The Pool Story

I loved reading fairy tales when I was younger, the dashing prince saves the damsel in distress. They most often begin with "Once Upon a Time", and ends with "They lived happily ever after". Of course, sandwiched between those two things would be challenges, tribulations, and eventually a happy ever after. The "happy ever after" might not come at all at first, but everything does get resolved.

I do love romantic fairy tales, but it is even better when it is a real story. I always ask my mom the story of how she met my dad. She has told it a thousand times and most don't believe her when she tells it. I know this contest is suppose to be fiction, but I think a real romantic tale is much more fascinating.

It was the worst blizzard that hit the area in over fifty years. The previous day was all sunshine and clouds, but overnight a storm front moved it. By morning, the bustling metropolis was blanked with snow. I had lived in the basement of quite a cramped apartment on the outskirts of the city. One of my roommates always kept the apartment quite chilly, in order to cut down on heating costs. It was already sub-zero out there, and the basement felt like the north pole down there, so often I would have to make a trip upstairs to grab many blankets.

Anyways, the blizzard. Winters where I live are particularly cold, but this winter was intense. A huge storm front had moved in from the northern province bringing Icey artic air with it. And here I was in the middle of packing, snuggling up in a blanket freezing to death.

My best friend Elizabeth knew this friend of a friend who is next door neighbor to the baker who knows this guy who has an internship with an up and coming tech company. I had a few job leads but they turned out to be complete dead ends. Also, warmer weather would be nice.

I was a little worried about the blizzard, my flight was the next morning and you could hardly see, let alone fly a plane. Elizabeth dropped me off at the airport the next morning. I was bundled up in my parka and snow boots. The blizzard had stopped but there was still four feet of snow on the ground. Luckily, they had shoveled off the runaway.

This was crazy, my first job away from home and in a foreign country. I was perfectly comfortable where I was living. What if I had made the wrong decision? The cabin doors of the plane closed, too late.

The whole flight I worried about my new job. What if they didn't like me? What if I didn't fit in? I was going into the tech field, an usual career for a woman at that time. What if they would replace me with someone more capable?

Before I knew it, the plane had landed and it was a bright sunshiny day. It was also pretty hot, I sweated in my parka has I exited the plane. No more pine trees, and snow, but palm trees and white sandy beaches. It was the complete opposite of what what I was use to.

I had a free weekend, and decided to take a trip out to the beach. It was nice to get away from the smoggy city. I had found the perfect spot, and laid out my beach towel. It was a gloriously sunny day, and the crystal blue water was stunning. I pulled out my book, and barely got into it. When I was wacked in the face with something. A frisbee. I looked around for a child who was missing one, I didn't see one. And then coming strolling up to me, was a gangly man with dark brown hair and freckles. I handed him the frisbee, he had a very goofy smile. I was just about to return to my book, when his much more friend stopped by. Oh my gosh! Tall and muscular with stunning jet black hair. "Hey, Mark have you seen?" his goofy friend handed him the

when a tall muscular tan man in navy blue board shorts and stunning jet black hair strolled up. Oh my gosh! He was so handsome. "Hey Mark, have you seen..?" his goofy friend handed him the frisbee. "James" called a voice, and a willowy woman with olive skin and black hair came. She wore a pink polka dotted bikini. "There you are silly," she said, nudging him. "Come on, where going to be late" linking arms with him. Oh that was his girlfriend. My hopes where dashed. Probably not my type either.

The next weekend, I was at the pool at my apartment. I was lounging on a chair basking in the sun. Then splash, I was soaking wet. Apparently, someone cannoned ball in the pool and I got soaked. My flowery sundress I was sopping wet. Elizabeth had made this dress, so I would finally something to wear in the hot tropical climate. I rung the water out of my blond hair. I got up and marched over, only to see it was James. "What's the big idea?" I said, wringing out my dress. His girlfriend, Cho swam over. "We were just having fun, huh James". Fun? I was sopping wet, and my dress ruined. He splashed water in my face. The two splashing around, giggling. Mark smiled at me, "Come join us,". Right, swimming around, and goofing around like little kids, was not my idea of fun. I really liked James, he was handsome but he already had a girlfriend. I also I couldn't swim.

The next day, I was sitting by the edge of the pool reading my book. I was so into my book, I didn't see that Cho swam up to me grabbed my wrist and pulled me in. I thought that was a nasty trick. I couldn't swim, I bobbed. She thought I was goofing around, or pretending to drown. No, I was drowning. I sunk to the bottom. I thought my whole life flashed before my eyes. Cho swam out. James saw me bob up and down again, and drove into the pool. He swam over to me, and pulled me out. I was glad to be on dry land.. concrete.

I coughed. Wrung the water out of my water. "You okay?" he said. I nodded, still coughing. He wrapped a towel around me, and helped me up. I straightened. "Thank you, well I should be going" heading to the gate. He stopped me. "James, " Cho called. He looked at Cho, "What?" he yelled at her. "Can't you see, I'm talking to this pretty French girl". Cho, angrily spoke to him angrily in Chinese and left. I looked at him, "So, you two aren't.." he shook his head. "Cho is the apartment's owner's daughter, and is so clingy". Oh not his girlfriend. I shook his hand, "I'm Marie,". Mary. "Marie," I corrected him.

We then decided to get to know each other, what was the harm? I was a thousand miles from home. He was super cute. We dated, and then saw other people, thinking we weren't right for each other. Yet, we kept on seeing each other, bumping into each other at the market, on the train, or at a bus stop. We eventually decided to really date. He was a bit of a goofball, but also was super sweet.

We dated for about a year, and then decided to get married. Father (grandpapa) wasn't too happy about his only little girl marrying a foreigner and never returning home. Her three older brothers were surprised that she was the one to get married first. They all hedged bets that Etienne her oldest brother would meet a nice American girl, and stop pursuing his music degree.

My parent's also got married on Valentine's Day, most think that I made that up to. Nope, they actually got married on Valentine's Day. And every year on their anniversary they tell me and my brother what they affectionately call "The Pool Story", and the story of how they met.