This day was one of those happy days when, after dreaming all week about the beach, my sisters and I were woken up at dawn by my mom, to make that dream come true.
The streets were dark, barely illuminated by the light bulbs; it was not yet dawn.
My mother had everything ready to spend a week at the beach: food, towels, an umbrella, and sunscreen. This could not be missing because we could catch a sunstroke and burn our skin in the sun.
As we were traveling along the highway towards "La Guaira: the sky began to lighten, and a very faint blue tone was combined with small white clouds.
"Today looks like it's going to be a very sunny day."
My father was very attentive at the wheel; he drove smoothly on the slow road, and from time to time he would switch to the fast one when there were not many cars circulating. He was a very skilled driver; that was his job for many years.
I always tried to sit in a window, although, in order of age, my two older sisters had that privilege, and the four younger ones were squeezed in the middle like sardines in a can. But that day, my older sister gave me her seat, so I wouldn't get dizzy.
I was looking at the mountain scenery with our dog Pelusa on my legs, and the soft and cold breeze was blowing on my face, tousling my long and fine hair, until we entered the first tunnel.
All of us girls screamed as we entered that darkness; it seemed like a mouth that was choking us.
The little lights on the walls guided us to the exit. It was a long drive through Boquerón 1, the longest tunnel in the country.
When we came out into the light again, we drove along another stretch of the highway until we entered another tunnel, Boquerón 2, much shorter.
When we go out , I felt that aroma so characteristic of the sea. It has a strong, brackish smell. And in front of us, going down to the coast, there was its intense blue as wide as the horizon.
We kept rolling and arrived in the city of La Guaira where the big ships were waiting in the port, and we continued along a narrow and winding road that went along the sea. Through the window, I could see small white sandy beaches interspersed with populated areas, until we reached Los Caracas, almost three hours away.
"We're here, girls," my dad shouted with that strong and thick voice.
My mother, with her calm and sweet voice, woke up my two younger sisters, who had fallen asleep on the road.
As we entered the Los Caracas resort, we stopped at a tollbooth, where my father was given the keys to the house where we would be staying and some very white sheets.
We continued in the car alonng a road between the sea and the green mountains, whose tops were covered by gray clouds. We arrived at the area of the houses that were painted white and blue with red roofs and an entrance porch with palm trees in the corner.
My dad stopped the car, and we quickly opened the doors and got out.
We ran to the house, but it was locked. We turned around, and there were two horses with shiny brown coats. I stared at them for a while; they were beautiful,.
My younger sister reached out to touch one of them, and it all happened very quickly. The horse raised its head, whinnied, and ran off, and my sister was on the ground. We were paralyzed. She got up nervously but without crying. We asked her if the horse had hit her, and she said no, that she had been frightened and fell. And then we heard my father's voice calling out to us.
"Come and help your mother carry the things inside."
It was an order; it was enough to hear that loud voice to obey, and we decided that my older sister would tell my mom what had happened. Everything turned out well because we were not scolded.
The house was very clean and comfortable. It had three bedrooms with single beds and bunk beds. The kitchen had a large window and a door leading to the garden, from where I could see the horses grazing.
"Girls, put on your bathing suits while I fix you breakfast so we can leave early for the beach," my mother told us.
When we were ready, we walked from the area of the houses along the river that was channeled until we reached the beach.
There were not many people, and we chose a spot on the sand under a palm tree, and there my dad set up the umbrella, and we helped my mom with the food.
The day was ideal; a cool breeze was blowing from the mountains to the sea, and the sun was just warming the sand.
"Let's go to the sea!" shouted my dad, and we all ran except my mom, who didn't like swimming in the sea, my 3-year-old sister, who played in the sand, and our dog Pelusa who stayed on the shore barking and running back and forth. She was a German shepherd mix with black and brown fur.
When I went into the sea, I felt cold and my sisters and I stayed close to the shore because we couldn't swim.
"You guys stay here while I swim a little bit.". My dad liked to exercise a lot and was a very good swimmer. We watched him stroke and push forward against the waves, moving farther and farther away from where we were.
We spent the morning playing and jumping the waves that reached the shore. At mom's call, we went out to eat, and there we stayed in the shade, taking sunscreen so we wouldn't get burned.
When we returned to the sea, the waves were higher and came one after the other. The sea was rising in the distance, and when it came close to the shore, it was pounding hard.
