A Dip into the Past
It had been years. Every single summer for the past half-dozen years, he had been coming to this place. This tranquil place, set deep into the forested foothills of the Sierra Nevada. The place was a pond, not big enough to be called a lake, but it held still water that was continually fed by the tributaries branching off of the Yuba River nearby.
The area was a peaceful spot, still untouched by the age of technology and steel. Fields of wild grass and green pastures still covered the landscape everywhere you looked. The trees that towered overhead, had grown tall without any additional help from the world of man. Here, nature still remained vibrant and strong.
It was early morning. The sun had just peeked above the hills, casting a warm, orange glow over the body of water he now faced. Clouds of early morning steam rose from the calm still waters, evaporating like ghosts chased away by the morning sunlight. The fish and frogs had already taken their leave, scrambling deeper into the darker areas that surrounded the pond.
He stood there with the sun upon his bare back, gazing at the outline that his shadow formed on the surface of the pond. Stretching his arms up into the sky, he took a deep cleansing breath and dove into the calm, cool waters below. As soon as his whole body had submerged, he opened up his eyes to see a small fish hurriedly flash away into the deeper, murkier depths of the pond. Looking around, he noticed the water’s slightly green hue caused by the algae that hung there, suspended in the water.
Cupping his hands, he gave a long, strong pull as he stayed under the surface and let the momentum carry him farther from the small pier he had dove from. The water parted before his streamlined form, barely causing a ripple on the surface. He was totally content in his solitude for the time being, although his oxygen supply would run out soon enough.
Another long pull, and the accompanying kick from his legs propelled him further from shore and closer to the center of the pond. He wondered how long he could last, holding his breath and depriving himself of air. As a child, he was able to hold his breath for over 3 minutes. By now he was able to surpass the 4 minute mark, but that was with little exertion. He wondered how he would do now.
Bending at the waist, he dove deeper still. Flipping onto his back he marveled at the sunlight filtering through the water, like a cascade of mirror pieces falling from above. He recall the long, lazy days where he’d hide underwater and sneak up upon his unsuspecting friends that had come along on these trips. Those were the days of unbridled joy and carefree happiness. When life was slow and much easier to understand.
He missed those days, lounging in the sun. Days where the only thing they had to think about was what they were going to eat for lunch and dinner. All the time in between was spent frolicking in the outdoors and simply enjoying what life had to offer.
Feeling a slight tightness in his chest, he knew time had begun to run out. Things weren’t so simple anymore. Turning toward the surface, he kicked once and floated slowly toward the light. His face broke the surface and he slowly pulled for the other side.
Swimming slowly along, he wondered if he would ever be able to hold his breath that long ever again.
