Nadja went to her apartment to get the rest of Rainbow’s belongings, including her laptop. Rainbow felt a bit awkward while she was gone. She didn’t know enough German to chat with Hildegard, and Hildegard, who had turned the television on, didn’t seem to want to chat anyway. And so she simply sat on the couch and awaited Nadja’s return, trying not to let her discomfort show.
Once Nadja returned, the talk of swimming came up.
“I love swimming, but I don’t have a swimsuit,” Rainbow said.
Nadja informed her mother of this and her mother said, “She can swim in her bra and panties. No one will see her.”
Hildegard went to her room to put on her own suit, while Nadja put on the blue bikini she’d brought over for herself.
“Ooh,” said Rainbow, studying the tall, slender woman before her.
“That’s what I could say about your cute little matching bra and panty set. Even so, we’ll get you a suit soon.”
Hildegard emerged a moment later in a one-piece suit with abstract designs with bold shades of blues, purples, and blacks. The scarf had been removed from her hair, but her hair was still bound in a ponytail. She had a few towels under one arm and used the other to open the sliding glass door.
Nadja guided Rainbow out back as Hildegard placed the towels on the end of a lounge chair near the pool’s steps.
“This is so nice,” Rainbow said. “So there’s no pool at your apartment building?”
“’Fraid not,” Nadja said, telling her mother what she’d said.
Her mother almost laughed as she got into the pool and then turned around with her arms outstretched to help guide Rainbow into the pool.
“Oh, God,” said an unsteady Rainbow.
“You’ll be ok,” Nadja said as she guided Rainbow into the cool water from behind.
“Schwimmst du?” Hildegard asked, never having to catch her as she was fortunate enough not to fall as she slowly went down the pool steps.
“Sí… ja,” Rainbow quickly corrected herself.
With a laugh, Nadja told her mother she knew a lot of Spanish, Italian, and American Sign Language.
Once her panties were wet Rainbow thought they felt a bit big on her. “My undies are a bit loose since losing weight.”
Nadja translated.
“It’s hard to believe I was once thirty pounds heavier many years ago.”
After Nadja repeated this in German to her mother, her mother said, “I’m surprised you’re skinny. You’re American. Americans are usually heavy. I will see to it that you eat right while you’re with me and don’t get fat again.”
When Nadja finished translating for her mother, Rainbow spoke, making sure to use a sarcastic tone. “I usually work out. I’d be dead now and not a burden to either of you had I not been in such great shape before I nearly died.”
Hildegard had nothing to say to that one once it was translated.
Rainbow slowly moved away from the pool’s steps. “It’s nice to be able to walk around on my own even if being in four feet of water is the only way I can do it for now.”
Nadja spoke and Hildegard smiled faintly.
Rainbow casually took in the small yard that was made private by stockade fences. Outside the sliding glass door was a covered patio with a couple of lounge chairs and a small grill. A narrow cement walkway circled the pool. Along the sides of the pool were a variety of shrubs and flowers.
Hildegard began to speak.
“What?” Rainbow asked.
“She’s saying you ought to start from further out in the pool like where you are now with the water almost up to your neck, and then slowly walk as far as you can to the steps where it’s shallower.”
Nadja sat on the pool steps as Rainbow slowly made her way toward her. As she started getting close she fell under water and came up choking on the water she’d accidentally swallowed. Startled by the suddenness of it, she began to cry and cough.
“Quiet! The neighbors don’t need to hear you,” Nadja said, raising a hand as if to smack her.
“Nein!” said Hildegard, rushing over to them.
Nadja lowered her hand as Rainbow’s cries stopped.
Had she really been about to hit her? Rainbow wondered half-stunned.
Rainbow splashed Nadja.
Nadja splashed back.
A second later Hildegard came up behind her, slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her away from Nadja.
Nadja laughed as Rainbow began to try to slip free of Hildegard’s grasp. But the older woman held her firmly and amazed her with her strength.
Or was she just that weak?
Once they were about ten feet away from Nadja, Hildegard took hold of her hands and slowly pushed her away from her while continuing to keep hold of her.
“She’s telling you to kick your legs,” Nadja said.
Rainbow floated onto her stomach and tried to do just that, dismayed by how truly weak she still was. She tired in no time and was unable to reach the bottom with her toes. Hildegard could, though, because she was tall.
“No diving board,” Rainbow said out of breath, looking toward the far end of the pool.
“That’s because it’s not a diving pool,” Nadja said. “It’s shallow on the ends and only five feet deep in the center.”
Hildegard regarded them questioningly.
“She was wondering why there was no diving board,” Nadja told her in German.
“Pretty plants,” Rainbow said, pointing at the colorful flowers less than two feet from the pool’s edge.
With one arm around her waist to keep her from sinking, Hildegard used her free hand to point to each plant, naming the names of them, not that Rainbow would have remembered even if she’d said them in English. Then, deciding she’d had enough excitement for the day, they all agreed to get out of the pool.
Rainbow looked down and quickly covered her breasts. “I didn’t realize just how transparent this bra would be when wet! I may as well have been swimming topless.”
Nadja laughed and Rainbow got the feeling that Hildegard understood the point she’d been making, though she didn’t seem uncomfortable in any way.
“Relax,” Nadja said, “we’re all women.”
Once inside Hildegard gave Nadja what sounded like a series of orders, one of which consisted of helping her into the shower in the half-bath off the kitchen, and then back out of it when she called to let her know she was done.
“She wants to know if you like fish,” Nadja said when she was helping her dry off from her shower.
“I do,” said Rainbow.
“Will you be ok getting dressed?”
“Sure,” Rainbow said.
“I’m going to help mom prepare dinner then.”
“Ok.”
Nadja kissed Rainbow on the nose and left her to towel dry her long locks while she sat on the closed toilet lid with another towel wrapped around her. Not long afterward, Hildegard stepped through the partially open door with a pair of scissors in hand. She said something in German and indicated that she thought Rainbow could use a haircut.
“Ok,” said Rainbow with a nod of her head as Nadja came to join them.
Nadja and her mother spoke and then Nadja said, “She thinks it would be easier if you cut your hair.”
“I don’t mind either way,” said Rainbow.
“She said she doesn’t mind,” Nadja told her mother in German. “Let’s just wait a bit, though, ok?”
Hildegard shrugged and left the bathroom, scissors still in hand.
Rainbow nodded and gazed into Nadja’s eyes. Nadja came toward her and kissed her, this time on the lips, and Rainbow felt things she’d never thought she’d ever again feel.
And then Hildegard called them for dinner and ruined the moment.
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