On my way home,

late in the afternoon,

with sunken eyes,

water droplets trickling down my shorts,

I pinched myself on my right hand

to see if I still exist.

 

That summer scorching heat,

even the birds fell dead,

led me to a nearby lake,

surrounded by moss grown stones.

I stood on the edge of the culvert, by the road,

facing down the lake.

I never did this before and

wanted to give it a try.

This was years ago,

when I was just enough to ride a 3-legged bicycle.

 

I jumped off the culver into the lake.

I landed flat on my belly and face in the water,

and went straight down to the bottom of the lake.

My breathed shortened,

I began to panic and gasping for air to survive,

that was all I could do.

I couldn't remember anything after that.

Later, I found myself surround by a couple of boys

 like me, by the lake that saved my life.