Rescue

On Saturday, I was sitting by the Novatel Hotel pool with friends. Dressed in my jeans and silk tank top, I was hardly dressed for swimming but had dropped by anyways to say hi before going about some errands. I looked over to the pool and noticed a young Rwandese girl swimming underwater in circles. Something about it did not look right. I stood up to take a closer look and just then I saw her thrust herself on to her back and press her face up for air. I’ll never forget it the fight and panic expressed in that one desperate movement before she started to sink below again. Without realizing what I was doing until I was doing it, I dove into the pool. Underwater, I kept my eyes on her pink bathing suit, and I can still see her arms and legs flailing silently. I pushed her up to the surface and felt her small body gasping for air. As soon as I touched her, her body gave up and let me swim her to the side. Someone appeared to help pull her out of the pool and I followed in my wet clothes. The girl was 9 and her parents were inside the hotel having a coffee. As I assisted the girl to become calm and catch her breath, the adreline that had cursed through my body slowed down and as soon as her father rushed to the scene, I left, tears of relief streaming down my cheeks.

It was a truly humbling experience, to realize just how fragile life is and to be so thankful for my own. No one else saw the girl and I shudder to think what might have happened if I had not turned my head.