Jack took a deep breath and dived into the warm clear water. He felt the water gush through his ears and nose as he hit the surface. The instructor was watching near the edge, keeping an eye on the newbies. Jack was not new to swimming, but it was normal procedure at the pool to make sure that those that signed up know swimming well enough. Summer was at it’s end and so were the vacations after which the pool would be emptier, with less kids slashing around.
Single, ambitious, careless are not the only words to describe Jack. He was a hopeless romantic, a passionate artist and a concierge of everything old, rare and beautiful. His love for nature transcended in his art and photographs. Yet he was human and hence allowed to err. Those being his interests, his work was much different and absolutely bland. He waited, bidding his time, to give up work and give full attention to his interests.
Women, however, would see the end of him, thought Jack as he continued sinking slowly through the clear water. Who could know what they were thinking? Jack had his hands full, as one woman left the other arrived, almost always with an agenda. Jack let them in, almost always with open arms. But he had nothing to offer them. What they wanted, put his freedom and love for nature, art, science and knowledge at risk. He felt he could romance a book if he could but then human company still beckoned him to fall in relationships, one after another.
Each one had not ended well, with very few starting as a casual friendship and ending in confusions and allegations. Most of them just faded away without a trace. Some left a scar and all taught Jack to guard himself against the whims and fancies of women. Jack always calm, now was breathing slow yet steadily. His head light now with lack of oxygen, ears ringing with pressure of the 26 meters of water above. Jack had not surfaced for 10 minutes.
The instructor grew alarmed and looked in all corners of the pool to check. He dived to check inside the pool, shouting his name. At that moment Jack had awakened from his daze and started swimming for the edge on the other side. Sputtering and spitting out water, Jack emerged on the other side, much to the bewilderment of the instructor. Another relationship had died.