Barely Above Water

by Pallotta, Gail;

  Suzie waved her arm forward. “Follow me. We are the proud Okaloosa Dolphins. Walk with heads held high.”

  The children lined up behind her like ducks as she marched onto the pool deck. “We’ll sit next to the food and drinks.”

  “Yeah.” Jay and Bob broke formation and charged to the spot. Some of the younger children tagged along with Suzie while others ran up beside the older guys.

  “Hold on. Don’t put down your things yet.” Suzie unfolded a quilt. The shadow from the building and two palm trees outside the fence shaded the area from the hot sun that would beat down on them until twilight. By then warm-ups would be over, and she would have assessed their possibility for a win. Her heart fluttered.

  Jay grasped two corners of the quilt then flipped it in the air a couple times, puffs of wind furrowing it.

  “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  The five and six-year-olds crowded around her.

  “I’m scared.” Melissa chewed the end of her towel.

  Suzie patted her head. “You’ll do great. You swim like a wound-up fish.”

  Melissa giggled.

  “Everyone have a seat.”

  The children lowered themselves onto the quilts, some sitting with their legs stretched out and others with them crossed. Their quietness spoke to Suzie of their apprehension, tenseness hanging in the air.

  “This corner behind the pool is our bullpen. That’s the same thing as home base.” Suzie talked over chatter at the concession stand.

  Ellie walked over, and Suzie handed the event cards to her. Then she pointed to the first line on one. “Write the child’s name and event here.” She ran her forefinger underneath it. “Give the lane and heat in this space. You may want to keep them for the younger swimmers until they’re on the blocks, but you can go ahead and pass them out to the older kids.”

  “Gotcha.”

  Suzie directed her gaze at the children. “Ellie will make sure you arrive at the starting blocks on time. When you hear the loud horn, don’t let it frighten you. Hop or dive in the water that instant and swim as fast as you can.”

  The starter honked the horn as one usually did before a meet to make sure it worked.

  Suzie waved toward the speaker. “That was it.” She turned back to the swimmers. “Just a couple more things. When you aren’t lined up to swim, you can stand up and cheer for your teammates but return to the bullpen. Where’s the bullpen?”

  The youngsters patted the quilts. “Right here,” some of them called out.

  “Good. If you go to the restroom or the concession stand, tell a friend so Ellie can find you.” She clapped her hands. “You’ve done a great job getting ready. Do your best. That’s all I ask.”

  Joey, who sat at Suzie’s feet, wiggled around. Suzie suspected it was to hide his before-the-meet jitters from the other kids.

  “And have fun.” She emphasized the word “fun.”

  The home team played the national anthem over the loudspeaker, but there was still no sign of Harold and the helpers he’d said he’d bring. Nervous over what to do if they didn’t show up and a bit angry they hadn’t, Suzie chewed her bottom lip. Would any of the parents arrive unexpectedly? If they didn’t, who would help Ellie with the kids? At most swim meets, at least some of the children’s parents kept track of their own kids’ events and led them to the blocks. Who would time for them? A sinking sensation swept over Suzie. She and Ellie couldn’t manage.

  After the national anthem, Harold strolled onto the pool deck, adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses. Suzie’s heart thumped at the sight of him, but he wandered toward the Barracuda’s bullpen. “Ellie, watch the children, please. I’ll be right back.”

  Hurrying as fast as she could through the crowd, she caught up to him. “Hi. We’re over here.” She pointed to the Dolphins.

  Harold rubbed his forehead. “A couple of my friends and a few people from the county are coming.”

  “Thank you so much.” Suzie sucked in a ragged breath.

  “No problem. Tell me again what you want us to do.”

  “The Dolphins need two timers and a scorer. If there’s an extra person, send him or her to Ellie in the bullpen. If you have enough helpers, you can organize two shifts.” Suzie pushed a tendril of damp hair off her forehead. “Could you be in charge of that for me?”

  “Yeah. My daughter swims. Much to my dismay, I understand the drill. I’ll time.” Harold spoke with a droning, disinterested voice.

