November - Malmö stad

In our life, there are so many things that we cannot
forget and they will always be remembered whether
they are good or bad. One of these unforgettable
memories of our lives is our childhood.
I remember when I was a little kid, my family used to go
on an outing every summer. This season was always
so exciting for every one of us because we did a lot of
things like having a picnic, swimming in the sea, hiking,
and the thing that we called " flores de mayo" which is
one of the traditional ways of praising Mother Mary, and
we celebrate it annually.
As far as I remember, it was 1986 when my auntie
came home from the United States. We decided to go
swimming with the whole family, relatives, and
friends. We rented three big boats to go to the one of
the famous beaches in our town. We brought a lot of
food and everybody had their own set of personal
belongings. I noticed that our boat was overloaded but
I just ignored it.
We reached the target beach. The boys prepared the
food for grilling while the girls were busy unpacking
Vuxtidningen Södervärn November 2011 Sida 20
A Childhood Memory
their stuff. All of us were utterly happy at that
moment. I can picture their happy faces. The feeling
of euphoria suddenly turned to a frightened moment.
Some people say too much happiness might end in
bitterness. Maybe it was true because of what
happened to one of us, and that person
was me. Because of my curiosity, and without
anyone's knowledge, I went alone into the sea and
tried to swim. I was so eager to learn how to swim,
and I did not notice I was getting deeper and deeper. I
was asking for help but it sounded like my voice could
not reach them.
When I opened my eyes, I found out I was already on
the shore. My parents were holding me tightly and
everyone looked scared but they tried to show their
smiles. My father had saved me from drowning. It was
really a miracle!
It always crosses my mind every time I travel across
the sea. I really hope I can overcome my fear as I
grow older.
Myrna