Hmmm   unmoored 

                                      

                                              she wouldnt approve

a mooring suggests the sea

she didnt mind standing on a beach looking out to sea

she didnt mind swimming out to sea

hundreds and hundreds of metres

he swam with her because she asked  Would you like to swim out with me?

it was Hawaii  Black Rock 

                              theyd leapt from the rocks  actually he leaptshe dove

The water's so clear, I can see the bottom.

Lets go

they breaststroked out jabbering the whole way 

out and out

                Are you getting tired

No, Dad, are you?

No  but Im bigger than you

No, I’m fine.

Okay  though eyeball back  every stroke out like walking is a step back  cept we donhave to worry about drowning on land

That's a good point, Dad.

I have them on occasions 

I can’t see the bottom.

he looked  he couldnt see it either  Yah me neither

Dad? 

     she looked at him with her huge beautiful brown eyes  her mothers eyes  their ridiculously expressive eyes  Do you think . . . . there are . . sharks . out here?

Love  sharks live in the ocean

They do.

They do 

she looked over her shoulder at the distant beach  stopped swimmingtread water   I . I think we can swim back now.

he tread water beside her  Think its time

she fixed him with her eyes trying hard not to betray any emotion  they were bigger than moments before

Yeah. I think so.

Okay   Quiet  steady strokes  Im right beside you love

We really swam out far.

We really did  Ill betcha well see the bottom real soo . .

. . Yeah, soon.

Soon  In a heartbeat

she was looking

In a heartbeat

Yes.  A heartbeat.

 

 

Anthere ya go baby theres the bottom  You see 

                                                  shed been looking steadily for it the whole time  Oh, yes, you’re right .. I can, I can see it.

There you go  the water is growing shallower and shallower with every strokeeach an every stroke  Nice and steady love

 

there was hell to pay when they got back

                                          Momma bear  What the hell were you thinking? at him Do you know how far out you swam?

No  Aniela  Do you know how far out we swam

Mom, we swam until we couldn’t see the bottom; I don’t know how far.

I do, I walked out to the end of the Rock, I could barely see your headsToo far!

And were back

And you’re back. 

                  Is that some kind of salve?

Were back  Id say so  Aniela wouldnt you say

Yes, I’d say so.  Mom, I’d say so.

That’s not for you to say, Aniela, I’m talking to your father.

Mom, I asked Dad to swim with me, he let me lead, we didn’t go out further than I couldn’t swim back.

she shook her head  A couple of idiots, a big one who should know better, a little one who doesn’t know any bette . .

. . I do.  I know how far I can swim, Mom.

 

 

but no one could put Aniela on a boat

                                       she wasnt having it   she had nightmares

unmoored

                   without her  thats exactly how he felt 

                                                           unmoored  untethered  she had been his fixture   rudderless

    a year later

                        he couldnt see the bottom

                                                                 1449,  Reggae Friday,  26  2. 21  tomorrow  the 27th