  Suzie was sorry he wasn’t enthusiastic, but what could she do? The team had no parent coordinators, and Matt was out of town. She patted Harold on the shoulder. “Thank you. Ellie will send or bring the children over to wait for their events. If you have an opportunity, try to say something to encourage our Dolphins before you start timing the Barracuda in your lane. They’re all nervous. Most of them have never been to a meet, and some of them just learned to swim.”

  Harold’s lips turned down, but he nodded. “I understand. I promise I’ll do my part.”

  Suzie could only hope he would.

  In the crowd of children and adults wandering back and forth, Ellie headed toward Harold and Suzie. Amid lawn chairs scraping and soft drink cans crumpling in the sticky afternoon air, she marched the six-and-under girls to the starting blocks.

  Suzie stepped as fast as she could toward the young swimmers, her heart pounding for them. The scent of hamburgers frying mingled with chlorine as she passed the concession stand. “Girls, do your best. Big kicks. You can’t do anything wrong unless you stand up and walk on the bottom of the pool in the shallow end. We’ll still love you if you do, but your event won’t count.”

  Suzie thumped her pencil on her clipboard. Judging from the girls’ six-and-under freestyle winners’ times at last year’s county meet, Anna and Melissa could snag first and second places if they kicked hard enough.

  “Do we dive, Miss Suzie?” Wrinkles creased Melissa’s little brow.

  Melissa dove so well for such a small tyke. Suzie yearned for the meet to at least be close. She had to bite her tongue to keep her competitive side intact. “You may jump or dive. Do whichever feels comfortable for you.”

  Melissa and Anna headed to their positions, and Harold rushed to them. “Go get ’em tigers. Huuur, huuur.” He roared out a growl that sounded as if it came from a six-foot-six, two-hundred-thirty-pound football player.

  Suzie nearly burst out laughing. She could’ve hugged him. Instead she mouthed, “Thank you.”

  Both little swimmers stepped on the starting blocks, put out their arms, and lowered their heads as though they intended to dive. Pride exploded inside Suzie’s chest. She wanted to cheer for them, but she had to time lane three. No one else had shown up to do it.

  The horn honked. Melissa and Anna both dove, getting a head start on the two Barracudas who jumped in the pool.

  The two little Dolphins kicked so hard they pulled several feet ahead of the Barracudas.

  Suzie nearly jumped out of her skin wanting to be at the finish for Anna and Melissa.

  A harried-looking man in his fifties appeared beside her. “Harold said for me to come over here and time this lane.”

  “Bless you.” Suzie thrust the stopwatch in his hand.

  “Glad to do it. Harold’s friend from church is scoring, and my wife’s in your bullpen with Ellie.”

  “Thank you so much.” Suzie said over her shoulder as she practically ran to the other end of the pool.

  She bent down and yelled, “Touch. Touch. Don’t forget the touch.”

  Anna and Melissa’s little hands tapped the wall. Then they climbed out of the pool, water rolling down their arms and legs. They tilted their heads and peered at Suzie with anxious eyes.

  She held her arms up. “Yeah, Melissa and Anna!”

  The rest of the younger children rushed over and hugged their first winners.

  Ellie lined up the second heat of six-and-under girls. Then the next event and the next.

  So
on, the older kids started their swims. Her inexperienced youngsters lined up against the Willow Tree Barracudas and lost race after race. Her heart sank like the sun into the night. There was no mistaking it. Judging by some of the twelve and older Barracuda’s strokes, they were U.S. swimmers.

  One of the adult women Barracudas questioned some of the timers as Suzie’s cell phone rang. She glanced at caller ID. Matt. Her heart skipped a beat. “Suzie speaking.”

  “Hi. How’s it going?”

  “It’s hard to hear with all the kids screaming. We’ve won quite a few events, but I’m keeping score in my head as best I can. I don’t see any way we can win the meet, and I hate that. It’s the kids’ first one.”

  “It’s all right. They’ll be fine. I’m sure they’re doing great. When you talk to them, emphasize how well they performed.”

  “Of course. I gotta go. We had a brief break for a question from a Barracuda lady, probably a mom, but things are starting again. I need to cheer for our swimmers.”

  “I’m finished here. If I can catch a flight out this evening, or even a red-eye, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “That sounds good. Thanks for calling.”

