The Price of Life

It was a scorching summer season evening after I first seen him watching us. It was the same old chaotic neighborhood get collectively; adults drank and talked whereas the children performed within the pool. All people was had fun, apart from him. All evening he’d enterprise nearer and nearer to us, reaching his hand down into the water and being tugged away by his mom. I used to be curious concerning the boy. Why couldn’t he play with us? Who was he? I’d by no means seen him round earlier than but, tonight, he turned the middle of my consideration.

All evening he snuck away from his mom and got here nearer to us youngsters within the pool. Significantly interested in all of the pool toys, he reached in for them, pushing himself too far and repeatedly virtually falling within the water. Because the evening went on folks got here and went and after I seen the boy wasn’t round anymore I figured him and his mom had gone.

It started to get late; my brother and I stayed later than ever and my dad and mom confirmed no signal of leaving anytime quickly. As our dad and mom talked and danced to Jimmy Buffet whereas we youngsters determined to nighttime swim.
As different youngsters acquired out I made a decision to take one final look across the pool. Within the deep finish I seen one thing that seemed vaguely like an individual. I seemed round and counted my neighbors, my brother, and I exterior, four youngsters, as there have been after we acquired in earlier. Who was that fifth particular person? I stored counting and recounting, complicated myself. I quickly satisfied myself it was solely a pool toy, however determined to swim out to the deep simply to make sure. As I acquired nearer to the deep finish I noticed it most definitely was not a pool toy, however as a substitute the little boy I’d seen all evening.
The boy floated face down within the water. Panic struck. I started to name for Help however no one may hear me over Cheeseburger in Paradise. I knew I needed to flip him over onto his again so he may breathe; I struggled with it, however finally acquired him flipped over. I knew I needed to have to save lots of him by myself since no one may hear me. I attempted to push him to the facet however discovered it too troublesome with all of the pool toys and rafts in my approach so I made a decision I’d should raise him up out of the water and swim him to the facet. I did the one factor I may do, I swam beneath of him and lifted him up with my arms and tried treading water to the facet. I ran out of power fast, and my head slowly fell beneath the water. I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t name for Help. I began to panic however slowly pressured myself to relax. I knew that I wanted to push my head out of the water to name for Help or we have been each going to drown. I used all the facility I needed to push my head up and try to scream; sadly it got here out as a cough, however not loud sufficient to be heard. No response. As soon as once more I plunged below the water. I calmed myself down, and determined to attempt one final try to get Help. I kicked my legs as onerous as I may, acquired my head above the water, and yelled, “Mommy there’s a boy within the pool who can’t swim!”

In that second I felt physique after physique soar into the pool to Help. My neighbors grabbed the boy and took him out of the pool to security as I swam by myself again to the shallow finish. I’ll always remember the look of terror on my father’s face as I approached him. I watched that boy throw up water like a fountain for what felt just like the longest time. His mom got here dashing exterior and started to yell at him in entrance of everyone. I used to be shocked. On the finish of the evening she approached me and gave me $5 for saving him. It shocked me that she gave me a reward, but it surely was much more surprising that $5 was the worth she place on her son’s life.

It has been 10 years and I nonetheless don’t know the boy’s identify or what he went on to do together with his life. As scary as that have was, I’d do it yet again at the moment. I used to be seven years previous after I saved a stranger’s life.