Haja Sheriff ... BACK!
lone swimmer
Since childhood, I’d been fascinated by the beauty of sea. When I was twelve, we had a family gathering and decided to go to the beaches nearby. Part of the group wanted to go for a boating. The proposal was accepted by all and we started. We hired a small boat that was good but didn’t realize that it had exceeded the maximum safe load it could take with two family hopping in. With hardy 4 inches visible above the sea level Plimsoll might have felt proud to have invented those lines to indicate load .
The fisherman who rode the boat reassured with a smile, saying its normal! Still with sea water splashing on the gripped hands, everybody was scared to the core, some looked pale and few had a premonition that its going to be too risky! Sensing Gods of fortune were not favoring much, we decided to turn the boat back, when this went on a genius in the group who knew swimming, jumped into the water thinking he could reduce the load and save the rest of us. Contrary to his line of thinking, the four inch separation between us and the sea went zero due to turbulance he caused. Within milliseconds, everything was blue, everybody was down, only bubbles of oxygen went up to join the atmosphere…tried to hold on to the legs of somebody and ended up being frantically kicked off. A fishing crew of around 12 members jumped in to save the two families.
I never learnt to swim, thinking seas would always have mermaids who could save a 12 year old. Those 5 seconds, I realized mermaids are not true and they have to be taken off the story books! And just before my brain could shut down, somehow caught hold of an anchor rope of another boat (God giving a second chance!) and with just reflex managed to climb on and pulled myself out of water.
For the first time I realized the world is much more beautiful, sunlight is pleasant and oxygen had fragrance! Some fishermen pulled me out and took to the shores. From that moment, I started respecting the sea. I always keep my distance, never even soaked my legs to feel the soil eroding between my toe fingers!
Saw this kid trying to swim but never really crossed the sands to enjoy the sea. Felt nostalgic, as the cold breeze nailed some chillness into my spine, I looked down. Ah…I’m safe as long as I’m on the sand!!!
lone swimmer
Since childhood, I’d been fascinated by the beauty of sea. When I was twelve, we had a family gathering and decided to go to the beaches nearby. Part of the group wanted to go for a boating. The proposal was accepted by all and we started. We hired a small boat that was good but didn’t realize that it had exceeded the maximum safe load it could take with two family hopping in. With hardy 4 inches visible above the sea level Plimsoll might have felt proud to have invented those lines to indicate load .
The fisherman who rode the boat reassured with a smile, saying its normal! Still with sea water splashing on the gripped hands, everybody was scared to the core, some looked pale and few had a premonition that its going to be too risky! Sensing Gods of fortune were not favoring much, we decided to turn the boat back, when this went on a genius in the group who knew swimming, jumped into the water thinking he could reduce the load and save the rest of us. Contrary to his line of thinking, the four inch separation between us and the sea went zero due to turbulance he caused. Within milliseconds, everything was blue, everybody was down, only bubbles of oxygen went up to join the atmosphere…tried to hold on to the legs of somebody and ended up being frantically kicked off. A fishing crew of around 12 members jumped in to save the two families.
I never learnt to swim, thinking seas would always have mermaids who could save a 12 year old. Those 5 seconds, I realized mermaids are not true and they have to be taken off the story books! And just before my brain could shut down, somehow caught hold of an anchor rope of another boat (God giving a second chance!) and with just reflex managed to climb on and pulled myself out of water.
For the first time I realized the world is much more beautiful, sunlight is pleasant and oxygen had fragrance! Some fishermen pulled me out and took to the shores. From that moment, I started respecting the sea. I always keep my distance, never even soaked my legs to feel the soil eroding between my toe fingers!
Saw this kid trying to swim but never really crossed the sands to enjoy the sea. Felt nostalgic, as the cold breeze nailed some chillness into my spine, I looked down. Ah…I’m safe as long as I’m on the sand!!!