My father the hero

We were watching "Bondi Rescue"
Dad remembered from long ago
(He was always a good swimmer; self taught...)
When he had saved two young people
As they struggled to stay alive
Two boys had jumped into the old quarry
It was full of water from the summer rains
They floundered around for a few minutes
Until suddenly panic arrived; things changed
They kept on slipping under
Into that water's depths; God help them 
They were drowning; dad leapt to their defence
He grabbed one as he was sinking 
Quickly towed him to the edge
Then hurried back to save the other
Just as he was taking his last breath
Him too he dragged to safety 
Barely breathing hard; never out of his depth!

Many long years later
A man asked my grandpa (dad's father)
He asked him where he was
And could he please
Pass on his thanks to him
For saving his life in that quarry water
When he was just a little kid
His name was Antal
(Couldn't remember his last name)
But that event he did remember
It was burnt there into his brain...

Now that other boy he saved
The rich man's son...
Never once said "Thank you" 
Kovacs Imre never sought to remember
He just went on with his life
Carried along by his own pride
Felt like he had been "shown up"
Feeling angry that he couldn't swim...

Mum was a hero too
She saved Bradley Tschirpig 
At the riverside at Moorook
He was just a little chubby boy
Pretending to drown...
Mum jumped in to save him
Even though she'd never learnt to swim
Thank God the bank was shallow
For those few close metres
And then went deeply from there on
Because she was very angry; afterwards
Knowing full well she could have drowned
Because of a little boy's prank...

Talks with my father 
6th September 2018