Summer holidays, great emptiness, great freedom, boredom, excitement, infatuation, outdoor pool, campground, happiness, misfortune. For "Holiday Flicker" series, writers and writers have remembered most important six weeks of ir youth. Peter Stamm now finishes series.
After summer holidays, inhabitants of my village seemed to have no desire to swim anymore, and when it became cool and rainy for a few days, lifeguard closed swimming pool down by river. I was riding bike, and after I had assured that no one was re, I climbed over gate of drahtzauns. I crept to locker rooms, which were located in a flat white-painted brick building. Next to entrance was a sign, men and boys. Light fell only through a wide gap between walls and roof, in cabins it was always somewhat dimly lit atmosphere and humid, even at greatest heat. The light blue painted concrete floor felt sticky. I looked in lockers to see if anyone had forgotten pledge, but I found nothing. After half of subjects, I gave up search.
I was standing in front of locker rooms: women and girls. I went into this forbidden room, my heart beat faster. There were more single cabins, no locker room like men who took off from each or. I wondered if women were ashamed, wher y had secrets and what.
Peter Sanders to author pageI ran down to river. The water was light brown and stood high. It flowed so fast that its surface curleded restlessly. Branches drove over, it looked as if y were faster than current. The weir downstream had to have been opened after thunderstorm, I heard distant roar of plunging water. It just rained very easily, finally it stopped. I went back to cabins and pulled myself around.
I got into pool, cold took my breath away. Long I stood on bottom rung of ladder, up to stomach in water, n I dropped myself. I bread deeply a few times, pushed me off edge of pool and dipped diagonally down. Blurred I saw white lines at bottom of basin pass. I swam now close to bottom. After third line I felt a sucking in throat and chest. I had to get to surface, I wouldn't make it to or side. But n I just kept popping up and sucking. I felt like I could stay down forever. On last few meters I blew out air I still had in my lungs.
When I climbed out of pool, I froze and ran to diving tower and back. The surface of water was smooth again. I strayed around, walked across large meadow and along fence under trees, where earth shone naked in some places, like polished. It smelled of grass and soil and sweet after flowers or waste. The sun had emerged under clouds and seemed flat across meadow. It was suddenly very bright. I was hoping to find something, a purse, a clock, a pocket knife, something. Down by river I laid myself in short-cut grass and watched brown water Vorüberzog. The grass was wet and cold. From somewhere a few drops of water fell on my stomach. A slight wind had come up. Everything was very clear and superficial. It was a mixture of happiness and misfortune. It was luck that felt like misfortune.
All follow all episodes of "Holiday Flicker"1. Angelika Klüssendorf: Saisonkellnerkinder2. Lutz Seiler: in basement of eye clinic3. María Cecilia: The Yours and my4. Marion Poschmann: Did you really wear bathing perfume? 5. Kathrin Schmidt: just no holiday games! 6. Peter Stamm: Happiness that feels like misfortune
Date Of Update: 20 August 2018, 12:00
