The last time I spoke with my younger brother he seemed morose over something. He is presently in a Gulf country and is in charge of some 100 or so technicians. He does not have much spare time now and often has to work till the middle of the night. I usually catch him at his office late at night. Life has hardened him somewhat. He normally used to be a simple soul, preferring to act rather than think unnecessarily.
Somehow his thought has brought back memories of our child hood. And the amusing incident in which he learned swimming.
Ever seen a country pool, which is mostly naturally formed and fashioned into a bathing pool by some little effort by people?
The pool is a little ecosystem in itself. You could find hundreds of frogs and the local assortment of fish in it at all times. All kind of insects would be constantly flitting over the still waters. Plants and shrubs would be growing on every side of the pool. There would be creepers and water lilies. Some of the pools have lotuses in them. That means the pool is not very deep and has a thick layer of sticky mud at the bottom. This is dangerous for those who like to dive into the pool.
The sides of the pool would be riddled with holes of different size. Every one of them would be holding water snakes of various lengths. Slimy creatures, never liked them very much. The pool it self would not be very large and the snakes would look more numerous to your eyes. They are fast and as you watch would slide past you when you are in the water.
In the summer the water would have sunken very low and as you descend the steps you would feel an eerie effect. The sounds from outside would be muffled, the three walls of the pool other than that which hold the steps would rise in all their dirtiness as if rising directly in front of your eyes. And you would feel as if you are sinking into the womb of the earth.
The open sky would be the only visible sign of something pleasent other than the old and terrifying presence of things unknown, once you reach the water level. Though I was very fond of swimming I was never able to suppress a shudder whenever I had to go into the pool alone. We had a pool at our compound in the village. But you need to go a mile down to get to the water in the summer. The visibility would be very dim once you reach the primordial depths. So I normally prefer bathing and swimming at a pool at a nearby homestead which is much more spacious and a little less gloomy.
I think I was around fourteen at that time. My brother was four years younger. He had not learned art of swimming and was not even fond of the activity. He preferred solid objects to liquids which to him always looked more dependable! It was my duty to teach him swimming. So I used to take him to this pool and would propel him towards a submerged rock in the middle of the pool and would deposit him there and swim back to the steps. No amount of coaxing would make him budge from the rock once he was installed there.
So on my way back I would again pick him up and bring him back to the steps. This would repeat endlessly with the same effect. On that day I think it was my forth or fifth journey to the rock. I deposited him on the rock and was swimming back. Suddenly a frog jumped over me. The next thing I knew was a searing pain at the edge of my right palm which had just gone under water. It became heavy and would not move. I had to swim with my other hand to safety. Once at the steps I pulled the hand out of the water and sure as hell, there was the snake writhing and hanging by its fangs on to my palm.
Water snakes are not dangerous. They are also not venomous. So I was not frightened. But they bite like hell and would not let go once they have sunk in their teeth on to something. I called to my brother to show him the snake as I was trying to shake the snake loose. He took just one look at the snake and then there were some giant splashes in the pool, he was across like a champion swimmer and was on his way to home without even looking back!
He is not a bad swimmer now, may be he won’t cross the English Channel at a stretch, but would manage to float around till help arrives!
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