Robb's biggest fear...

Robb’s biggest fear…

… for many years, was drowning. To breathe in a lungful of water, in a panic cough it out and instinctively breath in more lungs of water, over and over.

It was a hot prairie summer afternoon at the lake. The sun was big and yellow in the sky, the water a deep blue. Hundreds of younger kids were playing in the shallow water by the beach, the ski boats dropping off their water skiers out at the deep-water raft.

“Let’s swim out to the raft” said my sister, she who I thought could swim very well after a full winter of lessons at the YMCA.

I didn’t know how to swim. My YMCA lessons were starting in September, just like school. But I was the little brother, and younger brothers do what their sisters ask of them. Ite’s the law.

I made it out to the raft, barely, with a combination of dog paddle and floating on my back. I limbed up the raft’s ladder, exhausted.

I should have stayed on that raft and soaked up the sun, acting cool. A few ski boats went by, and the kids on the raft roared and rollicked as the raft pitched with the waves. The next skier went by with two skis on, and them dropped one ski about fifty yards away. They were going to show off and ski on one ski.

Let’s go pick up their ski yelled one, and my sister led the pack.

Come on buddy. You’ll learn how to swim with us.

I hesitated, then jumped in the water. The other kids were well ahead of me as I thrashed and kicked, not making much headway.

Then the moment of water, and lungs, and panic struck me.

I went to breathe just as the boat’s wave struck me. I took water into my lungs, felt panic, and coughed it out. I instantly breathed again, but my head was under water. Again, I wanted air but took in water. I couldn’t reach the bottom of the lake to push myself up. Again - breathe in, water, breath in, water. I could see the sun. I felt sorry for my parents. Wanted to hug my sister. I was beginning to feel relaxed. Is this what drowning is?

And then searing pain on my scalp. We were deep under water and my sister had one chance. Her right hand found my air in the deep, mirky prairie water and kicked hard with one arm and two legs to bring me to the surface.