Page 50 of That Last Summer

It’s noon and many people have left the beach for lunch; even so, quite a few curious onlookers have gathered where we are to see what’s happening. Alex keeps whistling and yelling into the megaphone.

“Alex, the sea is getting worse,” the other guy says. I don’t know his name; I’ve never seen him before.

“They’re not coming because they don’t want to, not because they can’t.”

“Yeah, but for how long?”

I’m starting to get nervous; I don’t like this situation at all. The bystanders are crowding around the two lifeguards to the point I can’t see Alex anymore; I have to move to get him back into my field of view.

“Alex,” I hear.

“Fuck! Alert by radio! I’m going for them. They’ll be having a few words from me!”

Alex runs into the water without taking off the white T-shirt he’s wearing over his red swimsuit. Before diving in after him, Alex’s workmate warns the other watchtowers and the local police over the radio. Ignoring a lifeguard’s commands can carry a fine.

I get up and make my way through onlookers to see what’s happening. If I angle my hand on my forehead I can distinguish five swimmers. They’re too far from the shore and it’s starting to rain. Hard.

“There are too many,” I say out loud.

“What?”

“They have to get five people out between the two of them. That’s too many. And the sea is getting worse.”

The tide has to be pulling them offshore; they may not realize.

I hear the conversations coming from the rest of the observers, still here despite the heavy rain. You can barely distinguish the sky from the sea, it’s all a black and gray stain.

“What’s going on?”

“Apparently those people have been ignoring the lifeguards’ warnings.”

“Are they okay?”

“Looks like. Probably it was just a precaution.”

“Maybe they didn’t hear the whistles.”

“I doubt that.”

There’re too many people out there, I repeat to myself, over and over. Help hasn’t come. They are alone in this.

I have to help them.

I start running toward the nearest watchtower.

“Pris? Pris! Where the hell are you going?”

I know Jaime is following me, but I don’t answer. There’s no time.

When I get to Alex’s empty tower, I grab another life-board and run back to my initial spot in front of the swimmers. I can see Alex and his workmate already out there with them. I dive in and swim toward the group.

Getting there should be relatively easy. The sea tends to pull you out. It doesn’t matter if it’s calm or rough: to a greater or lesser extent, the sea always drags you. Today, we’ll go with “greater.” It won’t take me too long to get to them.

I’m remembering every lesson that Alex taught me in the past, every word and every bit of advice.

“The sea always wins, Priscila. It’s stronger than you, no matter how expert you consider yourself. Never underestimate it.”

“Don’t be reckless, while you’re in the water you have to be on permanent alert.”