Courtney handed her a card with one hand and picked up the ringing phone with the other. “Dr. Granger’s office. This is Courtney. How may I help you?” She smiled and threw up her hand at Suzie. Then Suzie meandered outside.
Every time she came here, peacefulness seemed to float from Margaret and Dr. Granger to her. She didn’t understand it. Maybe it was because she could tell they cared what happened to her. Whatever the source, she’d take it. Too bad they couldn’t share their health too.
She slipped into her car, backed out, and crept down Highway 98, behind a car from… The sun beamed on the plate, and she squinted...Indiana. Finally moving again, she pulled into the grocery store parking lot, cut the engine, and charged inside with visions of lettuce leaves dancing in her head. Soon, she’d make them real.
What could she add to the greens? Heat swelled inside her like a wave at high tide. She wasn’t a picky eater. Before this illness, she ate anything and everything. Now she struggled to piece together a meal. She took a deep breath then exhaled the angst. This was her life now. She had to deal with it.
She strolled past the fresh smell of cut flowers to the bins of vegetables and fruit. Margaret said to try one food she hadn’t eaten. Plastic containers of ripe, yellow pineapple squares sat at her fingertips. She snatched one up like a kid grabbing a cookie and trekked to the olive oil and lemon juice. She picked those up for the dressing then walked to the cash register and paid.
In ten minutes, she arrived at home and stood in her kitchen. Cool air drifted from the fridge while she put away the groceries. She closed the door, and her gaze fell on the notepad on the counter. She imagined the sweet taste of the pineapple mixed with the smooth cheese. It’d been so long. She couldn’t wait. But she needed to call Cammie.
She punched in the number.
“Good afternoon. The Sun Dial, Cammie speaking.”
“Hi. This is Suzie. If you have a second, I’d like to share my ideas for articles in San Destin and Fort Walton Beach.”
“Sure. You’re quick.”
“Thanks. I’m eager to work for you. Lloyd Sparks—”
“I think we have something on that already.”
“I realized you would have a public service announcement about his concert at Beside the Bay, but I’m proposing a feature. His secretary agreed to mail me information.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“Also, if you agree with a piece covering the close of school for the summer in Fort Walton Beach, I’ll start on that. I would need to schedule John to take pictures.”
“Absolutely. Bill said for me to give you the ‘go ahead’ if I liked the ideas, and I do. Let me know when you need John. Thanks so much.”
“You’re welcome.”
They hung up, and an aura of success hovered over Suzie as she turned to make dinner. She’d only made a crack in freelance writing, but she couldn’t return to that field without an opening. This one came sooner than she could have hoped. What if the superintendent of the Fort Walton Beach Schools didn’t agree with her suggestion?
She set down the lettuce with visions of the first salad she’d eaten in months making her mouth water. Then she meandered to the living room, plopped down on the sofa, picked up the land line, and dialed.
“Dr. Remer’s office. Elaine speaking.”
“Hi, this is Suzie Morris with The Sun Dial. May I speak with George Remer?”
Would he be out of the office or unavailable? Important people usually were one or the other, but the question was a formality.
“Dr. Remer isn’t available. Could I help you?”
Isn’t available. Okay, she could work with that. “Yes, I’d like to cover field day at a grammar school, a party at a middle school, and high school graduation in the Fort Walton City Schools to include in The Sun Dial. Citizens in the area need to know what a fine job you’re doing.”
“I’ll schedule them, get Dr. Remer’s approval, line up contacts, and call tomorrow. Where can I reach you?” Honey dripped from her voice.
“My cell phone.”
Suzie rattled off the number, hung up, and rubbed her stomach. Then she dropped a bison burger in the frying pan. Soon, an aroma resembling that of a hamburger joint floated into the kitchen. She created her salad, drizzling oil and lemon juice over it, and her stomach growled. Could she really eat this food and not stay up all night with indigestion?
She carried it to the glass table and devoured it, savoring every bite.
