annanotbob2's Diaryland Diary

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Bella gets in the sea

Today at writing group we were invited to choose a song title and follow where it led us. They were all on the theme of new as this was our first session of the new year. I chose to visit my characters Bella and Ida and see how the new year was going with them.
“Bella and Ida were at the beach again. It was January 1st, 11.30am, Worthing, south coast, brisk northerly wind, cold as fuck.
Bella had thought long and hard about this. She needed a change – not in her situation – this was great, the best she’d known. She loved living with her friend Paul and his grandmother Ida, and Paul was so brilliant at managing money that even surviving on Universal Credit was doable. No, she wanted the change to be in her. She had to change. Living with Ida had opened her eyes. Ida was in her 70s and had done sod all in her life except wait on her bully of a husband. Now he’d died she was determined to squeeze a whole lifetime of experience into the years she had left and Bella felt shamed by it. She had to do something, stop cowering in corners, step out, live! Words which were easy enough to think but what did they mean? Do what? Step out where?
As soon as she’d told Ida, Ida was excited, almost rubbing her hands together, jumping up and down with glee.
“Swimming! Come with me and get in the sea! That’ll wake you up, change your perspective, shock you into something new.”
Bella’s first instinct had been to run away, far, far away, but she hadn’t. She’d let Ida buy her a cheap swimsuit and borrow some beach shoes and gloves and now here they were, on a January beach, contemplating taking their clothes off. The sea was grey and flat, just a little plop of a wave breaking on the stones, squawks of seagulls circling overhead, laughing, it seemed.
“It will be cold, shockingly cold, I won’t pretend otherwise. It will hurt, but if you keep walking – which you will, Bella, won’t you? – it will stop hurting and it’ll be great!
“Now, don’t just chuck your clothes down anyhow, you’ll need to get dressed quickly so have them the right way in, and leave the towel on top. OK? Right, let’s do this!” Ida started kicking off her boots and unzipping her puffa coat.
Bella’s heart was pounding hard in her chest – could she do this? People on the prom had not only coats, but hats, scarves, gloves, all wrapped up against the cold. This was madness.
“Come on, love. I promise you’ll love it and you know I wouldn’t lie.”
OK. Bella quickly started tearing off her clothes – she was already wearing her swimsuit and beach shoes – as she kicked off her jeans she headed straight for the water, not waiting for Ida, quick before she changed her mind. First step, nothing, second foot in, still nothing. On she went and the water crept its icy fingers into her shoes and it was COLD, but she had some speed up now and it was up her legs and up onto her middle and “Keep going!” shouted Ida behind her and Bella took a deep breath and ducked down so her shoulders were under water then jumped back up. Fuck, fuck FUCK, it’s freezing, this is mad, why are we doing this – she wanted to say but her breath had suddenly left her body and no words came, but here was Ida, holding her hands, looking into her eyes, “It’s OK, breathe slow and steady, deep breath in… and out… and again,” and then she could breathe again and although it was still cold, really fucking cold, it didn’t hurt and she could talk. “Ida! I’m in the sea! I’ve never been in the sea before, not right in, not even in summer! And here I am in January! I’m in the sea!”
Ida smiled fondly. “I knew you’d like it.”
Bella tipped over onto her back and let her feet float to the surface. She was in the sea. In January. Man – she could do anything!
“OK, that’s enough. You can’t stay in long – out we get.” As they walked up the beach Bella saw that Ida was bright red – her whole body – she looked down and she was the same, arms and legs glowing like a lobster. She giggled and raised her arms, “Look at me!” She’d never said that before, not once in her life. Blimey. Whatever next.”

11:45 p.m. - 08.01.24

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