a short story by Robert Carr

Viliami was ten years old and was on his way to school.

"Today I'll do it," he thought to himself. It had rained the previous day, and there was the usual huge brown puddle in the High School grounds. Viliami stood on the grass and took off his sandals. He walked toward the puddle quickly -- not running, but long strides. He tried to feel light, skimming across the ground. There was almost no pressure as his feet touched the soft grass. Now he came to the puddle. It was about three metres across. He glided into the shallow brown water, the morning sun warm on his neck. Could it be possible .. yes! He was touching the water so lightly …

"Viliami!" He stopped and looked round, his toes touching the muddy bottom of the puddle. "Wait for me!" It was his best friend Sione, running towards him. Sione came into the puddle with him, and they passed across, talking of other busy things. Later, Viliami wondered. Had he done it? He tried to remember the feel of the water under his feet. He had felt so light, almost floating as he crossed the grass. But he could not be sure.

Seven years passed. Viliami had passed through the High School and had won a scholarship. Soon he would be off to New Zealand to study Physics at the University. He saw the future stretch before him, as he prepared to glide away from his childhood.

He had never quite succeeded in floating across the puddle. As he had grown older he began to feel heavier, clumsier. He knew it would not work. And of course, at high school he wore the tupenu: you can't glide across puddle wearing a tupenu. But he never quite forgot. Surely it could be done if you were somehow feeling right … he just instinctively knew it was possible.

Well, soon he would be away. He went to his uncle and asked to borrow the small fishing boat. No, he didn't want anyone to go with him. He wanted to say good-bye to the lagoon in his own way, his own time. His family knew him to be a bit of a dreamer. They let him have the boat. On a fine Saturday morning he motored slowly across the lagoon, well away from the shore.

The sea perfectly calm. There was no wind. He could see no other boats, and the shore was deserted. The water watched him silently.

Viliami switched of the engine and sat quietly, dreaming of the future. He would study and qualify as a teacher. He would come back to Tonga and find a nice girl. Lots of girls would want to marry a teacher. He would be respected by his family. All this he could see, and he was striding forward -- big strides, his feet hardly touching the ground …

Viliami stood up in the boat and stepped off onto the water, with no difficulty at all. He dared not stop. He took five more steps, curved around and walked back to the boat. He stepped in, and the boat rocked under his weight. He sat down.

Sitting there under the bright blue sky, Viliami felt strange, strange. His heart was beating quickly, his breathing was fast and excited. He recapture the feeling of walking on water. He had been so light: no pressure on his feet. He felt the soles of his feet. They were wet. His legs were perfectly dry.

When he had calmed down he went home.

Two weeks later he flew away, ready to begin his studies of the laws of nature.

©1997 Robert Carr
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