Yeah! My mother had finally given me the permission to go to the swimming pool of the club near our house. I was delighted although I did not know how to swim.

I quickly packed all my swimming things in a small bag and ran outside to my father, who was already waiting to take me to the club.

I reached the club and there I said goodbye to my father. I showed the lady at the reception my pass as I already came to the club to play tennis and had a pass.

I entered the courtyard where the pool was situated and went towards one of the changing rooms and changed into my swimming costume. I quickly went to the deep end of the pool and was about to jump in when I suddenly saw a sign that read: “Careful! This pool is seven feet deep”.

Next to it was a long ruler with another sign: “You you should be this tall to swim in the pool.” I did not even reach half that height. So I ran to the other side of the pool, which was four feet deep, and jumped into it. Thank goodness the pool was only up to my neck. I began to paddle and tried to swim by looking at what the person in front of me was doing.

After sometime, I stepped out of the pool to rest. Suddenly loud screams and shouts for help could be heard from the pool. I rushed to the poolside and saw many onlookers there. I pushed my way through the crowd and saw a little girl drowning in the pool. She was gasping and shouting for help and those swimming quickly rushed to her and rescued her.

I stared at the whole scene stunned. Then suddenly I got shoved as someone made way to get a better view of what was happening and I found myself falling in the pool. Sadly, I had been standing at the deep end that was seven feet in depth!

In no time I felt myself drowning just like the little girl. As I had opened my mouth to scream, water containing chlorine went in my mouth and I swallowed it. A man swimming nearby rushed towards me and rescued me. I was blue in the face because of swallowing so much water.

I was dropped to my house by a neighbour and that day I decided never to swim again in my life. I told that to my parents and that now I had developed a fear of water.

However, my mother said, “My dear! If you fail to do something, it does not mean that you shall never do it again in your life. This is not the way life works. If you have a fear for water, then won’t you drink it, bath with it? This has taught you a very valuable lesson and that is, if at first you don’t succeed, then try again and then your courage shall appear. So act sensibly and what I said is just a suggestion and I hope that you will understand what I said and choose your own path but choose wisely.”

Then she left the room and I decided to follow my mother’s advice and give swimming one more try. Now I am one of the best swimmers of my school and club. From that day onwards, if I don’t succeed in something, I give it ‘one more try’!

Published in Dawn, Young World, August 20th, 2016