Katie's Good Deed.

Katie was upset by the events of Tuesday night, but she knew that she had done nothing wrong. She knew that any job which involved contact with the public carried the potential for dealing with difficult, sometimes impossibly difficult, people. But looking back, she had come through the experience and she seemed to have emerged with some credit. She phoned Kevin and told him what had happened. "I'd just have banned them all!" he said. "Umm," replied Katie. "They have a nasty side, that's for sure. But I'm going to find out if they have a better side too. Finding that better side is the only way they'll become better people!" "Don't take any more cheek at all!" Kevin advised. "I won't," said Katie. "Tod's parents are probably coming in tonight!"

Kevin told Katie about the Open Day, in under two weeks, on the Saturday closest to Midsummer's Day. On Open Day many charities and local organisations ran stalls, sold gifts and raised funds for good causes. It was the tradition that the staff of each part of the site also ran a stall or event. There was reception, management and accounts, grounds and maintenance, restaurant and bar, entertainments, and of course the pool. One purpose of Open Day was certainly to publicize the site, to take bookings and to increase the sales of caravans and chalets. The pool did not charge users for the afternoon session on Open Day but invited bathers to donate their fee to the nominated good cause. Open Day was always well attended; there were hundreds of extra visitors during Saturday afternoon. Last year the attendants had organised a treasure trail, with cryptic clues to follow all around the site and small prizes for everyone finding the answers. But they had raised very little overall because nearly everyone won a prize (the answers probably became widely known after a time) and the cost of the prizes was almost as much as the modest entry fee. The year before they had fun archery, with foam arrows! This year George had an idea to do a joint event along with the restaurant staff and bar staff. "Drench the Wench!" he had announced. "Easy, all we need is a chair, some buckets, a hose and sponges! Cold water comes free! No costs, just pure profit for charity" There were over a dozen waitresses and female bar staff, and they were all told that they were involved (or rather, they were asked to volunteer). They would all take a turn, of say ten or fifteen minutes each, sitting in the chair. The public would be invited to pay, say, two dollars, to pelt them with perhaps three wet sponges! George thought they could charge five dollars for a whole bucketful of water! The event would take place in the car park at the main entrance to the pool. This was the busiest area right in the middle of the park. A hose could be run easily from inside the building, there was good drainage and more importantly warm showers and changing facilities for the poor victims! Nearly half of the staff were rostered to be on duty afternoon, which would be bumper occasions for both the restaurant and the bar. They could not be released. But strangely, there was a rush from the waiters and barmen, offering to swap shifts and work on that Saturday, so enabling the girls to be free to "volunteer". Some made good excuses and a couple simply refused to take part, but now ten days before Open Day, they had seven "wenches" who had agreed. George said he wanted them all to be in their uniforms, of white blouses and black skirts. This was agreed, although most of the girls planned to also wear their bikinis. When Katie heard all this, she immediately volunteered to be a wench too! Eight wenches, over the two hours they planned the event to run for, would require each of them to be in the seat for a straight fifteen minutes. That sounded fine. Even if it was a cool day it was not long enough for anyone to get really cold, even if they got a good soaking! Katie looked forward to Open Day!

Katie went back to work on Wednesday afternoon, and the day past pleasantly and quietly, enabling her to a good bit of cleaning in the cubicles and changing area. As the evening progressed, she wondered if her three troublemakers from last night would reappear. Just after half past seven, she saw a group approaching. There was a heavily built lady in a wheelchair, about fiftyish, and a man with her who looked a good deal older pushing her. And there were Tod, Zed and Duffy, hanging back slightly and looking a bit sheepish! Katie came out from behind the desk and opened the second of the double doors, to enable the wheelchair to be brought in. She welcomed everyone. "I'm Zelda, Tod's mother," the lady explained, "Tod was telling us that you offered to help me to have a swim!" "I'd be delighted to," replied Katie. "We have a pool chair, but not a hoist, I'm afraid. But if your son and his friends can help me, I'm sure we can get you safely in." "That would be so kind!" Zelda replied, explaining that she had once been a State swimmer, and as a teenager had taken part in a demonstration event in the pool at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. "I was never selected for the national team!" she added. "That's fantastic!" said Katie. "But since I've been ill, well I've not been in a pool now for five years," Zelda said. "I know that public pools have good facilities, but they are so busy and you feel you're just in the way! I was really delighted when Tod said this last night, and I said, let's try it!" "I'll do my best to help!" promised Katie.

The three lads had already gone to change, so Katie helped the couple into the family changing room. "Give me a shout, when you're ready!" she asked, closing the door behind her. Tod, Zed and Duffy appeared, minus their tops this time. "Come on lads!" Katie said. "Let's get the chair!"The disabled chair was just like a wheelchair, with a metal frame, a very sturdy plastic seat and rubber wheels. "Goodness knows when this was last used?" Katie wondered. "What are you going to do when you leave college, Katie?" Duffy asked her. "I don't know at all yet," she replied. "You could be a teacher!" Duffy added. "You would make a really good teacher, Katie, you are so good with people!" Katie smiled at him. "This will be easy, with four of us!" she said. "There are four long handles, along each of the sides under the seat. We'll take one side each, I'll take the front and I'll go backwards down the steps. We'll go really slowly and you all try to keep the chair steady!" Katie slipped out of her shoes and socks. "Are you keeping your things on?" Tod asked, "Of course," replied Katie, "I told you that I don't mind getting wet!" The three lads glanced admiringly at her.

