A Life Guards Success

• Benard Kodsy, Grade 6, Trinity Catholic Primary School -
• Short Story
• 2018

Excellence Award in the 'Write Along 2018' competition

There I was standing on the edge of stone jetty watching the waves as they crash down onto the rocks below my feet. As I feel a shiver travel up my spine and the blood pump through my veins, the same question keeps rotating through my head - what is success? I can even hear my heart pulse through my body. Then all of a sudden it changed, as I glanced across the water again I aliased its not about me: I saw a young, small boy wailing for help with his hand frantically waving up into the air.
I ran deep into the water with my board and jumped on it, ias I arrived to the location of the boy, I realised the beach was empty, and he had been left behind. I pulled his limp body up onto my board. I heard him gasp "thanks" in a weak, soft tone. As we came into the beaches edge, his parents were nowhere to be seen. We sat, and waited until a distressed woman ran down from the other of the beach: she was crying - the young boy whispered it's his mother.
Mother and son had reunited after such a traumatising day. I then drove home, trying to fathem how could I do that? How did I know he was in danger? how did it happen. Would I be able to do it again?
The next day began, and I was there at work again. I took a deep breath as I walked across the golden sand, down to the water edge. I took another deep breath and smealt the salt of the oceans water, tickle my nose. I unlocked the tower, I scanned my eyes across the water. Then all my colleagues arrived. I then said to myself "another day in the life of a lifeguards."
I looked out just as I had done the day before, accept this time everything looked positive. I looked out again to make sure, and everything was perfect. As I began to pull out my sandwich I watched a beautiful day unfold. When I stepped out of the tower, I could hear a crowd of voices yell "surprise." As I looked down towards the noise on the beach: I saw a bunch of people cheering my name. I queried what all the commotion was for, and discovered that the young boy from yesterday insisted on throwing a party for me. This young boy, a stranger until yesterday and his parents were so grateful, that they could not stop thanking me.
And all I could think was it just part of my job. Soon after my boss then visited me, and gave me the promotion of head lifeguard. But I still just stood there a littlfew confused and wondered maybe this is my success. I continued to stand there and realised I have successfully accomplished my goals in life.