A Good Man (20 page)

“Your first lesson will be how to float.”

But I came here to learn how to swim! “Not swim?”

“It’s for balance.”

“Okay.” Sonya moved to the middle of the pool. “You’re the coach.”

“Um, take a deep breath, lie back, and let your legs float to the surface,” John said. “If necessary, wave your hands under the surface to keep yourself stable and horizontal.”

Sonya leaned back and lay on the water, her legs shooting to the surface. No matter how hard she tried to stay in one place with her hands furiously paddling the water under her, her butt kept dropping. She stood. “Why can’t I stay up?”

“That was great.”

Was he even watching me? “But I sank.”

“You just proved to yourself that you’re not afraid of the water.”

I did? I did. Cool. “But how do I stay up?”

“You may need to wave your hands, um, lower, under your center of gravity.”

“My what?” I didn’t know that swimming was this technical.

“Your … um.” John pointed at his butt.

Oh. My butt is my center of gravity. Why didn’t he just say “butt”? “You can say butt.”

“It’s not the nicest word.”

“It is what it is.” Sonya lay back again and worked her hands lower. After a few shaky moments, she was stable and horizontal. “I’m floating.”

John moved closer. “To stay up longer …” He slid his hand under the water and pushed up slightly on her lower back. “Keep your, um …”

“My chest?” It’s about time he touched me somewhere other than my feet.

“Yeah. Keep that up as best you can.” John removed his hand.

Sonya peeked at her “girls.” Not exactly bobbing like buoys, are you? “I’m not that endowed.”

“I didn’t mean that.” John floated away. “Once you can float for a few minutes, we’ll go to the next step.”

I’m actually not sinking. This is so peaceful, and I’m hardly expending any energy. “You’ve taught others to swim before.”

“Yes. Well, only one person. Sheila.”

I don’t know why this matters to me, but … “Did she float like this the first time?”

John smiled. “Oh, no. She sank like a stone because she had, um … She had bigger …”

He is so cute! “Sheila had a bigger butt and bigger girls than me.”

John turned away. “Yes.”

So he likes thick sisters. “Did you teach her to swim anyway?”

“Yes. Eventually she could out-swim me.”

We sisters are powerful like that. “You think about her a lot.”

John moved closer, the waves rocking her slightly. “All the time. Too much of the time.”

“Did you date anyone after …” Why do I keep bringing this up?

“I tried. But I kept seeing Sheila’s face.”

That’s either sad, or wow, here’s a man who really loved his wife. “Do you still see her face?”

John smiled. “Right now, I only see you.”

That’s so sweet. “Because you don’t want me to drown.”

“No. I only see you, Sonya.”

Sonya turned away. The man only sees me. How do I feel about that? I guess I feel good. I have his complete attention, which is a million times better than most of that stupid Crew. “And what do you see?”

“Beauty.”

Wow … “Anything else?”

“Very nice legs.”

He got that right. I built these legs up from scratch.

“Time’s up,” John said.

Sonya stood.

“Tired?” John asked.

“Not really.” He saw beauty and my legs. I’m more fully awake now. “What’s next?”

“Kind of lie on your stomach, but keep your head up and looking at me.”

“Just … do a Superman?” I should have said “Super Woman.”

“I’ll hold you up.” He stood beside Sonya and placed his left hand on her stomach. “Wow. Do you do sit-ups?”

He likes my stomach. I’m kind of proud of it, too. “Not as many as I used to do.”

“Your stomach is a muscle. It’s a one-pack.”

And despite the cool water, his hand is so warm! “Thank you.”

“Um, go ahead and lay out,” John said, “and I’ll, um, keep you horizontal.”

Sonya stretched her arms out and rested her head on the surface as her legs floated to the top, John’s hand keeping nearly her entire body above the water. He’s holding me up with one hand! I love water. It’s so buoyant. And why is Song of Solomon suddenly coming to mind? “His left hand should be under my head, and his right hand should embrace me.”

“You okay?” John asked.

I’m weightless, and a man has his hand on my one-pack. He sees beauty when he sees me. He admires my legs. Why wouldn’t I be fine? “Yes.”

“I’m going to give you a little support while you learn the crawl.”

I have to tell him. “You’re holding me up with one hand.”

“It’s the buoyancy. And, you’re pretty light.”

