Two Seconds
Marcus stood at the edge of the town pool. He was forty years old, and he could not swim. He had never learned as a child, and now the blue water looked very deep.
A lifeguard walked over. Her name was Sofia, and she smiled at him.
“First lesson?” she asked.
“First lesson,” Marcus said. “I'm a little scared.”
“That's normal. Everybody is, at first. Hold the wall and put your face in the water. Slowly.”
Marcus held the wall. He put his face in the water for one second, then came up quickly.
“Good!” Sofia said happily. “Again. Breathe out this time.”
He tried again. This time he breathed out, and the water did not feel so bad. He did it easily.
“Now kick your legs,” Sofia said. “I'm right here. You are not alone.”
Marcus kicked. He held the wall and kicked, and the water moved around him. He was not swimming yet, but he was not sinking either.
“Let go of the wall for one moment,” Sofia said.
Marcus looked at her. “Are you certain?”
“Certainly. I won't let you go.”
He let go. For two seconds, he floated alone in the water. Then he grabbed the wall again, breathing hard.
“I did it!” he said. “For two seconds, I did it!”
“You did,” Sofia said. “Next week, perhaps three seconds. Then the whole pool.”
Marcus laughed. For the first time in forty years, the deep water did not look so scary.