Satisfied, she picked up the swim team folder from the sofa, plodded upstairs to the table turned desk in the spare bedroom, and sat down. Six-and-unders. She tapped the eraser end of the pencil on her cheek and visualized the youngsters in the pool in that age group.
If Anna kicked hard enough, she could take first in freestyle. Melissa probably could win in backstroke. If not, she’d come in second. She’d place those two girls in the first heats. The little kids didn’t need to know the other heats didn’t count for points. If an older child told them, she’d encourage the younger ones to work harder to earn a spot.
The Dolphins had no U.S. swimmers—those who were on sanctioned teams and swam year-round. If only they had one or two she could turn the ragtag bunch into a competitive team. Irritation tingled on her nerve endings as she pounded the eraser end of the pencil on the table. A victory would be so good for the kids. She doodled three daisies and several stars on the side of the paper. Cammie. With all of the people she met working at the newspaper, she might have an answer. She’d call her in the morning.
The phone rang, and she jumped. “Hello.”
“Suzie, this is Matt. I wanted to let you know Harold, my assistant, will take my place at practice.” He sighed. “I really hate this, but I have to set up for the National Parks and Rec Convention. I need to take a rain check on church, and I’ll miss the first meet. We’ll grab lunch when I return, and you can tell me about it. How’s that?”
Suzie slumped in her seat. “Sure. That sounds great.”
They hung up, and she dropped her pencil on the writing pad. Tears erupted inside and flowed down her cheeks. How could she get through the first meet without Matt’s help and no coordinators?
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The alarm jarred Suzie from sleep, and she shook. The blue and white patterns on the comforter swirled while her insides raced like an engine on full throttle. Instinctively, she pulled her knees to her chest and scrunched under the spread, but it all stopped. Shock filled her veins and she straightened. Was she still alive? Nothing trembled. No excess energy rushed through her. The weakness hadn’t swept over her. She pulled her arm out from under the covers and pinched it. Hope soared to Suzie’s heart like a rocket. She bounced out of bed.
She wanted to shout, Dr. Granger’s treatments work, to the rafters as she walked to the bathroom and brushed her teeth. What a glorious day, the best she’d awakened to in months, but she needed to settle down and focus on work. She dried her face then grabbed her swimsuit. The team needed U.S. swimmers. If only she had time to call Cammie now.
She tugged on her suit, wiggled into a pair of Bermuda shorts and a t-shirt, and glanced at the clock on her nightstand. She hurried down the stairs and out the door without a second to spare.
Within twenty minutes, she arrived at the Destin Community Club. Harold’s two-door yellow coupe sat in the parking lot. He charged out and headed toward her as the white bus pulled up, its brakes squealing. The door swung open, and the chattering kids bounded off, racing toward the playground.
Harold stared at the children with wide eyes. “Stop running. You’re gonna get hurt.” He rubbed a handkerchief over his thin, balding, black hair.
His unease ratchetted Suzie’s nerves a notch. Would the children sense his anxiety? She caught up to the swimmers. “Six-and-unders. At the pool.”
Harold flailed his arms. “Everyone else sit in a circle. We’re going to play doggie doggie where’s your bone.”
Suzie gasped. Did Harold have a clue?
/> Bob and Jay fast-stepped up to him. “If you want, we’ll start a game of ultimate Frisbee with the older kids.”
Suzie sighed with relief as Harold wiped his forehead. “Thank you,” he said.
The five and six year olds rushed to Suzie, huffing and puffing. Joey punched Melissa on the arm.
“Suzie. Make him stop,” she whined.
“Joey, cut it out.”
“I’s jest clownin’ around.” Joey cast his gaze to the ground and rubbed his foot in a circle.
“I know, but someone could get hurt. We have lots of work to do. I’m going to teach you to dive.” Without Matt, the youngsters seemed scattered like kids in a game of hide-and-seek with no home base. The sooner they busied their little hands the better.
“Dive?” Joey jumped back.
“Yes. Stay with Harold and behave until it’s time for your group.”
The youngest swimmers sat on the bleachers, stomping their feet, rattling the footing planks, and laughing.
