SAVED

SAVED

Saturday was Ayodeji's seventh lesson at the swimming pool of the Heritage resort Ikeja. A careful individual on a normal day and never venturing into paths unknown. It seems the urge to develop a bucket list comes with advancing age and the onset of the feeling of declining youth. Ayodeji was constantly reminded of his ever protruding abdomen and the 'locks' of grey hair shooting out from follicles on his scalp.

Sky diving, skiing and reaching the peak of Everest remained confined to the backyard of his mind. In the interim, he had opted for swimming lessons with the hope that the little exposure he got while on a weekend trip with school mates ten years prior would help the anticipated amphibian mutation.

Ayodeji did not take too long to progress from gliding to flapping his feet effortlessly. The instructor on the day was Mr. Peter who also had other people to oversee most of whom were young children with floaters. He spent a moment to advise a mother not to allow her daughter who was about three years old and without a cap access into the pool. Peter suggested after a few minutes  that the execution of the newly acquired skill be advanced to the deep end instead of the shallow end that Ayodeji was comfortable with.

A quick swim to the deep end ensued and Ayodeji held on to the pool's support bar as his feet could not reach the bottom. His only problem was how to remain afloat without holding on and that he really wanted to learn. Mr. Peter demonstrated a process of flapping the feet and hands which Ayodeji quickly attempted but without success.

The instructor asked his student to stay at the edge of the pool holding on to the bar while he sped across to the shallow end to check on another swimmer. The overly confident Olympic hopeful however decided to experiment on his own. He seemed to eventually grasp the flapping movements with his head above water as he let go of the bar and drifted away from the edge until a sudden plunge without enough time to take a breadth. Seconds passed by and almost equated light years. Ayodeji urged himself not to panic, "just relax and keep flapping till you rise to the surface..". The words of Mr. Peter echoed in his ears as his composure seemed to lead him back to the surface. He reached in vain for the bar and another transient panic moment sent him back under but this time after taking in a mouthful of chlorinated water.

It was time to say his final prayer and focus on the bright light that beckoned on him through his goggles. "This must be how people die by drowning", Ayodeji thought to himself until he felt a strong grip on his left hand pulling him back to the surface and to the safety of the metal bar. Peter had somehow in the midst of the activities in and around the pool spotted him in distress and darted across to rescue his ward. It was surely a miracle and Ayodeji thanked his God as he launched himself out of the pool coughing repeatedly.

That was surely the end of the lessons for the day and he made his way to the chair he kept his towel on close to the shallow end of the pool. He reflected on his narrow escape and for a second felt relieved that most people by the pool did not witness his moment of embarrassment despite his quick prayer for help from anywhere while in distress.

After sitting still for about ten minutes and wondering what could have been, he decided to walk to the other end where Peter was guiding another determined swimming. He had planned to express his gratitude and notify him of his exit from the premises till another Saturday. Ayodeji had taken a few steps past the entry point into the shallow end when he glanced right and noticed two young girls. The older was comfortably clutching her floater while the younger seemed to be flapping her arms repeatedly and with her head beneath the surface.

It was the three year old without the swimming cap, "Where on earth is her mother?" Ayodeji thought as he launched his right hand to scoop the girl to safety. Her mother was curiously at the other end standing and admiring something quite important on her phone completely oblivious of the misadventure her daughter had undertaken. It appeared like only one or two individuals had seen the girl in danger and were perhaps not close enough to help.

Ayodeji's Olympic dreams may have been dashed after his own misadventure but the thought of being in the right place at the right time to save the life of someone who may be destined for greatness after only just being saved himself spurred him to take another plunge into the water that Saturday. Maybe he was saved for such a moment as that.


J Olee Akeju
There is nothing that we think we have that we did not receive.
12:13pm, 27/1/14