Chapter 1: First Encounter
Lying under his piano, cursing himself, Adolfo seemed defeated, as if his life was about to end. Finally, he was ready to accept reality.
"At least I would have liked to apologize to those people, starting with Isabel. For not fulfilling our promise."
Past
Part 1
Adolfo exuded an aura of happiness because today was the day he could choose the same workshop as Sofía and thus spend more time with her. He naively thought that simply being near her, by some magic, she would fall in love with him, even though they hadn't exchanged a single word during all that time.
"Good morning, I would like to enroll in this workshop, please."
"You seem very enthusiastic, but are you sure? You won't have the option to change workshops until a month has passed."
"Yes, of course, I've never been more sure."
Moments later, he understood what the staff meant.
"Really? There's no one here. Could I have gotten the schedule wrong? It can't be what I'm thinking. I signed up for the wrong place! This is what happens when I try to sign up without being seen."
After pondering the situation he was in, he came to a conclusion.
"Well, I don't have many options. I can't just skip it, as that was my parents' condition. Maybe it will be fun. But, well, who am I kidding? There isn't a soul here."
Suddenly, a striking sound reached Adolfo's ears. He thought he was alone, but apparently, an unexpected visitor had arrived.
"Is someone there? Oh, I'm glad! After so long, we finally have a new member."
"Oh, you're Isabel. We attend the same class."
Although he had never spoken to her, Adolfo knew her. She sat next to him and was famous for participating in several swimming competitions.
"And you're Adolfo. I didn't know you were interested in swimming. If I'm not mistaken, you play the piano, right?"
Gradually, they delved deeper into the conversation, and after a while of chatting, Adolfo learned some interesting things about Isabel. Swimming had been her life since she was little, and her parents gave her unconditional support, willing to help her in any way they could. This made Adolfo feel a twinge of envy. Apparently, there were also parents like that.
"So your dream is to become a renowned swimmer and, at some point, a swimming teacher. Wow, that is a great dream worthy of admiration," said Adolfo, who was playfully dipping his feet in the pool water.
"Exactly, that's my cherished dream. And you? Do you have a dream?"
"Yes, I will become a pianist! It only took playing the piano once to know I wanted to dedicate myself to it."
"Can I ask why you chose this school? There are better and more affordable ones, plus this school doesn't offer music workshops or anything like that."
"To be honest, it's not that I wouldn't have loved to go to a specialized music school. The problem is my parents don't like the idea of me being a pianist. They think it's just a passing whim. Although I'm grateful they still let me play, even if the condition for doing so is coming to a workshop."
"That's a beautiful dream. But well, I think it's time we go for a swim."
Suddenly, Adolfo's serious expression faded, and he stopped playing with the water. He seemed as if he had seen a ghost.
"What's wrong?"
At that moment, he thought, "I forgot for a moment! I got distracted by the conversation and forgot that I don't know how to swim. I impulsively joined knowing Sofía would be here too. But now, what will I do?"
"Don't you know how to swim?" she said mockingly, covering her face with her hand.
When he heard that, Adolfo's expression completely changed. It seemed she had hit the nail on the head.
"No, I don't know how to swim," he said, shrugging.
"Well, don't worry, because you have an expert who can teach you."
"Oh, really? And where is he? I haven't seen any teacher during the whole time we've been here."
"I'm talking about me! Besides, I'm in charge here; they put me here because I'm good at swimming. And it's worth mentioning that this pool lacks equipment compared to the other one, so no one wants to come here."
"Well, that makes some sense. Then, miss, could you teach this poor man to swim?"
"Of course, sir, the pleasure is yours."
After a few more jokes, a tough training session was about to begin.
Part 2
Two weeks had passed since he enrolled in this workshop, and during that time, Adolfo had been exhausted. The only physical activity he had done before joining the workshop was playing the piano.
"You finally see it, Isabel. I can do it, I can swim. Hooray!"
"Yes, of course. I see you're not doing badly at all."
"It only took me two weeks. I think I might have a talent for this. Phew, well, it's time for a break."
"It looks like you're getting used to it. Even if it's just in the not-so-deep part of the pool."
"Yes, these two weeks of effort have finally paid off."
"Hey, can I ask you something?"
"Yes, of course, go ahead."
"Do you remember you told me you were thinking of changing workshops once a month had passed? Haven't you thought about staying in this workshop and not changing? It could be fun."
"You know, I've been having a lot of fun since I started coming here."
"Then..."
"But I don't think I should..."
Suddenly, an uncomfortable silence filled the space.
"I know, Isabel! How about we make a promise instead?"