That Pool

Back in the day when my siblings and I were little kids, we would always spend every hot summer afternoon basking in the backyard swimming pool. We would bring inflatable toys, pretending that they’re some superhero from Marvel or DC, and we would stay there for the whole day.

Life was so simple back then. We never had to worry about anything. You see, we were born in an upper middle class family, so we had the chance to experience – to enjoy – things which would not have been there had we been in a different place in life.

We enjoyed hanging out at the pool a lot, and then one day, we noticed the kids next door. There were five of them who would always watch us whenever we were playing. They were not as fortunate as we were; they are six in the family and their dad works in the mines earning just enough to feed them all. They would always look at us with innocent, jealous eyes. I know that they wanted to play with us too, but they were too scared to ask.

So we approached them and asked, “Would you guys want to go over the fence and jump right in?”

All their eyes glowed with joy. They climbed the picket fence dividing our lots, and with no hesitation, lunged right at the water. They smiled, and laughed, and shared stories with us. At that particular moment, those kids and we… were Joy itself.

My siblings and I became really good friends with them since then. We would invite them to swim in the pool with us. Neither they nor we wanted to do anything else. The look in their eyes whenever we’re with them - that feeling that I cannot quantify in words – is priceless. We played and had fun every day until they suddenly disappeared, their father was laid off and they had to move to somewhere else. We’ve never heard from them eversince.

Now, our old place houses no one anymore. My siblings and I have grown up. We have ceased to be children. We now live in the city, with the humdrum and permeating cold of urban life. The swimming pool of years past has gradually deteriorated from neglect. But once every now and then, I think of that time when we were still kids, playing with them in the swimming pool that was.

I would give up anything just to feel that feeling again, when happiness was just a few steps away.