Read Online Gone Again by Doug Johnstone - Free Book Online Page B

for that. It was stiflingly humid in here, made your lungs feel heavy and wet just breathing.
    Nathan pushed one swimming disc on each arm and got into the pool with the other kids. There were ten in total, some with no discs at all on their arms. The idea was you started with three of these solid foam things on each arm and gradually reduced, a better system than the old armbands. Nathan had been at lessons for years, slow progress, like everything else physical. Still had stabilisers on his bike. The baby of the class. Mark ground his teeth together.
    He remembered all the different stages of Nathan with water. At first, not even wanting to put a toe in. Then in the water, but never letting go of Mark. Then after they got over that, he still didn’t want to put his head under or jump in. Not a natural swimmer but he was a trier, he plugged away at things until he got there. Mark respected that.
    The boy was scooshing happily across the pool on his back now, head pointing up towards the glass roof, thin clouds scudding above. The instructor’s voice and the splashing bounced off the tiled walls and floor, drowning everything in a wash of white noise.
    Mark sank into the noise and zoned out. Before he knew it, the lesson was almost over, Nathan and the rest lined up for the jumping in they always did at the end. Jump in one at a time and swim to the side. Easy. The instructor took Nathan’s remaining discs off. It was always a chance for them to stretch the kids, see how far they could go. But this was the first time Nathan would be in the water with nothing to help him.
    Nathan waited his turn then leapt. More of a bellyflop than anything, legs spread. He went under. A couple of seconds’ wait. The vague shimmer of his body under the surface. Two more seconds. The instructor was talking to the next kid, not looking at the pool. Another second. Mark was out his seat, only then realising he’d been holding his breath since Nathan went under. Another moment. Mark could see movement under the water. The instructor turned back. Noticed that Nathan hadn’t surfaced yet. Leaned over the edge of the pool, lowered the long metal pole he was holding. Mark was several strides towards them now, moving fast, almost running. Then Nathan’s head broke the surface, his slick hair, his familiar blue goggles. He was clutching the pole, the instructor dragging it over to the side, helping him. Mark slowed. He could see Nathan was coughing, had swallowed some of the water. But he was OK. He was at the edge of the pool now, clinging on, shuffling sideways towards the steps, ready to come out.
    Mark held Nathan’s towel out and wrapped him up in it, squeezing the boy through the folds.
    The lesson was over, the other kids traipsing back to their mums.
    Mark took Nathan’s goggles off. Rings around his eyes where the rubber had dug in. The boy was grinning.
    ‘I did it, Daddy, I jumped in with no discs.’
    ‘I saw. You were brilliant.’
    Mark led him back to the changing rooms and dried him off in the cubicle, Nathan talking excitedly.
    Mark got the boy’s clothes from the locker and handed them over. He felt something in the pocket of Nathan’s trousers and dug his hand in. Came out with the piece of sea glass. Held it up.
    ‘I thought you were going to put this with the collection?’
    Nathan shrugged. ‘I decided to keep it in my pocket.’
    ‘Why?’
    ‘I want to wait and show it to Mummy first, before it goes with the rest.’
    The sea glass collection was really Nathan’s and Lauren’s together. One of their joint little things. It was usually Lauren who spotted them, better at searching amongst the finer details of things close at hand. They had a joke that Mark was always staring off into the distance, looking to frame a landscape.
    ‘Fair enough,’ Mark said. ‘But make sure you don’t lose it.’
    He put it back in the trouser pocket and passed the trousers to Nathan.
    Nathan pushed his legs in.
    ‘I can’t wait