Stories from the Swimming Pool

There have been several novels recently set in swimming pools (I particularly liked the Lido and wasn’t so keen on Sally Red Shoes) and outdoor pools seem to be all the rage. I wonder if that’s because swimming pools are great places to collect stories. When writers get a bit stuck they can find that going for a walk or a swim helps bits of story slot into place. The regularity of the activity, the keeping the body active all give the brain a chance to do its filling.  But in a swimming pool, there are also people and people make stories if you are quiet and you listen.

I thought I’d share yesterday’s story. It was quite a rollercoaster of emotions, as I stood silently in the next door changing room, barely able to breathe. It had the quality of a radio 4 play, so I will write it as a script. The two characters, who I will call Emily and Holly, just because they are common names for girls of about ten or eleven, had just finished their swim (I was just about to start mine). Imagine the sounds of the swimming pool in the background.....
Holly: I was going to the zoo with him but I’m not now.
Emily: Let's use this one.
(The sound of the cubical door closing is heard followed by giggling)
Holly: (singsongy voice) We’ve been swimming now I’m going to do a video
Emily: (panic rising in her voice) No don’t do that. Really. No don't do it. You don’t need to. You don’t need to let everyone know what you are doing every minute of every day.
Holly: Oh....Oh, okay, if you say I shouldn’t.
Emily: I’m sorry. I’m being bossy. I’m sorry. I don’t meant to be bossy. You can ignore me if you want to.
Holly: No. It’s ok. Let me check my likes. 43! I’ve got 43 likes just today. (Sings a little song) Forty three like, I’ve got forty three likes. Forty three likes in just one day. (Dramatic increase in pitch) Forty five likes, forty five likes, forty five likes in just one day.
Emily:  I haven’t got Instagram so I don’t know but my Nanny says she heard on the news that they are going to get rid of the likes. They say having the likes makes people do silly things. I mean I don’t know but Nanny says they’re going to stop it.
Holly: Really?
Emily: Yeah, I dunno but my Nan says..
Holly: Oh well. I’ll miss it.
Emily: Yeah, you would.
Holly: Maybe your Nan’s wrong.
Emily: She isn’t normally. I don’t really know because I don’t have it.
Holly: Bad luck.
Emily: My phone can’t do it. It makes calls and everything but it doesn’t connect to the internet. It hasn’t got any apps.
Holly: (still upbeat) How do you live without the news app?
Emily: News?
Holly:  Yes I love news. You can click on it anytime and find out exactly what is happening anywhere in the world. I love it.
Emily: I wish I hadn’t worn leggings. Can you help me?
Holly: (laughing) It’s really difficult to get leggings on when you’re wet.
Emily: Thanks
(Sound of cubicle door opening)
Emily: So, are you going to the zoo another day?
(Voices fade into distance)

I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.