A FLEETING MOMENT

My name is Luciana. She mentioned her name boldly. A typical girl of 24 years stood next to me in front of the mirror. We both have just finished swimming. I watched her image closely in the mirror. Her short hair was still wet and she dried them up with a towel. Then she smiled at me and asked me : "Do you swim everyday?

 

"No, I swim every other day.  Actually I’m a diabetic patient, so I need to do sport to tone down my glucose level," I must have said them out of self pity.

"Ooh  my dad is also a diabetic patient. My dad, my mom and I swim everyday. I’m proud of my dad.  Once his glucose level had reached more than 500 but still he managed to drive home with his motor cycle."

I did not say a word out of shock. Then I diverted the conversation to get away from shame: “Do you work?”

She said: "Yes, but I quit because I want to take my postgraduate degree."

"So, here you are accompanying your  dad swimming. That’s nice!"

She smiled and stopped drying her hair. She looked at me deeply and said: "He accompanied my mother actually. My mom suffered from Leukemia." 

This time I was even more shocked. Out of my shock and confusion I said: "You are the nicest girl  for you take care of them."

She stood there staring at me. "We take care of each other.   I suffer from leaking heart valve."

This morning I saw her again in the swimming pool. I saw her taking care of an old thin lady and a grey haired man. They have been a point of my observation before. I had been wondering what are they trying to achieve, learning how to swim at old age.

This morning she did not recognize me, for our conversation was just a fleeting moment. A moment that Luciana have to go through, just like the rest of the other moments. But for me, the moment that has alerted me from my dream of self  pity. Thank you Luciana, you add another dimension into my life.