Sighing, I stood up. “We’ve relaxed for long enough. It’s time to have some fun.”
Myth remained seated, admiring the view.
I walked over to a boulder a few feet behind her. Taking off my boots, I set them on top of the rock. Then I began untying the straps on the back of my dress.
“What di…” said Myth as she turned around to look at me.
She never finished her sentence. Because I had finished undressing down to my undergarments and was now folding my dress. Based upon the look of surprise on her face, I would guess that she had forgotten what she was going to say.
“Um, Izzy,” said Myth once she had recovered from her shock. “What sort of fun did you have in mind?”
I finished folding my dress and laid it on the boulder.
“This,” I said.
Without hesitating, I ran to the edge of the bluff and leaped off it. I scrunched myself into a ball—my knees pulled up to my tummy and my arms clasped together around my legs.
“AIEEEEE!” I cried out.
I plummeted towards the water as my tummy desperately tried to catch up with the rest of my body.
Splash! I hit the surface of the lake. And I kept going down, my body momentarily stunned to find itself immersed in cool water. Then I let go of my legs and kicked downwards, propelling myself back to the surface.
I gasped as soon as my head emerged from the water.
“My gods!” I heard Myth shout from above me. “Are you okay?”
I wiped the water from my eyes and shouted back, “Now that was fun!”
Treading water, I looked up at Myth and smiled.
She was clutching her chest and appeared to be hyperventilating. “Gods, Izzy! You scared me!”
“Oh, don’t be so fussy,” I called back.
“What if the water hadn’t been deep enough?”
That comment made me pause—I had not thought of that. Still, logic was not going to ruin my fun.
“Well,” I said, “it was deep enough. And it was a blast! You should try it. Come on. The water feels terrific.”
“What!” Myth exclaimed. “You want me to strip down to my smallclothes and jump off a bluff.”
“Uh-huh. It’s fun! I promise.”
Myth looked around. “What if someone sees me undressing?”
“Myth, we’re in the middle of nowhere. Who is going to see you in your undergarments?”
“You will,” said Myth.
“We’ve been travelling together for months,” I replied. “I’ve already seen you in your undergarments, so why does it bother you now? Although, I do think it’s adorable how bashful you’re being.”
“I don’t care if you see me in my smallclothes. It’s just…” Myth groaned. “The idea of someone watching me undress disturbs me. It always has.”
“Well, then,” I said, “there’s a simple solution: I won’t watch you.”
“Do you promise?”
“I swear,” I replied.
And I was as good as my word. I swam around and did not look towards the bluff until I heard Myth say, “Okay. I’m ready.”
“Good,” I replied as I turned to watch her. “Now, jump!”
Myth tarried at the edge of the bluff, her long legs slowly bronzing in the sun.
Personally, I think that was a mistake. When you hesitate, you start to think about all the bad things that can happen. It’s better to leap without thinking. That way, your brain has no choice but to go along with you. Remember that, Buster. It’s a valuable life lesson.
“Jump!” I insisted. “Jump!”
Eventually, Myth did jump. And she shrieked the whole way down.
Spluttering, Myth emerged from the depths of the lake.
I swam over to her. “See. Wasn’t that fun?”
“I’m alive, right?” Myth asked me.
Splashing her, I said, “Oh! Stop being such an old woman. Just relax and enjoy yourself.”
But Myth persisted in acting like a granny. She kept looking around nervously as we treaded water. “You don’t think there are any eels in here, do you?”
“Um, maybe,” I replied. “Why? Are you afraid of eels?”
“It’s not eels in particular,” said Myth. “But the thought of some slimy creature slithering against my legs…” She shuddered.
“Stop worrying so much,” I told her. As I said this, I thought of an absolutely fantastic joke I could play on Myth. Oh! It was such a brilliant idea that I could barely stop myself from giggling.
I swam a few yards away from Myth. Then I turned towards her and smiled. “Now, let’s have some fun”—I gasped suddenly—“Something just brushed against me!”
Myth’s eyes almost popped out. “Iz—”
“It’s wrapping itself around my legs!” I shrieked. “Get it—Help!” I started to sink beneath the surface as my arms flailed above my head.
“Izzy!” cried Myth.
Just before my head went under, I saw Myth swimming frantically towards me. And then—nothing but murky water.
Submerged, I heard Myth shouting. She might have been screaming my name, but the water muffled the sound too much for me to be certain.
Keeping my eyes open, I swam towards her voice. It was not easy to see anything amid the greenish-brown water, but I kept looking. Then, as I was running out of breath, I glimpsed what I was searching for—one of Myth’s toes. Stifling a giggle, I reached out my hand and grabbed hold of her toe.
Not even the water could deaden the ferocity of Myth’s shriek.
I reemerged from the depths, gasping and giggling all at once.
“You brat!” roared Myth. She grabbed hold of my shoulders and dunked me under the water.
I popped back up to the surface ready for a fight, splashing water at Myth as fast as I could.
We splashed and dunked one another for quite a while. Both of us laughed and shrieked the whole time.
But exhaustion eventually forced us to call a truce.
Myth reclined upon the lake, using her hands to tread water as her head and toes rose above the surface. I followed suit, positioning myself so that our heads were side by side and our bodies faced opposite directions. Together, we gazed up at the sky.
“Kak! Kak! Kak!” screeched a falcon as it glided by overhead.
“I wonder what that falcon thinks we are,” I said.
“Either food or a threat probably,” replied Myth.
“No, you misunderstood me. Do we look like ants to him? You know—tiny things scurrying around while he soars through the heavens.”
“Hmm,” uttered Myth. “We’ll never know, Iz. But flying like he does would be fun, wouldn’t it?”
“Oh, absolutely.”
Myth gulped some water into her mouth and then spouted it out like a geyser.
“Kak! Kak! Kak!” cried the falcon.
…Now that, Buster, was an absolutely wonderful day.