A penny for your thoughts
Giel woke up late in the afternoon with a pounding headache.
The events of the night before were still painfully fresh in his mind. Worst of all was the feeling that he had hurt Emma. He could almost feel her pain as if it were his own.
He had to make things right.
Although he had no idea how.
After getting dressed, he headed towards the pool bar, hoping he might find her there. He was almost certain she wouldn’t want to see him, and he couldn’t blame her for that. But the least he could do was apologize.
When he arrived, he spotted Emma near the pool, talking to Michael.
Giel sat down at the bar with his back towards them, put on his sunglasses and ordered a glass of water. With his headache still pounding, alcohol was the last thing he needed.
A little while later, music began playing around the pool. The daily water Zumba session was about to start, with Emma and two of her colleagues leading the guests.
As Giel watched, he noticed a little boy standing dangerously close to the edge of the pool.
He guessed the boy couldn’t have been much older than seven.
Giel sat up a little straighter.
Emma appeared to have noticed him too, but the boy was happily dancing along with everyone else.
Then several things happened at once.
Emma slipped, and one of her colleagues caught her by the arm just in time. At that same moment, a group of children came running past the little boy.
One of them accidentally bumped into him.
The boy fell into the pool.
Giel was on his feet before he had even realized it.
He pulled off his sunglasses and ran towards the water, throwing aside his shirt and slippers before diving into the pool.
For a moment, most people hadn’t even realized what had happened. Then the confusion quickly turned into panic as people moved aside or tried to help.
Giel swam towards the boy.
He reached him just in time, pulled him above the surface and, with the help of several people nearby, managed to get him back to the side of the pool.
By then, the boy’s parents had come running over.
Together with Michael, Giel carefully laid the boy on the ground.
His name was Zayn.
Giel placed two fingers against his neck.
“He’s still alive.”
He immediately began chest compressions.
For several agonizing seconds, nothing happened.
Then Zayn suddenly gasped for air.
A wave of relief swept through everyone around them.
Derek and Mia, Zayn’s parents, thanked Giel over and over again, but he could barely respond.
“It was nothing.”
“Don’t thank me.”
Then he caught one last glimpse of Emma.
And everything went black.
Some time later, Giel sat on the quay of the harbor, staring out across the water without really seeing any of it.
Every now and then, he took a drag from his cigarette. Other than that, he barely moved.
Emma approached him quietly from behind.
She sat down beside him without saying anything and gently wrapped her arm around his.
Giel looked at her for a brief moment.
Then his eyes returned to the water.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
“A penny for your thoughts?” Emma asked softly.
So, what was going through Giel’s mind? His answer will follow in next Monday’s Reflection.