The kids were off with the neighbors, allowing Denise an afternoon of rest. So she decided to do a little sunbathing in a patio lounger out back, enjoying the peace and quiet. She loved her girls, but there were times when they did run her ragged.
For instance, much of yesterday had been spent playing out in the backyard. The pool had been a popular attraction, especially when her daughters had figured out how to get mom to the bottom of the deep end by tossing diving rings and dive sticks down there for her to fetch. Naturally they had not yet mastered the art of reaching the depths themselves. But it had been great fun watching mom dive down after the rings and sticks they’d tossed into the water.
She’d finally become exhausted and told them no more, despite them pleading for her to do it just one more time. They had even unloaded their entire arsenal into the water, hoping to entice mom to dive down once more. But she had stood firm, telling them that if they wanted their water toys, they needed to go fetch the objects themselves.
The daughters had given it the old college try. But they’d been unsuccessful in reaching the bottom. Then Denise had herded them inside where she could keep an eye on them while fixing supper. The two had complained a little too loudly, causing her to send them off to their room until she called them for the evening meal.
That was yesterday. Today the neighbor had the girls for an excursion to the park along with her own little ones. That meant Denise had been given the better part of the afternoon to herself. She had enthusiastically thanked Vanessa, telling her she could use an afternoon away from her girls.
She napped in the patio lounger in her light red bikini for the better part of an hour, enjoying a restful snooze before she awakened. Then she stood up and walked over to the swimming pool. It was time to enjoy a little swim for herself.
She slowly waded down the steps into the shallow end, enjoying the cool liquid upon her warm skin. A nice swim was going to feel wonderful. And with neither of the girls around, she would be able to go to the bottom without any tasks to perform.
She waded into deeper water, enjoying the refreshing chill of the pool. But she knew it would not stay cool for long. In fact, the pool was liable to be warm by midevening from the heat.
She waded in up to her chest, feeling a slight tingle of pleasure. She knelt down and ducked under before coming right back up. Then she slicked her hair back before preparing for her swim.
At that moment she caught sight of the toys scattered all around the deep end. She had not come out last night to retrieve them, leaving them submerged overnight. Now they beckoned to her, reminding her of the activities of the day before.
Denise sighed heavily. Even now with no kids around, there was still work to be done as a mother. She smiled wryly as she filled her lungs and then submerged with a burble.
She angled downward, hair flowing behind her as she scooped up the nearest dive rings. Near the wall, a couple of dive sticks beckoned to her. Along with them lay a little rubber block that weighed no more than a pound.
She confidently swam over, bubbles trailing out of her nose. She scooped up the sticks. But Denise decided to abandon the weight for the time being.
She headed up for the surface. She was close to the side of the pool and wanted to deposit her first load. She burst up panting quietly as she swam over and dumped the sticks and rings along the edge.
She paused for a moment, treading water as she looked at the start of her collection. She was tempted to hide the items once she got them all rounded up. Otherwise, her darling daughters would no doubt make her play their fetching game again.
She shook her head with a wry smile. Then she filled her lungs. Denise submerged with a release of bubbles out of her nose.
As she swam back down, she felt the bracelet rustle upon her ankle. It was the one her oldest daughter had bought for her at a yard sale the other day. It was a gold colored chain with a dangling pendant of a mermaid.
With the money she had saved up, she had eagerly grabbed it up. Then she’d happily presented it to the older woman manning the cashbox. With the transaction completed, she’d proudly presented it to her mother with love and appreciation.
Denise had beamed at the gift and had graciously accepted it. She’d been teaching her girls how to share and be generous. This one act of buying something for her as a present had brought tears to her eyes. Afterwards, she’d taken to proudly wearing it everywhere she went.
She reached the bottom and smoothly followed the surface, scooping up sticks and rings. There was another weight over near the corner. She decided to go after that one as well.
She pulled steadily with her arms, being careful not to lose the growing collection in her hands. Then she scooped up the weight before swimming up to the surface with her collection. Denise left a second pile along the side of the pool.
She looked down at the remaining objects, shaking her head. “Those rascals,” she sighed. “They dumped everything down there but the kitchen sink.”
She paused a second to map out her next dive. If she did it right, she just might be able to gather the remaining toys on one breath. But she would have to make a swim along the wall of the pool and then angle inward, concluding near the drain where two rings and a dive stick awaited.
