Call of the Water (COMPLETE)

33. UNDER THE BLUE SEA

"Swim towards us," my father called.

He and my mother already swam further away to reach our favorite diving spot. I looked at Ms. Cyan. Her eyes were focused on the surface of the sea. It was as though the shimmering water enchanted her.

"Are you ready?" I asked her.

"I'm ready as I'll ever be," she responded and we were on our way.

I paced myself, not only to be there for her in case she needed any assistance but also because her childlike joy was such an unusual sight.

She moved her arms through the water as if she were afraid she might harm it in some way, while at the same time her face was wearing a smile that made her eyes sparkle.

"This is the spot," my mother said when we caught up with them. "The sea isn't very deep here, but there are rocks that host dozens of species, from algae to larger marine animals. If we're lucky, we might even find Nemo." She winked at us, adjusted her diving goggles and submerged into the blue water.

I put my goggles on and was happy to see Ms. Cyan did the same.

"One, two, three," I counted and we both dived in.

Under the surface, I could see Ms. Cyan opening her mouth after which her eyes widened and panic took her over. I reached for her arm to pull her to the surface. She was coughing uncontrollably, spitting out water she had swallowed.

"You mustn't let the water into your mouth," I told her when the coughing ceased. "Your gills no longer work," I whispered so that no one else would hear.

"What happened?" My father swam to us, worried.

"It's nothing," I reassured him. "Professor Cyan just swallowed some sea water."

"I'm alright now," she added, feigning a smile. Under the water, her hands were drawing symbols of infinity to keep her on the surface. I was using the same technique.

Seeing that we were both fine, my father relaxed, letting the water to lift his body up as if he were lying on a water bed.

"Let's try again," I suggested and one more time Ms. Cyan vanished under the surface. She held her lips tight together to prevent the water from getting in, but her nose had plans of its own. Once again we had to surface and once again she had to cough out the salty water.

This time I turned to my father right away to tell him that everything's under control. I didn't want him to swim to us.

Neither me nor my parents liked those diving masks that covered the nose, so we didn't have them in our diving equipment collection. Ms. Cyan, however, could use one of those right now.

"You're gonna have to pinch your nose with your fingers," I said. After a quick glance in my father's direction, I added, "My dad is getting suspicious." He didn't swim to us this time, but his eyes still rested on us.

"Let's try one more time. Hold the nostrils closed with your thumb and your index finger, close your mouth and hold your breath."

This time it worked. She didn't choke on water and was able to swim beside me as we went on to explore the wonders of the sea. Or reminisce, in our case.

My mother was right when she said that in that spot, the sea wasn't very deep. Just a few meters below the surface were rocks abundant in life.

Star-shaped polyps adorned the calcium carbonate structures they built themselves over many decades. Sea anemones welcomed the unsuspecting victims by their lilac tentacles while the sponges added a vibrant yellow to the underwater tapestry of life. Ms. Cyan looked at the living rocks she once considered her gardens like an intruder waiting to get caught.