Against the Tide

by Meredith Taylor

  Billy rushed inside when they arrived at the water park. He was a pre-teen already, but having suffered through all of his mental challenges meant that he was still very childlike in many ways. Darryn loved to see Billy so happy and free. He paid for their tickets at the brightly colored entryway, and Billy took off his shirt and was in the largest pool before Darryn could even collect his thoughts. Billy waved at Darryn and Mario from the pool, smiling elatedly. He turned to do a lap of the pool; swimming talent definitely ran in their family. Darryn and Mario found a shady picnic table on the grassy area next to the pools, and set down their things.

  “He looks so happy,” Mario said, rubbing sunscreen onto his face and even onto his closely-cut hair. “I’m surprised you’re willing to come out and have some fun for a change. You’re always so serious,” he playfully said to Darryn with a mocking wink.

  Darryn was smiling, and he realized that this had been the most he had smiled in weeks. Even though he had a lot to be upset about, like losing his job and being targeted by Peet and the other swimmers, he did not want to let anything get him down on that day. “I just figured that I could do something nice for Billy. He has to watch all of us struggle so much just to get by, and I don’t want him to feel like he’s just a burden to us.”

  Billy came running towards them, the smile still plastered on his face and his dark curly hair wet from the pool. “Did you see how fast I went, Darryn? Do you think I have what it takes to be on the Ridgemont team?”

  “I was just telling Mario that maybe we should think about recruiting a junior team. You would be perfect.”

  “Really?” Billy said, seeming stunned by the suggestion. Darryn realized that he should be more careful with the ideas he was putting into Billy’s head.

  “Well, even if Coach doesn’t go for it, when he sees you swim you will have an easy time getting on the team by the time you start studying at Ridgemont.”

  Billy seemed slightly dejected by what Darryn was saying. “I wonder if I can really study at Ridgemont one day.” Darryn knew that all of Billy’s psychological problems meant that he struggled with school work, and the teachers at the public school he went to did not know how to deal with him in the right way.

  “Absolutely, buddy. I’ll make sure of it. Dad and I have a plan to get you into Ridgemont. But it’s a surprise, so I can’t talk about it now.”

  Billy hugged Darryn enthusiastically. “Thank you! I know I’ll be just like you one day, swimming champion!” Billy ran back to the pool and started chatting with other boys who were swimming there. Darryn was glad that he could give Billy something to aspire towards. He knew that it was important to hold on to hope, especially when life felt hopeless at times.

  Mario turned to Darryn and said, “You’re so good with him, Darryn. I wish my brother had spent time with me like that when I was growing up. He’s lucky to have you.”

  “I’m lucky to have him,” Darryn responded, and knew that it was not simply empty words. He meant it. Billy was a big part of why he was working so hard in life.

  “Well, when you win the championship finals at the end of the semester you’ll give him even more reason to be proud of you. Oh, have you heard that your competition just got a little bit lighter?” Mario said with his eyebrow raised.

  “What do you mean?” Darryn asked.

  “Rumor has it that JP is quitting the swimming team soon. Something about being in jail. The guys on the swim team were talking about it. They say he’s been on a bit of a downward spiral. Good riddance, right?”

  “What are you talking about? I just saw him the other day and he didn’t say anything about it. It looked like he was getting ready for practice.” Darryn suddenly felt worried, but he could not quite put his finger on why he felt that way. Surely, he should have been happy that JP, the person who felt so threatened by him, the person who had thrown him into the pool at the clubhouse, the one who was best friends with the boorish Peet, would no longer be on the swim team. But Darryn felt far from happy at receiving this news from Mario.

  “Well, I don’t know if I have all my facts straight, but he might only be staying on for a few more weeks. I’m not sure if he’ll do the finals. Probably just got bored of swimming, eh? Guys like that don’t care about anything.”

  “I think you’re being a bit harsh. JP loves swimming. And he’s one of the best on the team. I’m sure if he’s quitting there must be a good reason.” Darryn spoke more heatedly than he had wanted to, and he was strangely feeling annoyed with Mario for badmouthing JP.

  Mario gave Darryn a confused look: “Why are you defending him? He’s been nothing but a dick to you this whole year so far. Frankly, he should get out of the way so that you can be captain next year instead of him. You know the other guys all think that he should get it.”

  “I’ve only been on the team for a few months, Mario. And JP would make a good captain. Besides, he’s not the one who’s on my case. Peet is. JP says that he has nothing to do with how they’re acting, and he didn’t even know about it. I know he was jealous of me at the start, but he doesn’t actually seem like such a bad guy.”

  “Okay, who are you and what have you done with Darryn? I know you’re feeling all happy and Kumbaya today, but JP has been just as bad to you as the rest of them. He shoved you into the pool, remember? Frankly, the fewer of that crowd we have on the team, the better.”

  Darryn did not know what to say to Mario. Only a few days ago, he would have been eagerly adding to the negative comments about JP. He would have been happy that he was quitting the team. But Darryn’s mind went back to that day in the locker room, when JP had tried to make peace with him. Darryn had felt something shift within him, even though he refused to accept it at the time. He spewed anger at JP, and JP merely took the abuse without responding. He had seen something different in JP, a softness he had never seen before. And the things Mario was saying were causing Darryn to feel protective over JP like he had never been before.