  Suzie hung up and turned her attention back to the kids. Her spirits soared because Matt called, but her sense of the meet’s direction disappointed her.

  The Okaloosa Dolphins lost three more events. The kids slumped in the bullpen, their heads lowered. A pang of hurt hit Suzie in the stomach, but she hoped for a comeback in the freestyle relays.

  The Dolphins’ six-and-under, ten-and-under, and eleven-to-twelve girls and boys won their races. The kids ran from the bullpen and stood on the side of the pool, high-fiving each other, screaming and clapping.

  Would Suzie’s creative lineup work for the thirteen-fourteen-year-old boys’ relay? The slowest but most competitive in that age group, Carl, stood on the starting block with his jaw clenched. A fly lit on his arm but he never flinched. If he stayed that focused and held his own with the Willow Tree Barracudas’ second fastest freestyler, he’d give the Dolphins a good start. Their guys would have a chance. The starter honked the horn. Suzie took a deep breath and tapped her foot.

  Carl hit the water like he’d been shot off the block. His strong pulls and kicks helped make up for his sloppy execution. Water squirted like a fountain from his feet as he surged to the finish ahead of the Barracuda. The Dolphins’ second swimmer dove then charged to the wall and gave the Dolphins’ third man a one-half-pool lead. He pulled ahead by three-quarters the length of the lanes and touched several seconds before the Barracuda, giving the fourth Dolphins’ competitor a big lead.

  Then the last Barracuda, a U.S. swimmer, dove in. Hope dropped inside Suzie like a rock in a lake. Man, is he fast. His arms flew in near perfect execution of the freestyle stroke, his feet kicking like flippers.

  The Okaloosa Dolphins teammates crowded around the side of the pool and screamed, “Go, go, go.”

  The Barracuda swam one-half the length of the pool behind the Dolphin.

  Anna chewed the straps on her goggles. “Hurry up! He’s catching you!”

  “Pull, pull, pull,” Joey hollered.

  The Barracuda flipped at the wall and broke the surface of the water only a body length behind the Dolphin. He caught up to the Dolphin’s feet then to his shoulders, water flying out of the pool in big spurts.

  Bob, Jay, and Mindy yelled in unison. “Gooooooo.”

  The Barracuda swam neck and neck with the Dolphin.

  The six-and-unders screamed, “Big kicks. Big kicks.”

  Suzie peered at the wall as though she had missile lock on it, her heart beating fast.

  Whew. The Dolphin tapped it seconds before his opponent. The kids jumped up and down, clapped, and cheered. The small victory counted big for the Dolphins’ spirits.

  The U.S. competitor for the Barracudas stood with the rest of the boys on his relay. They stared with gaping mouths at the Okaloosa Dolphins’ inexperienced swimmers who’d just beaten them. The smile inside Suzie made up for every tired, aching muscle in her body. Just wait until her ragtag team learned technique to go with the heart they put into their swims.

  The senior girls relay won, but the boys lost. The kids crowded around Suzie and waited for the score.

  “The Okaloosa Dolphins—two hundred and ninety points.”

  “The Willow Tree Barracudas–three hundred and forty points.”

  “Did we win?” Melissa gazed up at Suzie with wide eyes.

  Suzie shook her head. “You did a wonderful job, though. I’m so proud of all of you.”

  Several of the six-and-under girls sniffled. Some of the kids lowered their heads, their shoulders slumped. Carl kicked a soda can lying on the pool deck. “The older swimmers on the Okaloosa Dolphins stink.”

  Suzie patted him on the back. “That’s not true. You swam your best. You led off a winning freestyle relay.”

  Carl’s lips turned up on the corners.

  “Some of our swimmers were missing, and we didn’t have enough competitors to make all of the relays. They’re so important. We’re going to get everyone to our meets and win some of them. You wait and see. All of you did great. Go with Ellie, and we’ll talk more in the morning.”

  Tomorrow, she’d inspire the children. She’d come to Destin for her health, but the move had turned into love for forty kids she hadn’t even known three months ago. And…she couldn’t wait to see Matt. What would he think of the team’s performance? What did he think of her?

