\”\\r\
It felt like only a fleeting moment of daze before dusk arrived. The sky was even more vibrant with color today. Looking out along the horizon, there was not only a touch of pink but also a fiery golden hue, like a hamburger wrapping around that pink, making the whole world seem dreamlike. Yet, the cries of seabirds and the sound of the tide were so real.
But I won't truly love this place, because my roots aren't here...
In my silence, Yang Sisi said to me again, "Michael, teach me to swim! Watching you guys swim around in the water, I'm so, so envious!"
"Forget it, one should still have some reverence for fate while living... Not being able to swim isn't really a regret."
Yang Sisi looked unwilling. She replied, "Even if I had a water calamity, jumping into the sea that time counts as overcoming it... Besides, I think it's just superstition, a psychological effect. Haven't you noticed that often what you fear most is what happens to you? I don't want to be a puppet of fate; I want to fight against it!"
"There are many ways to fight against fate, so why choose the one you're least good at?... Let me tell you, swimming is about talent. It's not something you can learn just because you have courage and work hard... It's all about chance. You might learn it in an instant, or you might never grasp the essentials of swimming in your entire life."
"What if I were the one who could grasp it in an instant?"
"If you were that capable, you would have learned it long ago... Don't bother learning, those who drown are usually the ones who can swim."
"No, I have to learn."
After a brief pause, Yang Sisi said to me in a tone that seemed to be negotiating but was actually quite firm: "You want to move out, right? If you're willing to teach me how to swim, I'll let you move... Otherwise, you're not going anywhere."
As she spoke, Yang Sisi picked up my passport from the table and stuffed it into her pocket.
This unreasonable demand made me a little unhappy, so I asked her coldly, "Are you possessed?"
"I'm not obsessed. I just want to see if there's any destiny in this world that can be broken... I don't want to be a mediocre person, much less a person who waits foolishly... This is very painful for me, you know?... This feeling is like sitting and waiting to die!"
I understood the deeper meaning behind Yang Sisi's words, which left me with no reason to refuse. So, while avoiding her gaze, I nodded.
……\\r\
To express her determination to learn to swim, Yang Sisi skipped the more challenging swimming pool and went straight to the ocean… saying that only by learning to swim in the sea could she truly say she could swim.
Although seawater has more buoyancy than freshwater, the waves make it harder to maintain balance and can easily cause dizziness… To help her maintain her balance, I supported her arms, helping her find that feeling of floating…
I told her, "Don't be nervous, breathe evenly... that's how you find your rhythm for breathing underwater... once you can breathe underwater, it means you've learned to swim."
Yang Sisi was incredibly nervous. Every time a wave crashed in, she panicked, causing her to choke on water… It seems this “water ordeal” that has followed her for over twenty years has truly caused her significant psychological trauma. Even if she insists on learning to swim, it will likely be several times harder than for an average person, because the most difficult obstacle to overcome is not technical, but psychological.
……\\r\
A moment later, braving the wind and waves, I shouted to her again, "Let's not study for now. The waves are big right now, they're pulling us in... I'm afraid I won't be able to hold you back."
I wasn't joking with Yang Sisi. If I were healthy, I'm confident I could protect her, but now that I can only move one leg, my fighting ability is significantly reduced. If something were to happen, I have absolutely no confidence that I could guarantee the safety of both of them.
Unexpectedly, Yang Sisi insisted, "Wait a little longer. I think I'm starting to get the hang of it. When I inhale, I can clearly feel an upward force supporting me... Should I use this upward force to breathe?"
"Yes...but this rhythm is hard to get right...let's practice in the pool, the waves are really big right now!"
No sooner had I finished speaking than a wave nearly a meter high swept over us, instantly slamming Yang Sisi and me onto the shore. I even slipped and fell… I instinctively reached out to grab Yang Sisi, but she was swept away by the current.
A wave of panic washed over me, and I yelled at her again, "Get to shore quickly, there are still big waves behind us..."
As Yang Sisi struggled, she said to me with difficulty, "No... I... my feet... can't reach the bottom... Help me!"
Yang Sisi's current position made it impossible for her not to touch the bottom, unless she stepped into a hidden pit...
Perhaps fate truly exists; this was her "water calamity"...
I was momentarily stunned, then instantly snapped back to reality. I plunged into the water and, using the current, struggled to swim towards Yang Sisi… But just then, another huge wave crashed over me, and I couldn't stop it; I was swept back to where I started…
If Yang Sisi had experience, she could have easily used the wave to swim back to shore, but before she could even regain her footing, the backflow carried her even further away; if she had just stepped into a hidden pit, this time she truly had no footing...
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