Lifeguard: A Short Story

It was another stormy day. Winds roaring, raindrops were trying to break the window. The Atlantic Ocean seemed like a furious monster in the distant. Inside the cosy classroom, I felt like being in the arms of a giant.

“Now first years, please write down your choice of service.” Alun said. He was still in a T-shirt, army green, with “ADVANTURE” on it.

“Only the crazy would like go to the sea in winter.” a voice was whispering.
“But they are lifeguards” someone said in the back.

I started with the letter “L”, and crossed out. It followed by “life”, and a bigger cross. The room stated to be empty as people handed in their sheets one by one. In my paper, however, it became more and more crowded, occupied by a mess of black circles and numerous "X”. There was a tiny space left at the corner.

“Lifeguard”: I finally finished the last letter. Over the sea, I saw a petrel

Individuals are pieces of sands compared to the unparallel power of Nature, but it is sandbars that barricade the flood.

Spring came after winter. All the efforts paid off as the certification to be a real lifeguard, whom I dreamed of being a superman in the water. Basking in the warm sunlight, even the Atlantic hided its bad temper. “Fortunately”, only trivial work came to my patrol: looking for lost kids, showing the way to toilet, cleaning the shards of glass…I expected something dramatic, but the reality was different.

“How many people have you saved?” I asked Alex, who is my supervisor.
“Our job is not about saving people” He handed me a binocular. “We protect them.”

Through the aperture, I saw the beach full of children, laughing and chasing each other. Looking at myself, I was dressed in the bright red lifeguard uniform. Above my head, the yellow strips flag were flying. I clicked the buckle of my fanny pack, ready for another patrol: lifeguards are on duty. It is a commitment for