Midge and the Dive

“Hey Jake!” called Booker-T as he and Midge entered Jake’s yard.

“Hey Jake!” called Midge. “Where are you?”

“I’m back here!” called Jake as he came around the side of the house to join Midge and Booker-T.

“What are you doing?” asked Midge.

“I was eating my breakfast,” said Jake. “You are early. What is going on today?”

“Oh Jake,” said Booker-T shaking his head. “You won’t believe what Midge wants to do now?”

“What does she want to do now?” asked Jake.

“You don’t want to ask that,” said Booker-T.

“I can think of things to do if I think hard,” said Midge.

“Oh, that I know,” said Jake. “What are you wanting to do this time? You have tried roller skating and that was a disaster.”

“Those wheels wouldn’t stand still for me to get the skates rolling,” said Midge. “I really tried by my feet just took off and went out from under me.”

“And there was the time you tried riding the sled down the hill,” said Booker-T. “You went into the snow bank head first. You did look funny with your legs waving in the air.”

“Ha ha,” said Midge. “it was fun going down the hill, I couldn’t make it stop and when it hit that rock at the bottom it suddenly stopped and I went flying into the snow bank. I was okay.”

“Yes you were okay,” said Jake. “Remember the time you decided to ride the go-cart?”

“I wasn’t alone in the go-cart,” said Midge. “I was in it with my owner’s nephew. I was safe with him.”

“I know,” said Jake. “I’m almost afraid to ask. What are you wanting to do this time?”

“It will be so much fun Jake,” said Midge.

“You said it would be so much fun to sneak into the water park and ride the slide,” said Jake. “we got into trouble.”

“This will be better Jake,” said Midge.

“Do you want to tell me what it is, one of you?” asked Jake.

“I’m not talking,” said Booker-T. “Midge needs to tell you what she wants to do.”

“Okay,” agreed Jake looking at Midge.

“She wants to go diving,” blurted out Booker-T.

“Diving?” said Jake with a startled look on his face. “How do you think you will get in the plane?”

“Not that kind of diving?” said Midge. “I want to dive into the water from the high dive at the new pool they put in near the school.”

“That is a very high diving board,” said Jake. “How are you going to dive from that?”

“I’m going to climb up the ladder to the top and walk out on the board,” said Midge. “When I get to the end of the board, I’ll jump.”

“I don’t think it is that easy,” said Jake, a little surprised. “I think if you aren’t careful, hitting the water can hurt.”

“I think it will be okay,” said Midge. “Lets go check out the pool.”

“Do you remember what happened when you tried to fly?” asked Booker-T. “You hit that ground pretty hard when you jumped off the hill.”

“But I won’t hit the ground at the pool,” assured Midge. “I will be jumping into water.”

“I heard water can be pretty hard if you don’t hit it right,” said Jake. “Do you really want to take that chance?”

“Sure,” smiled Midge. “Come on, lets go. I will do it good.”

“Okay, Midge,” said Jake shaking his head.

“Are you going to let her do this crazy thing?” asked Booker-T.

“You know Midge when she has her mind made up,” said Jake. “There is no stopping her.”

“Hey guys!” said Gabby as she swooped in and landed on the fence. “What is Midge going to try this time?”

“She wants to dive off the high dive at the pool into the water,” said Jake.

“That should be easy,” said Gabby.

“See there,” smiled Midge. “Gabby thinks I can do it.”

“That should be easy for a good diver,” said Gabby. “But you aren’t experienced in diving Midge. Why do you want to do it?”

“I thought you were on my side,” said Midge.

“You just didn’t let me finish what I was saying,” said Gabby. “Do you really want to do this?”

“You can get hurt,” said Booker-T. “What happens if you break a leg?”

“I won’t break a leg,” said Midge. “Watch me and I will show you. I’ve been watching those shows on TV with my owner.”

“What shows?” asked Jake.

“The Olympics and the diving team,” said Midge. “Now lets go.”

“Okay,” said Jake reluctantly as they all headed to the pool.

When they got to the pool, there were five young people swimming. They went to the edge of the pool and sat down to watch them swim. One of the older girls climbed out of the pool at the end and climbed the ladder to the top and walked carefully out onto the end of the board. She stood a moment staring into the water and breaking deeply. She inched closer to the edge of the board. She moved up and down and then leaped from the board into the air. She changed position with her body while in the air and as her body neared the water, he arms were stretched above her head and her feet were out straight behind her. She hit the water, arms first and went into the water with her entire body. In a few minutes she swam to the top of the water waving her arms.

“Can you dive like that?” asked Jake. “Putting your front paws out this way and your back legs out that way?”

“I can do that,” smiled Midge.

“Lets keep watching her and when she leaves, you can try,” said Jake.

“You going to let her do it?” asked Booker-T.

“Yes,” said Jake. “You know she is going to do it anyway.”

After about three more dives into the pool, the young people walked away, leaving the animals sitting there staring at the pool. Midge slowly walked toward the diving board. She stood a moment and turned to face Booker-T and Jake. “Okay,” said Midge. “I’m going to try this.”

She started up the ladder to the top, taking each step slowly. As she reached the top, she looked down at Booker-T and Jake. She could feel her heart beating against her chest as she stepped onto the board. She slowly walked to the end of the board, her breathing was quick and deep as she got to the end of the board. She looked down into the water. “Oh wow!” thought Midge. “It is so far down.”

She started to jump up and down a little and felt the board moving beneath her feet. After the third time going up, she leaped into the air out away from the board and quickly lowered her head and she looked like she was laying down in the air. She quickly went down toward the water and hit the water hard. “Ouch!” she said when she got herself to the edge of the pool.

Jake and Booker-T ran to where she climbed out of the water. “What happened?” asked Booker-T.

“I don’t know,” said Midge. “I did what that girl did.”

“You did what I heard people call a belly flop,” laughed Jake. “Are you okay?”

“I think I’m okay,” said Midge blinking her eyes and shaking each leg to make sure it was working.

“Do you want to try again?” asked Jake.

“Oh, no,” said Midge. “I’m done. Lets go home.”

Midge started across the school yard with Jake and Booker-T coming behind her.