Okay, I was fishing for a compliment in a pool. “Thank you.”

“Okay, without kicking your legs, just let them stay limp, cup your right hand and reach out ahead of you, pulling the water under you.”

Sonya cupped her right hand, reached ahead, and pulled the water back to her.

“Now the left,” John said.

She repeated the motion with her left hand. That’s all there is to it?

“Now alternate, right, left, right, left.”

This is easy!

“You can stop.”

Sonya stopped.

“Now we’ll add just your legs. Straighten your legs, point your toes, and kick but try not to splash.”

Whoa. I just leaped forward! Is that another hand I feel holding me just above my hip? Do I mind that he has both hands on me? My hip surely doesn’t mind. If I were in a bikini, his hand would be right on the little tie. Whoo. Sorry, Lord, but … whoo.

“Now we’ll put it all together.”

“Don’t let go.” Of my hip. That feels real nice. Sorry, Lord, but a hot hand on my hip is nice.

“I’ll try not to let go, Sonya. You, um, you’ve got some powerful legs.”

“Just keep a hold of me, and don’t be afraid to squeeze.” I can’t believe I just said that. Whoa! And now he’s squeezing. Very nice. He even has a finger or two on my booty. I may have to invest in a bikini.

“Ready to rock?” John asked.

And roll, man. Keep squeezing. “Yes.”

As John did all he could to restrain Sonya, even pinching and holding the fabric of her swimsuit, Sonya surged forward as she reached and kicked. I am really doing this!

“All stop,” John said.

Sonya stopped. “Should I just …” Let you hold me like this? Yes. I should let you hold me like this until I turn into a prune.

“Um, yes, just rest,” John said. “You can stand.”

But I don’t want to! Sonya stood, feeling a twinge in her right shoulder. “Wow, that really works the shoulders.”

“Yeah. Um, I may have gotten ahead of myself. I didn’t explain breathing.”

Sonya smiled. “I know how to breathe, John.”

“I know you do, but breathing while swimming is different. Some swimmers do two strokes before breathing, some do four strokes before breathing, and some even do eight strokes before turning their bodies and heads to the side and taking a quick breath.”

“What do you suggest?”

“You’re an athlete, Sonya, so you could probably go eight strokes before breathing.”

“I’ll just stick to four strokes for now.”

“The key is exhaling while your face is in the water.” He dunked his head in the water and blew bubbles. He popped up his head. “So it goes stroke, stroke, blow, stroke, stroke, turn your head and breathe. In a pool this size, though, you could probably get to the other side in one breath. Let’s practice, um, blowing bubbles.”

Sonya dunked her head and blew. This is silly, but I suppose it’s necessary. She raised her head out of the water. “I think I’m ready to swim. Are you going to hold me in the beginning?” Please say yes!

“Sure. I hope I haven’t been squeezing you too hard.”

Just right. And if your hand should slip farther down my booty, I won’t hold anything but me against you. Yes, Lord, I know that was a carnal thought, but c’mon! My booty has been untouched for so long. “I won’t break.”

“Um, once we begin, I’ll gradually let you go,” John said. “Just keep swimming until you get to the other side. We’re only in four feet of water, so if you get tired or scared, just stand up.”

“I’m not tired.” Or scared. What was I thinking all these years?

“And when I let go, don’t stop crawling, kicking, exhaling, and breathing until you get to the other side. Ready?”

“Ready.”

John winced. “Um, I’m not. You see, I can’t get a good hold of you from the side. I need to go under.”

Sonya blinked.

“I’ll be holding your, um, your hips. Oh, if it’s all right.”

It’s quite all right. In fact, it’s an absolute necessity. “So … you’re going to hold your breath.”

He nodded, took a deep breath, and went under.

There is a man—whoo! I’m horizontal, and his hot hands are squeezing my hips so nicely. What do I do? Oh, yeah. Start swimming!

Sonya began stroking and kicking, and after ten seconds or so, she felt John’s hands sliding from her hips to her thighs to her shins, and then … I’m on my own! Where’s the other side? Breathe! She reached her hands out and felt the opposite wall. Ain’t nothin’ to this thang! She turned and didn’t see John.

“John?”

He surfaced next to her. “You have excellent form. I was watching you under the water.”

And that somehow makes me feel … shy?