“All right. Everyone to the deep end of the pool.”
“I wanna go first.” Rico, her demonstrator, puffed out his chest.
Anna rolled her eyes. “You always say that.”
“Stop fussing.” Suzie spoke with as much harshness as she could, trying to bring order to the children to make their practice meaningful. She glanced at Anna and Rico. Rico’s lips turned down like a basset hound. “If it’s really that important, Rico...”
“Yeah.” Happiness rang in his voice. “I can tell my mama I went first. She’s so busy taking Juan to football practice, helping Lori with her homework, and wiping Jose’s nose, I never have a chance to talk to her.”
Rico’s words pricked Suzie’s heart. “You can also tell her you’re becoming a fine swimmer.”
Rico’s face beamed.
Suzie pointed to the edge of the pool. “Line up and leave some space between each person.”
“Move over.” Alex, a stocky little guy with red hair and freckles swung his arm toward Rico. He was a quiet, obedient child until someone riled him. Then he barked like a little dog snapping at a larger one.
Rico cut his dark eyes at him. “All right, man. You don’ hafta push.” He stepped toward Anna.
Suzie blew her whistle. As much as the children seemed to need attention, they also needed to learn that hard work, dedication, and discipline paid off. That was her job. “Listen up. I want everyone to be very careful learning to dive.” The desire for them to catch on burned inside Suzie, but she couldn’t push them too fast. They were kids. “There’s no rush. It’s fine for six-and-under racers to jump in the water at a meet, so each of you can decide when you dive. First, hold your arms out straight then bring them together in front of you. Place one hand over the other.”
The kids slung their arms every which way.
“This way?” Melissa asked.
“It looks like a triangle.” Suzie demonstrated.
“I see the triangle,” Rico said.
“You’re lined up at the deep end because I don’t want you to hit your heads on the bottom of the pool. Don’t make a sound while I’m talking. You must learn correctly.”
The children fixed their gazes on her, their arms at their sides like little soldiers. Affection burst inside Suzie and turned into a smile.
“You’ll spring straight out into a shallow dive, like this.” Suzie extended her arm forward. “Not like this.” She pointed downward. “If you’re at the end of the pool where there’s only three feet of water, if you dive deep, you might conk your noggins.”
“Ouch.” Rico rubbed the top of his short hair.
Melissa teetered on the edge of the pool as Suzie said, “Get on tippy toes, lean forward, and push your bodies outward.”
Water splashed. Splats pierced the air.
Melissa shot into a good dive for a first attempt. She pulled herself up on the side of the pool and hopped out with a big grin. “That was fun. Can I do it again?”
Pride in the children swelled in Suzie’s chest. If the little ones dove at the meet, it would give them a head start over swimmers that jumped. “Absolutely. I want everyone to keep practicing.”
“Oooogh.” Rico and Alex climbed out and rubbed their stomachs.
Anna pulled on Suzie’s shirt. “Diving hurts your tummy.”
“It won’t if you do it right. I hope everyone dives perfectly, but if you don’t, belly flops are better than bonked skulls.”
The six-and-unders lined up and tried ten more dives. Little troopers.
Harold staggered over, looking as though he’d been in the spin cycle in a washing machine, but he grinned at the children. He squatted down and rested his palms on the tops of his knees. “Want to play doggie doggie where’s your bone?”
This time he asked the correct age group, and the kids hollered “Yeah!”
The six-and-unders left with Harold, and Suzie repeated the diving routine with the seven through ten year olds. Then the older children walked over, joking and clowning around, but underneath they needed the self-confidence that came from accomplishment. Suzie wanted with all her heart to give it to them.
“Line up four to a lane then swim your favorite stroke. We’re going to work on technique.”
Twelve-year-old Ray Sims hopped in the water in lane one and swam backstroke. His arms strayed too much to the side. Bob, swimming freestyle right behind Ray, needed to keep his feet closer to the surface, and Jay could pull more water if he cupped his hands.
