the last one of my students left, I dived into the pool for the last time. I wanted to take Martha out of my thoughts and both water and adrenaline seemed to be the best antidote. Water always soothed me. Coming from a tropical island surrounded by beautiful beaches meant lots of miles of water to swim whenever I wanted to, always a therapy.

I swam the first hundreds meters at my own pace, freestyle. Underwater, I touched with my hands the fifty meters mark and turned around. My body halfway over water, amidst the splashes of water, I saw the blurry silhouette of a person standing at the start line of the pool. Oh my, I had forgotten about Paula. She told me about meeting after the class and I was still in the pool. Poor lady was waiting for me. I guessed she'd something very important to tell me, otherwise, she wouldn't had come to the natatorium. Whatever it was, I would serve to me as an excuse to talk with someone and Paula seemed to be the best option. So I hurried bracing and kicking and in a few seconds I hit the pool's wall.

After wiping the excess of water off my face, I opened my eyes. I couldn't believe what they were seeing. It was even hard to breathe and my heart raced arrhythmically inside my chest. The woman standing by the edge of the pool, staring down at me was not Paula. It was Martha.