Fifty Pushups Miss ☑️

Ch16 Water Water Everywhere.

He nodded slowly, twice, working with his evil mind.
He turned around, again slowly, "follow me."
We walked around the ground, to the far corner. The one where I saw that one-hand-pullup-man's shadow.
We crossed that bar and entered a complex.

The sounds that I heard and the built of that place made me regret my decision of challenging him.
My heart beat was rising with every step and it stopped, the moment we reached there.

We were standing in front of a SWIMMING POOL!
A big damned swimming pool. In this damned winters.

I knew what will happen here. I was only praying to god, that I'm wrong, this one time.

He nodded towards the pool while looking at me. That smile! I want to throw him in that water instead!

"I don't know swimming!" I literally barked at him. Anything, that can keep me from that freezing hell!

"Junior school participants who secure 3rd position, twice.. It will be a shame if they don't know swimming.."
He said that smoothly while I stood there shocked. How does he know that I got third in junior school swimming competition?

"I.. I.. don't know swimming.. in freezing water!"
I replied back.

"Oh that's a lifetime experience, trust me. Specially when you're supposed to stay IN water for literally minutes, holding your breath, and collecting things at the base of the pool, that your instructor is throwing from above... (deep breath, followed by shaking of head)... It gives you goosebumps.. Quite literally " That last part was followed by a loud laugh , laughing at his own joke.
Who does that?

I felt chills in my body when, everything that he said, formed a picture in my mind. It was terrifying.

"If you're done with imagination, shall we make a deal? "
His deals are not good Jane, not at all. But do we have any other option? No!

"What is it?"
"We'll be done with your training in fifteen minutes, if you do as I say."

Fifteen minutes in cold water, vs one hour on ground.

"Deal."
"It's good to see kids growing up, and taking decisions. Nice."
That's it. I'm gonna push him into the water.

"You'll go in, with only your hand above water, count 10 on your fingers, and come back up."
"What's the catch?"

He let out a laugh.
"You're too daring to ask for the catch. So the catch is, that you'll do that dip 50 times. With a max of 10 seconds gap in each dip."

Well, it's not surprising. If it's not impossible, is it even Killer's task ?

I gathered some courage. "Shall we begin?"
He gave me that surprised look again.

I loved swimming, since I was a kid. I used to participate twice an year in my junior school competitions. I never went below 4th rank, but could never climb above 3rd. Bronze describes my best swimming performance.

After junior school got over, I didn't get a chance to participate, though I continued swimming casually. Participation was less because I never stayed at a place for long, thanks to dad's postings. But it was more because, I feared defeat. What if I scored 5th or even lower, or worse, the last?
I don't want to fail in my area of interest, when it comes to competing. I want to stay with my bronze, I'm happy with it.

I came back to reality when my right feet touched the water. I backed up in reflex.
He laughed and pointed at the pool again.

I took a deep breath, accepting his challenge and went forward. Every part of my body that came in contact with the water, started screaming. Every cell of my body was on fire!
It took lot of efforts to not produce a sound of discomfort, because that will give him comfort, and I don't want that.

I kept my lips pressed as my body got used to the temperature. There's this lovely thing about water. It makes you just like itself. My soul, despite of the freezing torture, found happiness here. I've entered a pool after almost an year.
It was starting to feel good...

"Why did u stop it?"
"I'm sorry sir, stop what?"

"Swimming. Why would a child stop participating in a competition where he won third? That's enough motivation to go for first, at that age."

He had me at a point where my emotions were about to burst. "I.. I don't like swimming any more." It was heartbreaking to say that. But I thought that was the only escape from this situation.

"That's two lies in a row. Fear your god, or fear your love for that one hobby, if not me."
Well, that just did the damage.

"Can we start now?"
I wanted to bury myself in the water, before he sees my tears again.

He understood that, and brought his whistle near his lips. "On my count."

He blew it and I pushed myself down. For first few seconds, I just let my tears flow out. Then I realised that my whole body was inside, even my hand. I moved my fist out, opening my fingers one by one, twice, counting ten. Then I stood back up, to catch a deep breath.

He looked at me waiting. And I'm sure it was more than 10 seconds.
I nodded at him and he blew the whistle again.
This cycle went on till 50 was over.

I sighed relief. He gestured me to come out.
I knew it's going to hurt more after I move out and that's exactly what happened. I felt needles all over my body.

Overcoming that, I started walking out. I heard two short whistles. I turned back to look at him.
"Aren't you forgetting something?"

I knew what he meant. I didn't have the strength to argue, but I had no strength to do the Pushups either . "I'm freezing wet!"
"All the more reason to produce some heat for your body."

I swore again in my mind. And dropped down, did my count in those yucky wet clothes.
Today had a depressing end. I don't feel so good..