Katie heard Zelda and her husband coming out of the family room. He was pushing her in her own wheelchair, in her dark blue swimsuit. Katie wheeled over the special pool chair. "Can you sit in this one?" she asked. Katie and Zelda's husband helped her to her feet and she took three of four tiny steps, while they supported her, to reach the special chair. She sat down. Katie wheeled her to the edge of the pool. "Now for the fun bit!" said Katie. The boys gathered around. "Ready everyone?" she said, "Now lift!" They lifted the seat clear of the ground. "Everyone OK?" asked Katie, and three voices replied "Yes." "Right, into the pool!" ordered Katie. She stepped carefully down, pausing on each step to let them all adjust their grip to keep the seat level. Katie was one step below Duffy and Zed, who were at each side of the chair, and two steps below was Tod at the back. On the third step down the water swirled around Katie's skirt. Then she stepped onto the floor of the pool, which reached past her middle. Her skirt floated out on top of the water around her. The three lads climbed down the remaining steps, the chair felt much lighter now, as Zelda was in the water. They held her up at a comfortable height. The three lads held the chair still as Katie reached down to release the safety belt. Then Zelda's husband and Katie helped her off the seat.

Zelda was buoyant and floated, holding onto her husband. Katie stayed close by, bobbing up and down, her soaked top showing her bikini. Zelda tried to swim, but she had difficulty because she had no power in her legs. She was able to push out strongly with her arms, but her legs sagged downwards and halted any progress. Katie supported her. "I've got an idea!" Katie said, hurrying up the steps with her wet kit flapping around her. She went to the store cupboard and picked a selection of floats, then she slipped back into the pool from the side. Katie held Zelda in the water, together with her husband. They slipped a two large cylinder floats between Zelda's ankles, securing them with Velcro. Zelda pushed herself forward again, and this time her legs floated and she was able to swim. Zelda began to swim widths, with increasing ease and confidence, finding that she was able to turn using only her arms.
After half an hour Katie and the lads helped Zelda back into the chair and out of the pool. There were tears in her eyes, "Thank you so much, that was really a wonderful experience!" she said. "I want to thank you from my heart! You did everything to help me. And you got wet through, you poor girl!" "I don't mind that!" replied Katie. "I love the water!" She invited Zelda back the next day. "We've only got Thursday and Friday left now," Zelda replied. "Come in both days!" Katie replied. "Bring the lads along to help!"

The next night the three lads arrived by themselves, about half-past seven. Tod said that his mum and dad were coming along behind. They got changed and came to the poolside, this time in their t-shirts and shorts. "Can we keep out tops on tonight, Katie?" Tod asked. "Sure, if you want!" Katie replied. The three lads sat together on the poolside. The last other bathers were just getting out. "Katie!" one of the lads called. It was a friendly call, not intrusive and demanding, as their calls to Katie on Tuesday night had been. Katie wandered over to them, smiling slightly. "Are you getting in. then?" she asked. "Tod says that you can splash us all," Duffy said. "Your revenge for Tuesday!" Katie frowned. "Let's forget about Tuesday!" she said firmly. "I only splash people for fun! Not to get revenge! Anyway, your mum and dad, Tod, are just coming!" Katie went to greet them and she helped them both into the family changing room. Then went back to the poolside. Tod, Zed and Duffy were still sitting there. Katie took off her shoes and socks and sat across from them, nearest to Tod, on the other side of the steps. "They'll be about ten minutes, getting ready!" Katie observed. "You have all done a really worthwhile thing here, helping Zelda!"

Tod sent a little splash of water towards Katie. It landed in front of the steps. A few drops reached her legs. Katie smiled and adjusted her skirt, pulling down to her knees. "We're all getting in, a minute," she laughed. "We're all going to get wet anyway!" Tod sent a slightly bigger splash in Katie's direction, this time reaching her feet, the front of her legs and a bit over her skirt. Katie sent a much bigger splash back, wetting the front of Tod's t-shirt and his shorts. He gasped and glanced down at himself, picking at the wet cotton. Katie stood up and walked around the boys, sitting down beside Zed, at the far side from Tod. She took deliberate aim at his t-shirt and splattered several handfuls of water over him. Zed jumped up and moved away. "Next!" shouted Katie, and she shuffled up closer to Duffy. He squirmed away from her, but Katie was having none of it. She gently lifted his arm and sent cascades of water down his t-shirt. "Now then," she announced, "I'll tell you lads how can get me back!" Then she told them about Open Day. "You can come and drench me!" Katie sounded excited at the very thought of it, as she told them about Drench a Wench! The lads were due to go home the on the Saturday before Open Day, but they decided that come what may, they must return by bus, train, tram or even on foot the following Saturday. "What are you going to wear?" Tod asked Katie. She explained that the waitresses were going to be in white blouses and skirts, and so she would probably wear something similar. The boys tried not to look at her, to imagine Katie in a wet blouse was more than their young imaginations could cope with. Then reality returned when Zelda and her husband appeared. They all helped into the special wheelchair, then into the pool. Zelda had tears in her eyes. She couldn't believe that Katie and the boys could bring her such happiness.

After they had all got changed and left, Katie was left with her thoughts. Maybe she had found their better sides, after all.