Diving Story for Christmas: Underwater World - Discover Scuba Diving

Written by Yuliia Kliusa
10/11/2023 09:06:58 en stories | 3 comments

The day had dawned overcast. The weather report announced an easterly storm and waves of more than four meters. Martin Rivadavia...

Martín Rivadavia, dressed in a hooded raincoat and waterproof pants, once again checked the weather forecast on his cell phone. He clicked his tongue when he realized that the Underwater World would not be able to leave the port. He thought about what to do. Your thing would be to clean the boat, leave the decks spotless. But the cold was gripping him and his bad mood was beginning to take its toll on him. «I will sleep all day. Yes, that's what I'll do, he told himself.

—Hey, captain!

Martín Rivadavia turned around. On the dock was his partner Sandra Soler, bundled up to the eyebrows. Only her beautiful green eyes were visible.

—What are you doing these holidays? —he asked him.

—I was thinking of going sailing, but you see what's going on, so I'll stay here dozing like a bear in its den until your brother deigns to send us clients.

—Well, you already have one.

-When?

—For Christmas morning.

—Don't tell me someone wants to dive that day.

—It's about my grandfather.

-Your grandfather? —Martin raised his eyebrows in surprise. How old are you?

-Eighty. And he has never dived, although it is his greatest dream. You see, he has a daughter in love with the sea and the underwater world and he has never had a moment for it. My brother and I thought it would be a good Christmas gift for him. What do you think?

—I think it's never too late to start diving, so go ahead for me.

—But if you had other plans we left it. Maybe these holidays you were planning to get on a plane and go to Buenos Aires to meet your family.

—Ah, no, what's going on. “No one is waiting for me in Buenos Aires,” Martín mumbled with his head down.

—Well, then we'll push it forward.

—Okay, I'll be here. Let's hope the weather improves,” said Martín with a grim expression.

The morning of Christmas Day was shining brightly. The cold had taken a break. Martín drank a strong coffee and prepared the equipment. Around nine o'clock Sandra arrived accompanied by a tall, thin man with gray hair and green eyes like the girl's. He was wearing a tabard from the last century and gray corduroy pants.

—Come on, grandfather, on board.

—Oh, daughter, what a trap you have prepared for me.

-What are you saying! But if you were looking forward to it. Look, meet Captain Martín Rivadavia.

—Are you the famous Argentine?

—As well as famous..., your granddaughter exaggerates.

—My name is Joaquim, Quim for my friends.

—It's a pleasure to meet you. —Martín shook his hand.

—Sandra won't stop telling me about her adventures with you, with this boat, on the high seas. He has great appreciation for him.

"Enough of the chatter, Grandpa," Sandra cut in, a little uncomfortable. Martín, head towards Garraf.

-Immediately.

The Underwater World made a purring sound that sounded like heavenly music to Martín. Minutes later, the ship left the port through the south entrance.

Sandra entered the command room with an energy bar in her hand.

—I bring you a chocolate and caramel one, your favorite.

-Thank you. Hey, your grandfather... I guess he's in good health.

—A doctor has given you a general checkup following the standard questionnaire. It's suitable for the activity, Martín, don't worry. He is strong as a bull. But still, there is mandatory insurance that covers any emergency situation. Safety is the most important thing in our job.

-That's how it is.

—Of course, he is nervous as a custard.

—It's normal, but you know that nerves soon pass. Then everything is to enjoy.

—Do you still remember your first baptism?

“As if it were yesterday,” Martín said with a hint of nostalgia.

—Let's put on the suit.

—Yes, we'll be there right away.

Sandra and her grandfather equipped themselves with a neoprene suit with booties to protect themselves from the water, fins to swim with their feet, a ballast system - weights -, a compressed air bottle with its air regulator and the alternative, a mask with a tube and a vest. for buoyancy control.

Martín anchored with two anchors in Garraf Bay and checked the equipment for the last time.

-All right. Mr. Quim, your granddaughter is your instructor. You must follow her wherever she goes and have eye contact to understand her signals.

—Yes, I have already explained to you what the gestures indicate: “everything is fine”, “we are going in that direction”, “we are going up”, “we are going down” and others.

