The sand was soothingly warm. A gentle
breeze kissed her face. With a sleepy yawn, Faith watched sea-birds glide
silently over a distant wave. A solitary, early morning board rider paddled out across the
sandbar in search of the best. Sunbeams danced on the surface around him. A
shipping tanker seemed to glide across the smooth far-away horizon while the
sound of waves crashing ashore filled the air.

It was Faith’s first day on the job as a
lifeguard. Kenneth, the head lifeguard, slouched high on the lookout tower;
binoculars swinging from the arm of his deck chair. Faith was happy to stretch
her long legs on the beach below. She watched a young mother dressed in red,
chasing her small child around a sandcastle they had sculpted in the wet sand.
The little one was wearing a bright yellow shirt and bathers. Faith blinked
drowsily, shifting her slender body into the shade of the tower.

“Help, someone, please help!”

The scream jerked Faith to attention. Kenneth
almost fell off the tower as he took the steps two at a time. Faith’s gaze fell
on the young woman in the red bathing suit screaming hysterically at a small
yellow object bobbing in the waves. A quick assessment alerted Faith to a
cross-current. Seizing a short coiled rope, she raced down the beach and
plunged into the breakers.

“Wait for me!” Kenneth yelled.

She turned her head momentarily and saw Kenneth
dragging the life-raft behind him. Her strong legs kicked through the waves. Tolerating
her aching limbs, Faith’s eyes remained focused on the tiny head that kept
disappearing below the surface. It felt like an eternity of great effort. Her
eyes and throat stung from the salt. Training had not prepared her for the fear
she saw in that little pair of eyes of such a small child. Closing the distance,
Faith could see the little boy’s eyes wide with fright and gasping for breath.
His lips were tinged with a thin blue band. Just
a few more yards. Hang on, little one.”She held one end of the rope
tightly between her teeth, causing the rope to trail behind, but as she
advanced forward it gave her full use of her tiring limbs. Short wheezing
sounds escaped her lungs as she convinced herself to breathe.

“That’s it, Faith. Let him take the rope.”
Kenneth spoke clearly and precisely as he approached from behind.

The small child gripped the rope briefly
then lunged forward, wrapping his little arms around her neck. Gasping from the
pressure, Faith twisted awkwardly with every rise and fall that attempted to
consume them. She swam with determination to the nearby raft.

Kenneth reached over the side and picked the
boy up by his shirt sleeve. Faith began to tread water for a few minutes while
Kenneth rubbed and patted the little one’s back. He gave a choking cough and
vomited seawater all over Kenneth before Faith turned and headed to the beach.

By the time Faith reached the dry sand she
was exhausted but relieved the child was safe. Faith gave a few hoarse coughs
before returning to meet Kenneth and help pull the raft ashore. The boy’s mother
raced to retrieve her baby from Kenneth’s arms.

“Thank you! He was so quick. I only turned
my back for a moment to get the towels.”

“Don’t thank me, thank Faith; our newest
lifeguard. It’s a trial program and I think she passed with flying colours.” Kenneth grinned.

Faith barked at hearing her name and shook
violently, spraying salty water over everyone. Kenneth and the woman laughed. The
child struggled from his mother’s embrace and wrapped his arms once more around
his rescuer’s neck.

“Say thank you to Faith, Ethan.”

“Good doggy.”

Faith barked with excitement and licked the
little boy’s face until he giggled with delight.

© Chrissy Siggee

Kenneth and Faith are real. All other characters,
and the story, are fiction.

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About Chrissy Siggee

Hi, I’m Chrissy,  More
information about me can be found HERE

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