She took a deep breath and then submerged with a burble. Then she kicked off from the wall, giving her a little extra momentum. Denise pulled downward with her arms, determined to conclude her treasure hunt with this last dive. Then the pool would be empty, and she could swim at her leisure.
She scooped up the scattered sticks and rings before angling inward. She darted over and snapped up the last wayward weight. Then she headed toward the middle of the deep end where the last of the water toys remained.
This was proving to be easier than she’d anticipated. Thankfully the toys weren’t being tossed back in by her daughters just as fast as she could gather them up like what had happened yesterday. She just had to get those last three over by the drain, and then she would be done.
Denise felt an ache in her chest as she approached her remaining targets. She was certain she could get them all gathered up and returned to the surface in this one last dive. Then the pool would be hers. Hell, she might even take off her bikini and sneak in a refreshing little skinny-dip!
She swam to the drain where she reached out for the remaining water toys. That’s when she accidentally dropped the weight and a dive stick. She was forced to pause and kneel, losing everything in her hands.
She struggled to arrange how she was going to get everything back up to the surface. She was almost out of breath. Should she try to get it all up now? Or should she make a return trip?
She could feel it in her lungs as she gathered up the water toys. She burbled as she looped the rings onto her right arm. Then she gathered up the sticks and weights in both hands.
She was almost out of air. But she just about had it all gathered up now. If she could hold onto it all and hurry herself back to the surface, she might just be able to make it in one b-
Her ankle suddenly jerked her to a halt, startling her. She grunted and bubbled in alarm, dropping everything from her hands. When she turned to look, she saw her mermaid ankle chain had been snagged by the grating to the drain.
Instinctively she jerked on her ankle as her lungs began to burn. She really needed to surface; she’d been down a little too long. But this was the ankle pendant her daughter had given her. She didn’t want to break it.
Denise knelt down and fumbled for it. But somehow it had really gotten wedged. Then her lungs heaved ominously.
An unnerving thought flickered through her head. If she didn’t loosen it soon, she might very well…
“No! Don’t even think that!” she told herself. But she could already feel the fear and panic rising up in her throat. Her chest heaved as her lungs strained. She’d been down a long time; she really needed another breath.
Denise fumbled with the chain to the pendant. But she couldn’t pull it free of the drain. Then she felt an ominous spasm in her chest.
Her mind cried out, “Just get the damned thing off your ankle! You can come back down for it later!”
She fumbled for the link, but couldn’t get it open. Her lungs heaved again; her chest was on fire. As she tugged in desperation, she could feel the chain cut into her flesh.
Denise looked all around as though anxious to find a nearby source of air. But there was none to be had. A moment later another chest convulsion hit her hard.
Denise instinctively shot upward, only to be tethered by the snagged mermaid pendant on her ankle chain. She jerked wildly with her leg as her arms waved for the surface. The pendant was no longer a concern. All she cared about was getting back to the surface.
She screamed her breath away. Her lungs heaved as she instinctively clamped her lips shut, afraid she might lose the rest of her air. She jerked her leg against the pendant tethering her to the drain as she used a hand to cover her mouth, her free arm waving wildly. Then her lungs gave out.
Denise gurgled air down her windpipe. Her eyes snapped open as her airway instinctively closed off. She thrashed about like mad, desperate to get to the surface and inhale.
Her trachea opened back up, and she sucked water into her lungs. Denise bucked and jerked, grunting and gurgling as she began to drown while tethered to the pool drain. A line was being cut into the flesh around her ankle from the chain, rubbing her raw as she thrashed about.
She coughed up bubbles as her chest heaved again and again. All she could think of how no one was around to save her. Then she thought of her daughters.
Her mind screamed in anguish. Now her girls were going to have to get along without her. A moment later her consciousness faded away as her body went limp.
Denise remained tethered to the drain, her body gently swaying back and forth. Stray bubbles slipped out past her parted lips. Her arms lazily reached up for the surface as her eyes stared vacantly in shock and disbelief.
2012; 2021 (written for jqpublic Sep 24 ’12; ed. Jan 29 ’21 by riwa)
(Picture found on the Internet and included for illustration purposes. Inspired by that drowning scene on Falcon Crest.)