Traumatic Childhood Memories

(Just letting any reader know that I will be starting a series labeled "Traumatic Childhood Memories" which will have many parts to it. As always, thank you so much for taking your time to read. Any feedback is appreciated!)

I remember a long while back, when I was very little there was this creek we'd always got out to with my ex-father's friends as a "family outing." However I must admit that I wasn't always comfortable with the so-called "friends" of his. For a brief time of my childhood, they actually lived with us. Lets just say the way they made simple everyday tasks so complicated would've baffled millions. It was no wonder why I was slightly on edge whenever they were around. Anyway, whenever we'd go to the creek the whole family would come (these friends of his included). I'll just say these "friends" of his are going to be named John and Sue to make this story easier to tell.

John and sue who put me as well as my sisters and a few of their relatives who were about my age in this train pool floaty type thing. We didn't wear the arm bands while in this because we wouldn't be able to fit. I remember not feeling comfortable in the train floaty because the plastic and rubber parts were rubbing my skin raw. I was about five years old at the time during this little scare of mine. I remember getting into an argument with Sue about letting me out and giving me to my ex-father or mother at shore. She kept blaming me for ruining the fun for everyone, that I was an ungrateful child (she bought the floaty), and that I was just doing this all for attention like a spoiled brat. Eventually, she had let me out but into the water and without floaties.

Sue in all her rage and pettiness had let a five year old child be by herself in the deep parts of the water without floaties. Of course Sue wouldn't care about the child because it wasn't her and it was being a brat in her eyes. But low and behold I had gained some very irritated and red skin from her floating train under my armpits. I will go ahead and say John was leading the train, making it move about in the water completely unaware of what Sue is doing. Sue is at the tail-end of the train where I was seated. My father, my mother, and John's relatives are all at shore having a blast. When Sue let me out, that's when I really started to panic and flail about in an attempt to swim to shore. I didn't know how to swim, my skin was highly irritated by the floaty, and my arms were tired due to the sensitivity of my rubbed skin. My began screaming, pleading, and crying for help until I felt my throat swell up.

I literally began sinking as everyone watched. Come to find out the reason they sat and watched until I started to sink was because of Sue. She continued to say I was still faking, that I was being a brat, and I should just shut it up already. When John and my ex-father realized what was actually happening they both flew into a panic themselves. (The only reason my father seemed to "care" was because he actually viewed me as property which I have recently discovered through the screenshotted texts I've mentioned in my "Backstory" work.) My ex-father screamed out for someone to save me (he was a little overweight and still is) and John flew into the water. I began to sink more and more as I witnessed the light fade from view. You see, in this creek there was a rather large crevice at the far end where you could literally drown in if you weren't careful.

I remember thinking that it was the end for my life. That I have lived long enough, I suppose and it's all over. I almost lost my life to the water that day. John grabbed me up out of the water in time. I hadn't swallowed a lot but it was enough for a five year old to start sinking. As I got to shore, Sue was apologizing repeatedly to my mother and ex-father but they clearly had enough that day. Everyone packed up, dried off, and covered up before leaving. If it wasn't for someone I didn't fully trust with my life, I wouldn't be here. So humanity exists even in the people who you don't seem to trust all too often. An interesting lesson I've learned at a young age to say the least.