"I already know them by heart," Quim assured.

—The rhythm of breathing should be relaxed and slow. During the dive, be calm to avoid rapid oxygen consumption. Do not swim with your hands, leave them at the side of your body, so as not to make physical effort; To swim, use your foot fins.

—Understood, captain.

—One last thing, grandfather. You have to cover your nose with your thumb and index finger, like this, to compensate for your ears, for every meter of depth we go down.

—But are you going to take me to the Mariana Trench? —Quim asked, jokingly.

—Almost, grandfather. "You'll see," Sandra joked.

—As you will go down to about five meters, it will not be necessary to make intermediate stops, but follow your granddaughter's instructions; She has a hand watch with all the dive data.

—Now I'm going to adjust your jacket so that you can have adequate buoyancy underwater and not go up and down. Ready!

—How long is this going to last, daughter? —Quim asked, his voice breaking with emotion.

—Well, until the air bottle is practically exhausted, between forty and fifty minutes. They will go away quickly, you'll see.

—Well, captain, it has been a pleasure meeting you, I say this in case we never see each other again.

—We'll see you soon, Mr. Quim.

—I remember that the time I was in Buenos Aires I ate a complete barbecue, with meat, ribs, chorizos and chinchulines... How I enjoyed it! What was the name of the restaurant? Now I don't remember...

-Grandfather! I'm getting hungry! The water! —Sandra urged.

—One last question before I say goodbye. Do you know a good Argentine restaurant in Barcelona, Mr. Rivadavia?

-Only one.

—Well, on the way back he gives me a piece of paper with the address.

-With great pleasure. Good baptism! —Martín waited for Sandra and her grandfather to submerge before returning to the bridge. He stared at the energy bar he had left on his logbook. Ah…, I think that snack will be my menu for Christmas lunch,” he said to himself out loud.

Fifty minutes later, Sandra and her grandfather surfaced. Martín helped them get on board. Quim couldn't stop shaking, nervous.

—Don't worry, sir, I'll take off the mask..., that's it.

—It was fantastic! You..., you have been down there many times and you know it, what can I tell you! How calm, how tranquil!

"We've seen octopuses, cuttlefish, starfish..." Sandra spoke, excited.

—And dolphins! Four dolphins! Fantastic!

—I'm glad you liked it, Mr. Quim.

—Leave the lord thing for someone else! Now I'm just Quim.

—Grandpa, Martín is Argentine, he is going to call you or you even if you don't want to, it's his way of being.

—What plans do you have for Christmas lunch, Martín? —Quim asked.

—Plans? None. I'll eat here, on the boat.

—None of that! You come with us! We're going to an Argentine restaurant!

—But grandfather, my brother is waiting for us at his house...

—No, no, we have to celebrate my baptism, damn it! Let's eat an Argentinian, one of those that Martín knows!

—I don't know, sir, I'm not in the habit of...

Sandra stared at Martín and begged him with her eyes, squinting her pretty green eyes, to accept.

-Alright.

-Great! Brilliant! -Quim exclaimed-. Today I'm going to take out the pain!

—In moderation, grandfather, you will eat in moderation, otherwise the doctor will give you a hard time.

—Eat in moderation in an Argentinian? Martin, tell my granddaughter that that is not possible, especially on Christmas Day!

—Your grandfather is right. How many will we be? I say this to reserve the table.

-Six. My parents, my grandfather, my brother, you and me.

—Thank you for this gift, daughter. —Quim hugged Sandra and gave her two kisses on the cheeks.

—You're welcome, grandpa. —Sandra's face lit up with a big smile.

Martín ordered the table and then headed towards Barcelona. He glanced at the energy bar, picked it up and put it in the raincoat that he had hanging on a chair. "I'll eat it, but not today," he said to himself, happily.

Jaume Ballester. 2020.

Brief review of the author:

Jaume Ballester (Badalona, 1971) began writing as a child, and by the time he was twenty he had already written more than ten books, all of them still unpublished. He began his literary career in 2015 with Paro, a novel based on testimonies of unemployed people. In 2019 he published the anthology of short stories The Rat Boy and Other Macabre Tales.

www.jaumeballester.blogspot.com