The Mermaids Tail

Rosie hates Monday mornings. It’s swimming lesson day and she is the only one in her class who can’t swim. Thinking about last week makes her shudder and squirm; she had been so embarrassed and here she was again in her pink polka dot swimming suit and yellow sunflower swim hat. She can hear all the chattering, laughing and splashing as she walks slowly out of the changing rooms. She feels so alone as she stands on the side and struggles to put on arm bands. The only one with arm bands. The only one with fear in her heart. She stops at the top of the steps and looks into the choppy water, flinching as one of her class mates splashes water into her face. “Come on cowardly custard,” he yells. “You’re as yellow as your hat.” The whole pool erupts in laughter and tears sting her eyes. She gingerly makes her way down the steps and into the warm water, standing there, looking like a belisha beacon for all to see. Mrs Thomas, glares at her. Her stern face and bulging, bully eyes, say so much more than words. Rosie shrinks inside. She becomes even smaller and wishes that she was invisible. “Come on!” Her teacher shouts, “You’re the only one who doesn’t have a red band yet. I don’t care how you get across. Just do it.” Rosie stares across the pool; twenty faces stare back. Here I go. She takes a deep breath and plunges herself into the water. Instead of swimming, she moves through the water with a hop, skip jump, splutter and cough. “Oh for goodness sake,” groaned Mrs Thomas, ‘what was that supposed to be? “Are you pretending to be a toad?” When she finishes speaking the whole class burst into laughter again. It’s no laughing matter for Rosie. She stands in the middle of the pool, hair dripping, mingling with salty tears that are streaming down her bright red cheeks. I wish you were a toad, she thinks, and pictures Mrs Thomas as a big, ugly toad with green skin and knobbly warts. The rest of the lesson isn’t any better. Rosie can’t wait to get out of the pool and back onto dry land. She’s fed up. The only thing that keeps her going for the rest of the week is looking forward to Friday and their summer trip to Sea World. The trip turns out to be better than expected. She’s put in Miss Fletcher’s group; their classroom assistant. She has kind blue eyes and smiles as if she means it. Rosie is fascinated as she stares at the octopuses, rays and sharks with their black beady eyes sizing her up for lunch! The divers go in at feeding time, surrounded by colourful shoals of fish, waving to the group and doing underwater gymnastics to entertain them. But Rose thinks that they have saved the best thing until last; a mermaid show. The mermaids dive through the water, their long hair flowing behind them, as they collect shells and stones from the bottom of the tank, and then rise to the surface and sit on a big rock. “Oh, aren’t they beautiful with their silver tails,” whispers Rosie. “Don’t be an idiot,” taunts the boy who splashed her in the face. ‘They’re only ladies dressed up, you know.” “I don’t care, “I think they’re lovely.” She stands there for ages, staring at them, as they swish their tales and smile at her. I wish I was a mermaid. After that, they are allowed in the gift shops. Rosie walks in clutching her four-pound savings. There are so many things to buy but she only wants one thing; a cuddly mermaid, with long golden hair and deep blue eyes. Her tail is made of soft green velvet and she has an orange ring tied around her neck, dangling on shimmering ribbon. A magical ring, made with a piece of amber found by a mermaid at the bottom of the ocean. The price tag has four pounds on it and within minutes, Rosie is holding her very own mermaid. She names her Marina and plays with her all weekend, talking to her as she combs and plaits her long hair. She tells her all about school, mean Mrs Thomas and her awful swimming lessons. The mermaid lies there and doesn’t say a word but Rosie knows she understands. It’s Monday Morning again but at least it’s the last lesson before the summer holidays. She hugs Marina goodbye and slips the amber ring off the ribbon and slides it onto her finger. Later that morning as Rosie trembles at the side of the pool, Mrs Thomas tells her she isn’t going to be using armbands for today’s lesson. “You’ll never learn to swim,” she scolds, “if you keep acting like a baby. In you get! You can go across first today, whilst everyone watches you.” Rosie can’t believe this is happening. It’s a nightmare. She’s sure to drown! She makes her way down the steps and stands as close to the edge as possible. “Off you go then,” barks her tormenting teacher. Rosie takes a deep breath and…ouch! Something is hurting her finger. She looks down and sees the ring glowing a vivid orange. It’s squeezing so tightly her finger is becoming red. Then she hears a mystical singing voice say, “follow me.” She looks up to see who spoke to her but the ring tightens again, forcing her to look down. “Listen to me,” says the voice, “listen and follow every instruction.” The ring is talking to her! Then something very strange happens. The ring releases its grip and Rosie becomes very calm. She draws in a deep breath and dips her head into the water. Her legs lift off the bottom of the pool and she is floating. “Good girl,” says the voice, “you know you can do it. Kick your feet as if you’re trying to take off a pair of socks and keep your fingers shut tight. Make a nice, strong arc with your arms, right over your head and into the water. Good. Now lift your head up sideways and breathe.” Rosie does everything the voice says and is not a bit surprised when she sees the flash of a mermaid’s tail, leading the way to the other side. She is swimming, but not just swimming. She is the best swimmer in the class! When she emerges triumphantly at the other side, the whole class clap and cheer. Everyone, that is, except Mrs Thomas. She splutters in disbelief, her green warty face contorted with rage as she tries to speak but all that comes out of her mouth is a hoarse croak as she hops away.