We laughed at that.
“However, Mr. Carpenter refused to let me quit. ‘The team needs you. You made a commitment, and you have to keep it. A good man always keeps his word.’ So instead of quitting, I stayed and Coach pushed me, pushed everyone on the team, so that even though I was never going to be the baseball star I’d dreamed of, the team went on to win the premiership that year.”
“Are you still in touch with him?”
Rolf shook his head. “He died not long ago. Even so, I hadn’t talked with him in ages.”
“I am sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you. You said people come to your life for a reason, a season… and a lifetime.”
“Very few people come to your life for a lifetime,” I said in a whisper.
Rolf nodded. I could see in his eyes that he knew what I meant. “Family fits into this category,” he said.
I nodded. “Not every family, but yes, most of them.”
“Some true good friends, you can count with one hand. Those who had always been at your side in difficult times, that you both hold on to each other during both good and bad times. If you have people like that in your life, you are truly lucky.”
“You’re right,” I gave him a sad smile. One of the prices you pay for your freedom is that you don’t take roots. I grew up in a foster home. No one knew who my parents were. I belong to nowhere and no one.
It was a starry night and the stars twinkled, each trying to tell its own story. I could spend the entire night lying on the sand, talking to the stars. It wouldn’t have been the first time that I slept on a beach. I inhaled the fresh air and reminded myself how lucky I was to be here and to be alive.
I could feel Rolf lying at my side. There were good vibes between us.
Rolf said, “I read once that a grain of sand on a beach represents just how big our planet is in comparison to the universe. And to think that we’re each just a tiny speck of dust on that grain of sand… It shows you how small a part we play in everything.”
He was a smart guy, someone to look up to.
“I can teach you to swim,” I said, all of a sudden. Maybe this was my reason to be here. “At least enough, so you won’t get into difficulties if you go in the water.”
I knew he was trying to look brave, but he shivered when he said, “I’ll think about it.”
He looked cute with his eyebrows scrunched together and his cheeks all flushed with red.
CHAPTER 3: ROLF
The next day, we went to the lake. Rain was a force of nature. It was almost impossible to say no to her. I was afraid to go into the water, but the same impulse that drove me into dancing with her in the rain caused me to go into the lake.
Rain grabbed my hand, and we tiptoed into the cold water. The coolness wrapped around my toes and swallowed my ankles. I froze, a combination of the cold water and my fear making my muscles rigid.
I swallowed as I stared out at the dark-blue depths. In this particular spot, the lake was almost flat and completely smooth. I didn’t want to look scared with Rain by my side.
“How about for today’s first lesson,” Rain suggested after a few moments, “I just teach you to float.”
“Okay,” I agreed warily, letting her lead me deeper in.
I drew in a deep breath, told myself to be brave.
“Georgios taught me how to swim when I was in Greece; he was a lifeguard. You’re safe with me.”
“She met a lot of guys all over the world,” I thought. “Am I just another name in her list?” I couldn’t help but feel jealous of every guy that she had met. I shook my head trying to get rid of these thoughts. We were not a couple. She was just a girl I met in the street and invited to my place.
“Relax and lie back on the water, lift your feet from the bottom,” Rain coached me.
It was hard to relax when my heart was hammering with fear.
Soon, with Rain’s gentle coaxing and her firm hands keeping hold of me at all times, I was able to float on my back and stared up at the blue sky.
“You’re doing well, Rolf. Don’t move your arms and legs.”
I was breathing fast, my efforts were clumsy, but at least I was keeping my head above the water.
On the way to the lake, Rain and I had visited a store at the mall, which she insisted was all she could afford. I had waited patiently as she tried on a variety of swimsuits before settling on a pink two-piece. It cut low over her breasts and then skimmed the top of her thighs.
“Tell me about this guy, Georgios?” I tried to make my voice sound casual and light.
She rolled her eyes but answered anyway.
“He was the person who taught me how to swim. He lives in Greece. I like to meet people wherever I go. I have never been afraid to talk to strangers. That’s how I met some of the most wonderful and interesting people along the way.”
Why Rain brought up such strong feelings in me?
I tried not to get jealous. I knew there were no reason nor right for me to be jealous, but still, I couldn’t shake the prickly feeling that came over me. The inexplicable feeling that I didn’t like Lukas and I didn’t like Georgios, I didn’t like them at all, even though I’d never met any of them. The idea of some other guy touching Rain, kissing her was killing me.