  He tried to assuage Mario then and simply said: “I guess you’re right. It’s just strange that I’m losing someone who was good competition for me. But if he wants to go, that’s his choice. We don’t need to give it another word.”

  Darryn turned his focus back to Billy, and back to the good day that they were having. He was determined to make life better for all of them, to hold on to that feeling for as long as he could. Thoughts of JP and the strange new feelings he felt towards him would not get in the way.

  Chapter 12

  The office that JP was tasked to work in at Terreblanche International was stuffy and small. JP sat behind a mountain of files, wearing a white shirt and a bright red tie, trying to push through reading the mind-numbing documents he had been tasked with summarizing. It was excruciating, and the fact that the air-conditioning in the room was broken was not helping matters. JP knew that Terreblanche International was a well-resourced company, and as he had walked through the office building he had seen many beautiful, modern offices, but his grandfather had insisted that he should take the files into the small office at the far end of the building. “We all have to start at the bottom,” the old man had said. JP wanted to scream.

  He knew that he couldn’t tell his grandfather that he had not quit the swimming team yet. He had taken the internship in order to appease the old man, and even though he intended to quit the swimming team, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Coach Tyson was very persuasive, and staying until the end of the finals would not be so bad. But his grandfather would never understand it. He would accuse JP of being lazy, frivolous and spoiled again, and JP had heard that speech more than enough times in his life already.

  JP tried to focus as he re-read a paragraph for the fourth time, but his mind refused to make sense of the words. The document was filled with ideas that he was vaguely familiar with, having studies five terms of a BComm degree so far, but the ins and outs of the corporate world did not interest him in the slightest. He would have to force himself to care about it,
thought. His grandfather had made it clear that if JP didn’t perform at the internship and get his grades up, he would be a huge embarrassment for the family, and the financial support that he relied on his grandfather for would dry up.

  JP wondered then if he really wanted to end up as the head of Terreblanche International. He had absolutely no interest in the company; he barely understood what they did in the majestic building in the center of Cape Town city. But what else was he going to do with his life? Swim? He knew that he was not good enough to make it a career. He felt directionless, and wondered if he had any skills at all that he could pursue as a career. He certainly wasn’t skilled at academics.

  One thing that had stuck with JP, however, was something Coach Tyson had said when JP wanted to quit the team. He said that people looked up to JP, and that he was a natural leader. This thought had never really crossed JP’s mind before. One thing he enjoyed was teaching his cousins, who were nine and twelve-years-old, to swim. He had spent a lot of time with them over the summer when their families vacationed together. He saw the way that the children listened to him and how much they respected him. He loved watching them develop into better swimmers. He wondered then if he could be like Coach Tyson, helping others to improve their skills.

  As indulgent as the thoughts were for him, he knew that he had to push them aside; his grandfather had given him a deadline for one of his summaries by 5 o’clock that afternoon. He stretched his neck, gave a yawn and went back to the file in front of him, trying to read as slowly and as carefully as he could so that he could understand what was being said.

  His mind drifted again to thoughts of Darryn Fredericks. He remembered their encounter in the locker room, the anger in Darryn’s face, how tense the muscles of Darryn’s naked body were as he stood reproaching JP. Why was JP so drawn to him in that moment? He felt a thrill pass through his body, but his feelings quickly turned to shame. He was the one who had told Peet to target Darryn. He could have stopped them, told them to leave Darryn alone, but his jealousy had led him to encourage them instead. He knew that Darryn did not have a lot of money; the clothes he wore, his accent and the fact that he lived in Wellesley Park made that obvious. He felt an incredible sense of guilt that he played a part in Darryn losing his job, and he worried about exactly what losing the job meant for Darryn.

  JP decided to take some action, and not simply let Darryn suffer needlessly. He grabbed his phone and went to his emails, finding the list of contact details for the rest of the team that Coach had emailed to all of them. He saved Darryn’s cellphone number, and sent a message to him: Darryn, it’s JP from swim team. I have a business proposition. Can we meet? JP felt excited as he sent the message. He hoped that Darryn would agree to his plan. The Statistics mid-terms were coming up and JP couldn’t afford to fail the course again, especially not with his grandfather breathing down his neck, so he would offer Darryn some money to tutor him as they were both in the same class. The plan seemed fool proof, and he felt slightly less guilty about his role in getting Darryn fired. If he could help him with some money, both of their problems would be solved. JP sat back feeling self-satisfied, and let a smile cross his face as he rested in his chair and put his arms behind his head.

  “Taking a break, I see?” his grandfather’s voice came from the door. The old man stood there, looking intimidating in his suit, and folded his arms as he stared at JP.

  “No, Oupa,” JP said, readjusting himself in his seat. “I’m just thinking about how to word the next sentence I’m working on.”

  “Don’t be so jumpy, boy. I’m not here to scold you. I just wanted to make sure that you were settling in. And to tell you that I’m happy that you finally decided to be responsible. It’s good to see you here, looking like a professional and doing the work you are supposed to be doing. It makes me feel proud to see you following in my footsteps.”

