Attempted Drowning at the Pool

Thursday 30th June 2016

Things got a little dramatic today at the pool when after I removed Kingsley’s arm floaties, he jumped into the deep and made a great attempt at drowning. The lifeguard on duty, a fellow parent padding by and Camilla who was near the scene jumped in to save a near submerged Kingsley. Save for the top of his head and some of his nose, all else was beneath, together with his limbs flapping about as he does when wearing floaties.

It ended well of course as all hands swooped in to fish out the little hero who thinks he is invincible as most boy toddlers do anyway. Not one tear did Kingsley shed once he was back on the deck; and nor did he express feeling scared or fretful at being under water. Its almost like he wondered what all the fuss was all about – women patting him, Camilla cradling him, me wrapping arms around him, the lifeguard chastising me – and I kind of wonder whether he was actually staying somewhat afloat, tiny nostrils working hard to take in air, when we all panicked.

The entire episode which lasted all of 10 seconds from start to finish gave me the horrors. Impossible to erase the feelings of negligence on my part (what was I doing sitting on the sun lounge closing Tupperware boxes when he ran off?), and I am sure I spotted one fellow sun worshipper shake her head in disbelief at what had nearly happened. Thankfully the old adage that it takes a village to raise a child worked today. We have our boy back.

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