Suzie observed the tweens and teens closely, noting the techniques she needed to correct for each of them. By then Harold plodded over with the younger children.
“Everyone take a seat. It’s nearly time for Ellie.”
The kids stomped onto the bleachers as Harold wiped his brow.
“Thank you for coming. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”
He slipped off his glasses and cleaned the lenses with his t-shirt. “Oh, it’s a challenge all right, but you’re welcome. It worked out fine. See ya.” He trod toward the playground. Had he left something there?
Ellie pulled in, the brakes squealing as the bus stopped.
The kids sprang out of their seats and charged to the parking lot.
“Walk. Don’t run.” Suzie caught up to the youngsters and instructed them to wait behind her while she spoke to Ellie. “Thanks for transporting the swimmers.”
The kids flipped their towels, shifted their weight from one foot to the other, and chattered among themselves until Suzie stopped talking then they started piling on board.
Ellie leaned toward Suzie. “You’re welcome. I’ll bring them to the first meet on June fourth. Most of the parents can’t take off for it, but they’re coming to the home meet.”
Great. Just her and a bunch of nervous kids who needed support they wouldn’t have. Suzie whipped printed directions to the upcoming competition out of her swim bag and climbed to the top step to hand them to Ellie. However chaotic Monday, June fourth, would be, this job would pay for her to see Dr. Granger. “Here ya go. We’re swimming the Willow Tree Barracudas.”
Ellie laughed. “It sounds fierce. I’m available that night to help.”
The load Suzie carried grew a bit lighter, and she smiled. One helper was better than none.
Ellie cocked a dark eyebrow. “Matt hates that he won’t be here.”
Ellie’s words rubbed Suzie’s nerves like sandpaper. “Thank you for volunteering. I’ll need someone to take the kids to the starting blocks.”
“I can do that. I know all the children very well. See you later.” Ellie pulled the lever and shut the door.
Suzie waved bye to poor Harold, who slumped in a seat at one of the picnic tables. He wiped his face with his handkerchief then held up his hand.
Suzie left for home. Just how chaotic would the meet be? Could she handle it with little to no help? What about this malady? Would it stay at bay until the meet ended?
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Suzie trudge
d into her apartment and flung the swim team folder on the navy sofa. The air conditioning hit her in the face, perking her up like a drooping flower just watered. Plopping down on the couch, she kicked off her flip-flops and glanced at her watch. The sooner she lined up a U.S. swimmer the better. She punched numbers on her cell phone.
“Good afternoon, The Sun Dial, Cammie speaking.”
“Hi, this is Suzie Morris. I’m calling to ask a rather strange question.”
“I’m curious. Shoot.”
“Where can I find U.S. swimmers to join the Okaloosa County Dolphins?”
“Most of them are already settled on summer league teams. No wait. It’s karma. John, our photographer’s, niece and nephew are coming to visit, and they swim. Is this the team the county started for children of service workers?”
Suzie’s heart sank. Maybe they wouldn’t want to join the ragtag bunch. “Yes. We have a great group of kids, but none of them have ever swum year-around.”
“Where do they practice?”
“Destin Community Club.”
“That’s convenient for John. I’ll send him a text as soon as we hang up then you call and fill him in.”
Suzie’s spirits lifted like fog from a morning. “Thanks so much.” She grabbed the notepad on the pine end table and wrote down John’s information. “I’ll be in touch soon about the articles.”
“Looking forward to it.”
They hung up, and Suzie counted to twenty, her fingers itching to tap John’s number. He should have Cammie’s text by now. She called and made arrangements for his niece and nephew to join the team on June eleventh. Irritation they couldn’t swim the first meet crawled over her skin, but at least the team would have them the rest of the summer.
“Say, I used to swim. Do you need help timing?” John asked.
A smile popped inside Suzie. “Do I ever. I’d consider it above and beyond the call if you brought the kids and worked the second meet.”
“No problem. I’ll see you then.”
The call ended. The phone vibrated then rang in Suzie’s hand. “This is Suzie.”
Barely Above Water Page 12
