TRUTH PINÃTA
PRESENT DAY
In the watery light of day, Catherine stripped down to her swimwear and wriggled her toes in the dewy grass. The cool morning air prickled her skin with goosebumps, and she wrapped her Dryrobe tighter around herself.
The Dryrobe had been another thoughtful gift from Penny, the woman who anticipated Catherine’s needs before she’d even realised them herself.
Perhaps she shouldn’t have given up on Penny so easily. But perhaps she’d never really had a choice; Penny had fallen in love with someone else, after all.
A small group of swimmers — three older women and a man — were already wading into the river, gasping as the fresh water lapped their bare skin. She used to watch these sorts of people with concern, wondering why anyone would want to swim in the river when there was a perfectly good swimming pool nearby, without the hazardsof rocks, reeds, and any other unsanitary things that might be adrift in the British waterways.
However, after a while, her concern had turned to curiosity. She observed people emerging from the fresh water invigorated in a way she’d never seen at the local leisure centre — the only glow one got there came from irritated skin courtesy of the chlorinated water.
When she’d first suggested wild swimming to Penny, her friend had looked at her sideways. But within a fortnight, Penny had done some research, bought them both Dryrobes, and they hadn’t looked back since. If too much time had passed, Catherine longed for the sharp gasp of air as the icy water jolted every nerve awake.
She closed her eyes and tipped her face to the pale-yellow sun streaking the sky with the pinky-promise of a nice day.
“Oi oi, Dryrobe wanker!” Penny panted up alongside her, breaking the moment’s reverie.
“You’re wearing yours, too.” Catherine beamed at the sight of her dishevelled friend and leaned in to kiss her rosy cheeks.
“Sorry to have kept you waiting, babe. Lawrence got home last night, and?—”
Catherine held up a hand. “Spare me the details.”
“There are no details to spare; I just couldn’t get back to sleep with all his snoring.” Penny sat on the bench to pull off her yoga pants.
The two of them piled their belongings at the end of the picnic table and hobbled along the grassy bank to the water’s edge.
“It’s going to be freezing,” said Penny, rubbing her arms.
“It’s good for us; reminds us we’re alive.”
“What does that even mean?”
Catherine tilted her head at the question. “It’s just something people say, isn’t it? I suppose it’s about mindfulness, remembering to be present and live in the moment. Like meditation, but wetter.”
“Or perhaps it’s that once you’ve felt how cold the water is, you know you couldn’t possibly be dead?”
Catherine scoffed a laugh, and in a rush of affection for her cynical friend, she hugged her arm. “Think of all the endorphins; you’ll be in a great mood after this. Maybe you’ll even forgive Lawrence for snoring.”
“Not likely, but he’s taking me out to dinner tonight, so that might make up for it.”
“Right, here goes.” Catherine released Penny’s arm and waded in. The cold gripped her ankles, but she pushed past the initial pain and took long strides into the river. The water squeezed around her middle, pushing the air to the top of her lungs until it caught in her throat. She slowly let the water support her weight until her shoulders were submerged, then she lightly kicked off from the riverbed. Once her breathing relaxed, the gentle flow of the river pulled the thoughts from her mind, and calm descended over her.
Blossom, bees, birdsong… and Penny thrashing through the water.
“Jesus H. Christ. I think my tits have frozen. They’re like a couple of iced buns, look.” Penny thrust her chestthrough the surface, exposing the taut fabric of her swimsuit over pebble-hard nipples. Catherine laughed and gave her a light splash.
“Loz says we’re mad, by the way, and on this one isolated occasion, I think he might be right.”
“It’s lovely.” Catherine sculled through the water, taking in the lush green surroundings. “Peaceful,” she added. Penny seemed to take the hint, and for a blissful moment, soft silence rippled between them.
“Very mindful, very demure.” Penny sucked in a deep breath and exhaled with a hum.
Catherine prised one eye open and looked at her peace-shattering friend, which Penny took as a cue to resume conversation.
“So, how’s your hungry little pussy doing?”