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Okay feet, move. Not many more steps until you lie down. Suzie plodded away from the Willow Tree pool. A few ladies picked up trash and straightened the lawn chairs. Their metal bases scraped into a night gone quiet after all the hoopla of the meet. Only one other woman who carried a large cardboard box tramped out when Suzie left. The lady blew a breath upward, sending air toward a tendril of dark hair hanging over her forehead.

  Suzie stepped toward her coupe sitting underneath a sky lit with thousands of stars. “Goodnight. Great meet,” she called out to the Barracuda, even though her heart ached for her little Dolphins.

  “Thanks.” The woman slid into a white car and drove off.

  Disappointment for the kids ran through Suzie’s veins, but tonight, a win wasn’t meant to be. Swimming was somewhat like life with its ups and downs. That’s what made it such a good sport for youngsters. Before the season ended, their hard work would pay off.

  It seemed as if she’d driven for an hour when she reached her apartment, but it’d only been thirty minutes. She scooted out of the car and trod inside to the shower, her feet as heavy as lead. Warm water and steam soothed her muscles as hope for a good night’s sleep seeped into her pores. She stepped out, donned an old swim team shirt, and slipped under the sheets.

  Indigestion rumbled in her stomach. Her heart sank. Go away. I don’t have any peppermint tea up here. Tiredness overwhelmed her body and soul, and finally, she grew light as a cloud, a restful journey taking her to a peaceful place.

  She jumped up, her body vibrating, her insides running like a motor on high. She glanced at the clock. Six thirty. Could it be morning? Did she sleep through the night? She picked up the clock and shook it, excitement running through her. Dr. Granger’s treatments really were working. The trembling stopped, and she remembered.

  Matt might be at work. She bounded off the bed and put a spring in her steps as she hurried to dress in her bathing suit and a t-shirt. Her heart thumped at the opportunity to see him as she headed downstairs to the kitchen.

  She opened the refrigerator, cool air wafting over her as she reached for the yogurt. She mixed a heaping tablespoon of chocolate protein powder and a teaspoon of almond butter into her breakfast then stood next to the sink and gulped it.

  She grabbed her key out of her purse and dashed to the car. Energy—wonderful, fantastic, energy—flowed through her like a river as she backed out and pulled onto Highway 98.

  Within fifte
en minutes, she eased into a parking space in front of the Destin Community Club. Anticipation over seeing Matt tingled up her spine. Someone paced back and forth. Matt. The sun shining on his muscular tan arms pulled her toward him like a magnet. The quiet swimmer-less pool beside him glistened like the joy swelling in Suzie’s chest. She hopped out, slammed the car door, and strode so fast across the asphalt parking lot she nearly broke into a run.

  Matt turned, a big grin spreading across his face.

  She grabbed him around the neck and squeezed him in a hug. He pressed her close and rubbed his hand across her back. Then he released her. “You did miss me.”

  She playfully jabbed his arm. “Of course I did. Things aren’t the same around here without you.”

  “You said we probably wouldn’t win.” He gazed at her with hopeful eyes.

  She shook her head.

  “That’s all right. I bet our kids did great. Huh?”

  “When you stop to think, many of them just learned to swim, and none of them compete year around, so they did fantastic. We lost by fifty points, but the other team had four U.S. swimmers who won sixteen events and pulled out several relays.”

  Wrinkles creased Matt’s brow. “Are U.S. swimmers on opposing teams going to be a problem all summer?”

  “Maybe not. I found a couple to swim for us.”

  Matt chuckled and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “No way. How’d you do that?”

  “They’re coming to visit John Marks, the photographer for The Sun Dial.”

  The big white bus rumbled into the parking lot. “Here comes Ellie. I can’t wait to hear more about the meet and your articles too. Say, could I pick you up for dinner tonight? I know we talked about lunch, but I need to work through that meal. So many documents accumulated on my desk while I was gone it looks like a paper bomb exploded.”

  “Sure. What time?”

  “I’ll see you at seven o’clock.”

  The children charged off the bus.

  Matt wandered over and stood in the middle of the kids. Several five and six-year-olds hugged him around the knees. His eyes softened at the corners.