The Diving Pool: Three Novellas, Yoko Ogawa
book-japan
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Aya lives with her parents in the Christian orphanage they run, called the House of Light. Many children live there, having arrived after the death of their parents, abandonment, or removal from families affected by violence and addiction.
The girl falls in love with Jun, who grows up beside her, becoming physically mature as their former childhood closeness turns into desire. Aya regularly and secretly comes to the swimming pool to watch his training from hiding, fascinated by his body, his discipline and the precision of his movements.
At the same time, Aya torments little Rie, the youngest girl in the orphanage, leaving her with a sense of abandonment, helplessness and fear.
THE POOL
Jun stands motionless at the end of the diving board. His feet grip the rough surface, his calves are tense, his arms raised high. Everything converges into a single, clean line.
The movement begins in the feet, passes through the knees, hips and back. In the air, the body changes shape: the back arches, the arms close in, the knees draw up toward the chest. For a fraction of a second, the figure hangs vertically between the ceiling and the water.
The hands enter first. The water parts narrowly, closes around the arms, head, torso and legs, and the figure disappears without a trace. Only a brief opening in the surface remains, widening circles and bright bubbles descending into the depths.
A moment later, Jun surfaces. Wet hair clings to his forehead, drops run down his neck and shoulders. The dive is over, but for a moment the skin and muscles still remember its shape.
In the House of Light, he is one of many quiet children. At the pool, he regains his own form and, for a few seconds, belongs entirely to himself.
Aya lives with her parents in the Christian orphanage they run, called the House of Light. Many children live there, having arrived after the death of their parents, abandonment, or removal from families affected by violence and addiction.
The girl falls in love with Jun, who grows up beside her, becoming physically mature as their former childhood closeness turns into desire. Aya regularly and secretly comes to the swimming pool to watch his training from hiding, fascinated by his body, his discipline and the precision of his movements.
At the same time, Aya torments little Rie, the youngest girl in the orphanage, leaving her with a sense of abandonment, helplessness and fear.
THE POOL
Jun stands motionless at the end of the diving board. His feet grip the rough surface, his calves are tense, his arms raised high. Everything converges into a single, clean line.
The movement begins in the feet, passes through the knees, hips and back. In the air, the body changes shape: the back arches, the arms close in, the knees draw up toward the chest. For a fraction of a second, the figure hangs vertically between the ceiling and the water.
The hands enter first. The water parts narrowly, closes around the arms, head, torso and legs, and the figure disappears without a trace. Only a brief opening in the surface remains, widening circles and bright bubbles descending into the depths.
A moment later, Jun surfaces. Wet hair clings to his forehead, drops run down his neck and shoulders. The dive is over, but for a moment the skin and muscles still remember its shape.
In the House of Light, he is one of many quiet children. At the pool, he regains his own form and, for a few seconds, belongs entirely to himself.
