Meriedeth Salazar
"Deth! Let's swim!" my friend who is also a member of the swimming club invited me.
"Let's race!"
We dive into the water and swim to the end of the pool and back. I kicked my feet under the water. When I touched the end of the pool I stood and pushed my goggles upward.
I looked at Veronica, she is panting while standing.
"Deth is the winner again," we looked at the person who spoke, it was Carrie.
"Again?!"
"Well, Deth's form when swimming looks perfect. Don't put your feet in the air. it should be underwater," Aileery said.
I'm a member of the swimming club sa school namin. I just joined this year. Veronica, me and the others are batchmates but we are in different sections.
We are training for this coming tournament and its next week. Coach registered me at the freestyle competition and relay. In the relay, the four of us are a team.
The relay is compose of backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle. Coach taught us the different strokes, but for the relay we did our individual training.
After the tournament, I earned the gold medal for the freestyle competition. We also won the relay. Our next competition is a few months away, three months from now.
"Papa! Look!" I showed my gold medal to Papa when we arrived at the house.
"Congratulations, anak! When is your next competition?"
"It's still far away po, Papa. Three months from now, Coach told us."
"I'm sorry I wasn't able to attend."
"It's okay Papa. I manage to bring home the medal!"
Days passed by and we won amother tournament. It was our semestral break, we went home to our province. I'm staying at our Lola's house.
Kuya Marcus is not here yet, he is still on his flight. He is studying abroad. Papa and Mama decided to drop me off here first because they will go back to pick up Kuya.
"Meriedeth they said that you won some swimming competitions, is it true?" one of my cousin asked.
I happily tell them about the swimming competitions that I participated and they were amazed.
The next day our uncle, Marjorie's father, told us to go to the beach to have an outing. In the morning, I help in preparing the food. The others are transporting our things to the beach, like the tent that we are going to use.
When we finished cooking the food, I prepared the bag that I was going to bring with me. My extra clothes and towels are there.
When we arrived at the beach, I'm amazed how beautiful the water is. I'm kind of scared because I saw some news from the television. Pagdating namin sa beach ang ganda ng tubig. About some jellyfishes, it scares me.
But, Lola told us that there are no jellyfish around here, we should just stay near the area where our family is. We ate before dipping into the sea.
"Meriedeth, how many feet is the swimming pool that you are practicing?" Marjorie asked.
"10 feet, it's above my head. But, it's fine."
"Oh, let's jump there," she said and pointed towards the cliff.
"I don't want to Marjorie. Maybe there are jellyfish over there."
"There are no jellyfishes over there. Let's go," she said as she stood up and walk towards the direction of the cliff.
"Do you know how to swim, Marjorie?"
"Slight."
"Let's just go later. Let's just stay here."
I have a bad feeling about the cliff maybe the rocks over there are sharp. We played with our cousins near our tent. I shouted when I felt something touched my leg.
"It's just a seaweed, Ate Deth-Deth," Mellisa said.
"Ehhh."
I cringed, it's creepy.
"Swimmer but she's afraid of seaweed."
"There are no seaweeds in the swimming pool," I told one of my cousins.
Our aunties called us to have our snacks. As I eat my biscuit I noticed that Marjorie is gone. I stood up when I saw her at the cliff.
I ran towards the direction where she is, our aunties and uncles did not noticed us because they prioritize our younger cousins and they are talking to each other about how life is.
"Marjorie!" I called while chasing her.
"Meriedeth!" she called me happily. "Hurry, let's jump!"
"I did not bring my goggles. Let's go back-"
"i think it's okay to swim without your goggles? Look at them," she pointed some kids who are jumping at the other cliff ahead of us, they are laughing as they jump off the cliff.
"I think their expert swimmers, Marjorie"
"You're a swimmer, right?"
"Marjorie."
"How to dive? It's like this, right?—ah!"
My eyes widened when Marjorie slipped off the cliff and fell to the ocean. I have second thought about jumping, I don't have my goggles with me, I scared about jellyfishes and other creatures in the sea-
Panic creeped in me when I heard Marjorie screamed for help. I jumped into the water to help her, I felt water through my nose. I panicked when I felt how it stings.
I'm not used to it.
I swam to the surface to breathe in some air—I shrieked when I felt something touched my leg. I tried to check it underwater but the seawater stung my eyes making me went back up to the surface!
I can reach the bottom with my feet! I have trouble seeing our surrounding because my eyes hurt because of the seawater!
I kicked my feet so that I will not sink, I panicked when I heard Marjorie screamed again.
"Marjorie!"
"Help! Please! Mama! Papa!"
I swam towards her direction even though I have trouble because of my eye sight, but suddenly I can't move my right leg. I can feel tears fell from my eyes, I did everything so it will move but I can't move it. Marjorie is far away from me!
I struggled keeping myself afloat. I noticed Marjorie is not screaming anymore.
"Marjorie!?"
To my horror, I only saw her hand above the water.
Leg! Move right now! Please! Please! Please! You have to move! I need to help Marjorie!
"Hey! Somebody is drowning!" I looked at the one who spoke, it's one of the kids who jumped from the cliff earlier.
Three of them jumped, the two boys swam towards Marjorie and they swim towards the shoe.
"Are you okay?" the boy asked me while he is holding me. I think his my age.
I shook my head.
"My eyes sting," I said in the verge of crying. "I c-c—can't move my leg."
"Shhh, don't cry. Everything will be fine."
"What about Marjorie?"
"The other kid?" I nodded.
"She will be fine."
When we arrived at the shore, my cousins are crying. Everything happened so fast, we are currently outside the emergency room of the hospital. I felt cold because I am still wet because of the seawater.
I did not noticed that we are in front of the emergency room. I am with my aunt and uncle. The doctor said something and I did not understand anything that he said.
"It's your fault! You should have help your cousin!" Uncle Mario shouted at me, Marjorie's father.
Aunty Rea is crying, one of my aunts are hushing her. I was about to speak when Uncle Mario shouted again at me.
"Majorie doesn't know how to swim, Meriedeth!"
It feels like somebody poured cold water at me because of what Uncle Mario said.
Marjorie was the one who invited me to go with her to the cliff earlier!
"I d—d-don't know."
"You're a swimmer, right? You should have save your cousin! What's the use of your swimming skills when you can not even help you cousin?!"
"I d-d—don't-"
"Yes, you are a swimmer but you did not even rescue your cousin. You are useless, the money that your parents are paying for your swimming class is a waste!"
I just closed my eyes, how many years has it been? The memories from before are flooding in,
The chills, the pain, the guilt is still here.
Since that accident...
I swear I'll never swim again...