“You already knew how to swim, didn’t you?” he asked.

“I didn’t. Really. You’re an excellent teacher.”

John wiped some water from his nose. “And you’re an amazing athlete.”

And I’m still shy. “For someone my age, you mean.”

“I’ll bet you could still play whatever sport you played.” He smiled. “And I’ll bet you were very good at it.”

Well, I was pretty good. I just don’t wear the rings. “What makes you think I was an athlete?”

“You definitely have an athletic body.”

Well, I don’t know about that. I try to stay in shape …

“And you look so familiar. I know I’ve seen you before.” He circled around her. “On TV. At the Olympics.” He nodded. “You played basketball for Team USA.”

How can he tell this just from a swimming lesson? What did he see under the water?

“And you played in the WNBA.” He snapped his fingers. “You’re Sonya … Richardson. Houston Comets. Number twelve. Always wore a ponytail.”

Wow. I shouldn’t tell him he’s right, but wow! He recognized me. And if he could recognize me, so could the rest of America.

“You look almost the same now as you did then,” John said.

Say what? “Almost?”

“You have a few gray hairs, but other than that …”

“Other than that, what?”

He bobbed closer. “You could be rookie of the year all over again.”

This is amazing. Why do I keep thinking that word? “How did you recognize me? I’m not exactly a household name.”

He drifted backward. “I live alone. I watch ESPN long into the night. I like watching the WNBA. Y’all play with a whole lot more passion than the NBA players do.”

“We tried.” And now I’ve admitted who I truly am. Oh well. Bob and Larry will just have to deal with it.

“You were the best point guard in the league. Great crossover, and those bullet passes you made? Zing! Clutch three’s in the championships. You have a few rings, too. Three?”

Wow. He really paid attention. “Four. I didn’t get one for the thumb.”

“And you’re in the Hall of Fame. You’re basketball royalty.”

Well, I am … “What sports did you play?”

“Football. Kickoff and return teams mostly. Made a few tackles here and there, two or three good blocks in four years. Missed more tackles and blocks than I made.”

And he’s so humble about it. “Ever play any basketball?”

“Only after I became a pastor. Sometimes on youth nights we’d go to Monroe County High School to play ball. About the only thing I was good at were free throws, fouls, and turnovers. Sometimes I got picked last when I got picked at all.”

“You shoot free throws in pickup games?”

“Oh, no,” John said. “I just shot them while I was waiting to get into the game. I got a lot of practice shooting free throws.”

Nobody’s that terrible. “You’re really that bad?”

“I tripped over the lines. I dribbled better with my knees. The backboard was scared of me. The rim and nets yawned at me. On a scale of one to ten, I was about a two. Which is the most points I usually scored in a game, by the way. I usually got double-doubles in turnovers and fouls.”

His eyes just … light up when he talks … about how bad a basketball player he is. “So you’re a hacker.”

“No, I was just slow-footed and reached a lot.” John looked at the water. “Maybe you can give me some lessons.”

Why am I drifting over to him? There’s no current in this pool, is there? Oh. My little feet are moving closer to him all by themselves. And now my little feet are standing on top of his big feet. “I could do that.”

“I wish there was a court around here,” John said. “This place has everything else.”

“Yeah, who doesn’t put up at least a half court somewhere?”

“The theater is kind of nice,” John said. “All that sound.”

“Yeah. Sure beats my setup.”

“I have a console TV,” John said. “Looks more like furniture than a TV. It’s also a great table for all my junk. I had to use rabbit ears and everything when we first got it.”

He said “we.” He still has the first TV he and his wife used.

“Final exam time,” he said. “I want you to swim lengthwise once without any help.”

But I like the help and your hot hands, man! “Could I start at the deep end?”

“Sure.”

As they drifted to the deep end, Sonya grabbed for and held John’s shoulder as he swam. “Just hitching a ride.”

John turned and smiled. “No charge.”

She gripped the cement lip jutting over the water under the diving board. “Stay close to me.”

“I will.”

Sonya took a deep breath, kicked off the wall, and swam the length of the pool.

Without taking a single breath.

She gasped for air as she wiped water from her eyes at the other end. “I forgot to breathe.”

“It happens.” John leaned on the wall beside her. “You’re very fast.”

“I was swimming for my life, man,” she said.