The Hero of the Easter holiday!

We arrived at the pool almost an hour earlier than its opening time. I am owed to realise they actually clean the pool every day, thorough cleaning. I go there because the pool looks clean so all that people say swimmers do in the pool kind of slides away with this level of cleaning and the water is well treated. The sunbeds all look clean from the morning bath.

I sit under a mango tree as we wait. I am looking at a particular product online and I definitely want to own it in the next fortnight.

Man: “Madam Hello, we are contributing something small here”

Me: What happened to this guy, I was here a fortnight back and he looked healthy! Why do you have RIP on his picture? (a cut-out box for donations with a picture of someone I just saw recently having a RIP is presented to me)

Man: He died last Sunday

Me: How, so people just die like that? Are you sure he is dead (I am still in disbelief)

Man: We are picking his body today to take to the village. We are fundraising towards his burial. As he was coming to work about two weeks back, his bike got knocked by another. He fell and cut his knee. He didn’t look so terrible and we were sure after getting treatment he would recover...

Yeah, people just die like that, one minute they are alright and all over the place, and the next so still and being lowered into earth or cremated. That is the cruelty of life.

I breathe in and keep glancing at the box with a picture of a smiling man, I can’t get him off my head, I turn sometimes imagining he would walk past like he always did.

The swimming is on by this time and a handful of children are in the pool. Children always lighten up the environment. My attention is driven to them. There is this one particular child, about 4 yrs old who is so excited and jumping, splashing water all over. His “dad” is with him in water. He is in total joy, smiling from ear to ear. At some point he runs to the children’s park and comes dive in the children’s pool.

Some other well trained children ("experts") are swimming at the adult end and their spirits are equally high.

I am still in between looking at this particular product I want to own. So as I lower my face; “Opiiiiyyooooooo” rings in the air; the sound is louder than any you have heard in recent years. It is followed by another “Bwaaaaaam” and splash of water.

With the reflex and impulse, I look towards the sound and see a mother emerging from underneath water with her son in her arms. She is visibly trembling and eyes so wide. At that point, a diver is already with her and swims with the baby to safety. Mother then realises she had things in her pocket including her smartphone which she then pulls out and on puts by the pool. She hangs on to the pool edge and that’s when I realise she is no swimmer. She is finally helped out of the water. Once out, she grabs her stuff, holds her baby, her jeans dripping with water and blouse clinging on to her body and moves away swiftly. 

She has just saved a life!

Everything happened so fast, but mama Opiyo reminded me of what motherhood is all about to many. The love, intense feeling, and forgiving nature we have for our children, and the sacrifices we make.

My hero for the Easter period!