My journey to the swimming pool was filled with moments of excitement, fear, and eventually, confidence.
I used to be an aquaphobe and hated anything that would take me to a large body of water. I always declined any time my colleague talked about going to a swimming pool or any place near a large body of water.
A beautiful place called Abuwari eventually stopped my water phobia. Abuwari is an area in Bayelsa State covered with a large body of water. What made Abuwari beautiful is that you will see a large body of water, including a swimming pool, round it, but the environment is still as bright as a chandelier because of the constant sunshine over there. It was a beautiful memory I wouldn't forget in a hurry.
It happened that my good friend was celebrating her birthday, and the venue was Abuwari. I wanted to decline because of my phobia of water, but I said no because I had seen so many people entering the pool and coming out without harm or being drowned, and my own case won't be different. I decided that it was time to break my water phobia. We got there, and it was full of merriment, as there were different kinds of food, drink, etc.
After all the merriment, a time to enter the swimming pool came. I felt excited and afraid at the same time. I saw my friend diving inside the water like a fish, and it pushed me to join them.
I practically told them that I had never been in anything called a body of water before, that it was my first time, and they had to prepare me very well by giving me a tube to wear.
This is me inside water
I remember my first time stepping into a swimming pool; the water was cool against my skin, and I felt both excited and nervous. after some time it became enjoyable; I started moving from one edge to another. I attempted to remove the tube when I saw my friends moving their bodies like fish inside the water, but I remembered that I had never swim before and might drown if I tried such a thing.
I was moving round the water here
It was joy all through, a beautiful experience to behold. Ever since then, I cannot stay a month without visiting a swimming pool.
All images are mine
This is my entry on hive-Naija weekly prompt, Edition 94.
Thanks for reading.