Sunday Morning Drama

My baby and I are in the shallow end of the pool. It's a windy day, and because it rained so hard yesterday, the pool has more mud and leaves in it than usual.

I am just about making up my mind to get out when the Lifeguard and a Security guard come rushing up towards the pool, shouting terse instructions to us to get out of the pool.

I grab Peanut and the two of us are out in a flash - my heart is beating fast because I've already spotted the cause of alarm - it's a snake that's entered the pool and is gliding along with some speed to the other side.

It's some distance away from us and we're out already so I feel relieved - until I realize that my husband is still in the pool. I scan the pool with worried eyes for him and am shocked to realize that he's still in it - oblivious floating on his back, with occasional lazy strokes with his long arms propelling him backwards - right towards the snake.

I am shouting his name, over and over again - the lifeguard and security guard are nearer him and they are also shouting at him. He doesn't hear any of us, he's in his own world, just floating, enjoying the Sunday morning backstroke. I think he briefly spots the lifeguard waving frantically at him, but appears to mistake it for a friendly greeting, because he just carries on regardless.

He is a mere five feet away from the snake and I am beginning to really panic -I continue to shout, while resolving to myself in a fairly detached manner that if the snake doesn't bite him to death today, I will.

Luckily, the snake is swimming much faster than him and passes him by, emerging on the other side of the pool - turns out to be this really, really huge lizard-iguana-type thing - the lifeguard runs towards it with a stick and tries to beat it - although I'm not sure what that would have achieved - but misses, and it scampers off into the nearby plants and disappears.

At this point, Vijay reaches the shallow end of the pool and sees me glowering at him, clutching a bemused Peanut at the edge of the pool. He casually asks 'Kya hua?' while the security guard, Peanut and I all look at him with a fair amount of disbelief.

That's my man.