Poolside
Sarah watched the vibrant hues of orange and red slosh together inside her mom’s glass. The top of the glass was decorated with a little pink umbrella. Sarah thought the umbrella would be the perfect accessory for her Barbie doll that she had left behind in the hotel room. The waiter had brought the drink over only moments ago, and now her mom was drinking it the same way Sarah drank chocolate milk on the few nights her mom allowed her a treat after dinner.
“Mom, can I have some of that?” Sarah asked. Sarah’s tongue felt dry and puffy. The drink looked like magic.
Her mom was laid out in a poolside chair. She had a big floppy hat on her head and little white earbuds from her music player in her ears. The lens of her sunglasses were ginormous, and Sarah thought they made her mom look like one of the grasshoppers that jumped around their backyard during the summer. Sarah’s mom remained silent.
Sarah stood up from her own poolside chair. She walked toward her mom until her mouth kissed the tip of her ear. Then, she repeated her question, only louder this time.
“Sarah! What did I tell you? Mommy is very busy right now. And no, you cannot have any. This drink is for grownups only. There’s water in the beach bag. Now, don’t bother me anymore.” Her mom pursed her lips and took another sip from her glass.
Sarah walked around her mom’s chair to where the oversized beach bag sat. She reached into the bag and dug around until her fingers grazed a bottle coated in cool condensation. Sarah hurriedly pulled the bottle out of the bag, twisted open the cap, and sucked down the cold water until the plastic belly of the bottle collapsed and there was nothing left to drink. Then, she dropped the empty bottle back into the open bag.
With nothing left to do, Sarah shifted from foot to foot at the side of her mom’s chair. She waited to see if her mom would turn her head and look at her.The scent of coconut was strong on Sarah’s skin. She felt the sun sear her naked shoulders. Sweat dripped down her nose and onto the top of her lip. Soon, her eyes drifted away from her mom and toward the crystal blue water of the pool. The water looked like it would be fun to play in. Sarah remembered her mom telling her not to get too close. But Sarah had nothing left to do.
So, with one last glance at her mom’s prone body, Sarah turned to the water. It took only six steps to get to the very edge, where the concrete dropped off and the water began. First, Sarah dipped her big toe in the water. The cold water felt blissful on her hot skin. Then, she submerged her entire foot. The water welcomed her with ease. Sarah made up her mind. She jumped forward, hanging weightlessly in the air for an infinite second before she crashed gracelessly into the new element.
Before she knew it, the pool took her in. And now, she would need to find her way out.