  JP felt a twinge of guilt. In truth, he had been bored out of his mind. But it felt good seeing his grandfather finally say something positive towards him. JP managed to nervously say, “Thank you, Oupa. It’s nice to be here. Thank you for the opportunity. I won’t let you down.” JP heard the words coming out of his mouth, but even he didn’t believe them.

  “Well, just make sure that you have that first report on my desk by five. We’ll see if you have what it takes then.” His grandfather walked out as quickly as he had appeared, and JP looked back down at the files in front of him. It was almost 2.30 and JP had not even worked through a quarter of the files he was meant to summarize for that day. He knew it was a hopeless case, and his grandfather would be mad at him again. He gave a heavy sigh and then nodded his head as he made the decision: he wouldn’t stick around to see his grandfather blow a gasket.

  JP got up from his desk and crept towards the door slowly, poking his head through to look outside. He turned his head from left to right. There was no one between his office and the elevator. He quickly tiptoed back to his desk and grabbed his satchel. He looked at the files one last time, and smiled as he waved goodbye to them. He moved slowly to the entrance again, and after making doubly sure there was no one around, he made a mad dash for the elevator. He pressed the button and waited, starting to feel nervous sweat on his chest and wondering how long the elevator would take to reach his floor. He tapped his foot involuntarily, and when he finally managed to stop he realized that his were not the only feet tapping against the floor: someone else was approaching him.

  JP turned, as casually as he could manage, to his left and tried to spot who was approaching him. It was a man he didn’t know, coming from down the corridor. The man called out to him just as the elevator arrived: “Hey, can you hold the elevator please?”

  JP stepped inside and looked back at the approaching man, waving. “Sorry, I’m in a hurry.” He pressed the button for the doors to close and heard the man running towards him, still shouting for him to keep the elevator. Just as the doors were an inch from meeting each other, the man reached the front of the elevator and stared directly into JP’s face. He knocked on the door, looking angry, but he seemed too afraid to put his hand in between the closing doors.

  “I know who you are!” was the last thing JP heard as he started his descent to the ground floor.

  ***

  JP had rushed to his car when he finally left the tall tower that was branded with the words Terreblanche International. He sped out of the parking lot and was out of the city and on the freeway in minutes. He felt nothing but relief to be out of that terrible place. Without even thinking about it, he realized that he was pulling up into the parking lot at the swimming stadium. It was the natural place for him to go.

  He got out of his Mercedes and went to the boot, taking out his gym bag. He knew just what he needed to get over the boredom of the last several hours. He showed his student card to the pool’s security guard, and went straight to the locker room to change. The stadium was empty, as he was still a bit early for the usual training times. He stripped down quickly and put on his brief swimsuit. He went towards the pool and dove in, feeling the cold water infuse his body with energy. This was where he wanted to be.

  Chapter 13

  While JP was busy with the first day of his internship at Terreblanche International, Darryn was having a long, frustrating day of his own. He had taken his résumés to many businesses around Ridgemont over the past few days, but it seemed to be a futile exercise. None of the businesses were hiring, it seemed, as Darryn had not received any calls for interviews. He knew that he had lots of relevant experience to do well in the fast food or service industries, but it seemed like no one was willing to give him a chance. The one pub where there was an opening only needed someone during the hours when Darryn had swim practice, so he had to turn it down.

  He pulled up to his last stop of the day, a small cluster of shops around the campus park, Donovan Square. One of the restaurants had a sign with the words Help Wanted on the front, and Darryn felt optimistic for the first time that day.

&n
bsp; He stepped inside and said to the nearest waiter that he wanted to submit his résumé for the job opening. She smiled at him and told him that they were desperate to get someone as soon as possible, so they were having candidates see the manager whenever they had experience in the service industry. Darryn explained that he had been working at Best Burger for almost six months, and the waitress told him to wait while she went to speak to the manager.

  Darryn sat nervously on the bench at the entrance to the restaurant, fidgeting with his fingers. He knew that he could earn large tips if he worked as a waiter at a decent restaurant on campus. He would probably have to face a lot of hassles from fussy students, but it was worth it if he could come home with a few hundred extra in cash to give to his dad every week. He looked around the restaurant. It was one of the nicer places on campus, even though it was right next to Percy’s Pub. There was a lot of foot traffic from students and academic staff who were taking their walks through Donovan Square. He waited anxiously for the waitress to return.

  She finally walked back to him with the same smile that she had flashed him before. “He says you can go back and see him right now. Good luck!”

  Darryn thanked her and walked to the door at the back of the restaurant to which the waitress pointed. He knocked and waited for the manager’s voice to ring out, “Come in.”

  The manager’s office was very small and disorganized, and Darryn walked towards the desk and stood across from the man whose nametag said Lance Wickham. He must have been in his early 30s, tall and with a permanent crease between his eyes. Mr. Wickham gestured for Darryn to sit down, and he complied.

  “Mr. Fredericks, is it? I’ve looked through your CV. It all looks good. But I had to phone your references now to make sure that you were a good hire.”