A Second Too Long
He laughed when he saw the star in the sky. After all the events of the past five years of Lee's life, a symbol of luck and good fortune decided to drop out of the sky. A little late, he thought bitterly, but wished nonetheless.
Not for wealth. He'd grown up with plenty of money, and among those with plenty of money. To him, wealth was nothing to envy; his family's wealth had made his life comfortable, easy, lavish but never full. His current teachers' salary was enough to keep him feed and clothed and that's all he wanted.
Not for talent. He was not an arrogant person but knew just as surely as he knew his own name that he had talent in the water. From the age of 8, he was swimming faster than anyone he raced against. He worked his way up from local teams to the national level. At one point there was even talk that he was a gold metal contender. Scholarships were plentiful- Harvard, Berkley, Yale -everyone wanted Lee Ocean on their team. And everyone thought they were original when they said he was destined to be a swimmer with a name like Ocean.
Not for success. He ended up at Harvard. He was a straight-A student and was swimming in every race. He had everything anyone could want.
But having everything also means that you can lose everything. It was only supposed to be a joke- initiation. It was rush week and as such there was an ungodly amount of drinking. Lee's fraternity had a pool in it's yard- which is why he picked it in the first place. He still remembered how he laughed when they threw the pledge into the water. In his drunken state, it seemed imperative to know how long each pledge could hold their breath. So he pushed their heads under. One boy's head was under for a second too long.
There was a trial of course, but not enough evidence to convict anyone. Harvard didn't need solid evidence to expel everyone involved though, bad press was enough. Lee may have been able to fight it, to protest his innocence, but he couldn't fight something he felt he deserved. Still, he could have made a career swimming, he didn't need a college diploma for that, accept that every time he went near a pool, he was reminded of what he did. Every time he saw the clear blue water he could feel the boy's hair in his hand, see his hands flailing, hear the dead silence where there should have been a heartbeat and he struggled to keep his food down.
No, what he most wanted at that moment was the same thing that drove him to the police station at 10:00 to report the details of Halle's story: redemption.
Not for wealth. He'd grown up with plenty of money, and among those with plenty of money. To him, wealth was nothing to envy; his family's wealth had made his life comfortable, easy, lavish but never full. His current teachers' salary was enough to keep him feed and clothed and that's all he wanted.
Not for talent. He was not an arrogant person but knew just as surely as he knew his own name that he had talent in the water. From the age of 8, he was swimming faster than anyone he raced against. He worked his way up from local teams to the national level. At one point there was even talk that he was a gold metal contender. Scholarships were plentiful- Harvard, Berkley, Yale -everyone wanted Lee Ocean on their team. And everyone thought they were original when they said he was destined to be a swimmer with a name like Ocean.
Not for success. He ended up at Harvard. He was a straight-A student and was swimming in every race. He had everything anyone could want.
But having everything also means that you can lose everything. It was only supposed to be a joke- initiation. It was rush week and as such there was an ungodly amount of drinking. Lee's fraternity had a pool in it's yard- which is why he picked it in the first place. He still remembered how he laughed when they threw the pledge into the water. In his drunken state, it seemed imperative to know how long each pledge could hold their breath. So he pushed their heads under. One boy's head was under for a second too long.
There was a trial of course, but not enough evidence to convict anyone. Harvard didn't need solid evidence to expel everyone involved though, bad press was enough. Lee may have been able to fight it, to protest his innocence, but he couldn't fight something he felt he deserved. Still, he could have made a career swimming, he didn't need a college diploma for that, accept that every time he went near a pool, he was reminded of what he did. Every time he saw the clear blue water he could feel the boy's hair in his hand, see his hands flailing, hear the dead silence where there should have been a heartbeat and he struggled to keep his food down.
No, what he most wanted at that moment was the same thing that drove him to the police station at 10:00 to report the details of Halle's story: redemption.
"Oh, you're fine. Wait, I know you. Halle, right?"
ReplyDeleteIt was Lee Ocean. "Oh it's you," I said trying to seem excited.
"So, what is everyone doing out here?" I asked
"There are shooting stars tonight, and some are here to make a wish and others are to enjoy the show."
hey there
ReplyDelete