As we were unprepared, it enveloped and dragged us. We were spinning in the water, and the sand at the bottom that had mixed. This one got into our hair and into our bathing suits. We couldn't get out of the whirlpool until it left us on the shore.
My dad, who was watching us, laughed out loud and went into the sea to teach us to lose our fear of the sea.
When he got to where we were, he told us.
"One by one, you are going to go with me to where the waves don't break".
"But daddy!, we don't know how to swim! we could drown," my older sister said for all of us.
"Come on, daughter; you are the oldest, so you will go first, and don't be afraid," and grabbing her hand, he took her out to sea.
In the meantime, we waited nervously for our turn. My mom, seeing what my dad was doing, told the youngest one to get out of the sea.
Pelusa ran and barked desperately; she didn't like it. She was like a second mother, loving and protective.
When my dad came back and took my other sister, I got a knot in my stomach. The next shift was mine. Pelusa couldn't take it anymore and jumped into the sea, jumping in the waves. I saw her swimming and approaching us, and I was glad she was close by.
When it was my turn, my dad decided to take my sister and me, one on each side, grabbing us by the arm. He took us out to sea and then told me to ride on his shoulder, my legs were shaking, and from there he threw me off.
I fell in and sank. The water was blue and very clear. I was able to float but swallowed salt water.
My father held me and looked at me with those raised eyebrows that gave him a stern expression.
"Did you like it? That's how I learned, and now you will too. The sea is to be respected but not feared; you can enjoy it even more if you learn to float and swim".
Then he lifted my sister on his shoulder and threw her in. We stayed there for a while until I was no longer afraid and could enjoy the sea. I felt safe with my father by my side.
After that experience we no longer wanted to stay near the shore and with more confidence and under the watchful eye of my father, we went into the sea, to float on its waters, to jump its waves or to submerge if they were too high and if from time to time he rolled us over, we laughed. He was just teasing us.
English Versión
Perdiendo el Miedo
Este día era uno de esos días felices donde después de soñar durante toda la semana con la playa, mis hermanas y yo fuimos despertadas de madrugada por mi mamá para que ese sueño se hiciera realidad .
Las calles estaban oscuras, apenas iluminadas por las bombillas, aún no amanecía.
Mi madre tenía listo todo lo necesario para pasar una semana de playa: la comida, toallas, sombrilla, protector solar, esto no podía faltar porque podíamos agarrar una insolación y quemarnos la piel por el sol.
Mientras íbamos por la autopista hacia "La Guaira" el cielo comenzó a aclarar y un tono azul muy tenue se combinó con pequeñas nubes blancas.
―Hoy parece que va a hacer un día de mucho sol.
Mi padre iba muy atento al volante, manejaba suavemente por la vía lenta y de vez en cuando se pasaba a la rápida cuando no había muchos carros circulando. Era un chofer muy experto, ese era su trabajo desde hacía muchos años.
Yo siempre procuraba sentarme en una ventana, aunque por orden de edad mis dos hermanas mayores tenían ese privilegio y las cuatro más pequeñas íbamos en el medio apretujadas como sardinas en lata. Pero ese día mi hermana mayor me cedió su puesto para que no me mareara.
Iba mirando el paisaje de montañas con nuestra perra Pelusa en mis piernas y la brisa suave y fría me daba en el rostro despeinando mi cabello largo y fino, hasta que llegamos al primer túnel.
Todas las niñas gritamos al entrar a esa oscuridad, parecía una boca que nos engullía. Las pequeñas luces de las paredes nos guiaban hacia la salida. Era un largo recorrido en el Boquerón 1 que así se llamaba el túnel más largo del país.
Al salir de nuevo a la luz recorrimos otro trecho de la autopista hasta entrar a otro túnel, el Boquerón 2, mucho más corto. Cuando salimos senti ese aroma tan característico del mar. Su olor fuerte y salobre. Y enfrente, bajando hacia la costa, allí estaba el azul intenso tan ancho como el horizonte.
Seguimos rodando y llegamos a la ciudad de "La Guaira", donde los grandes barcos esperaban en el puerto y continuamos por una carretera estrecha y sinuosa que iba bordeando el mar. A través de la ventana veia pequeñas playas de arena blanca intercaladas con zonas pobladas, hasta llegar a Los Caracas a casi tres horas de recorrido.
―Ya llegamos niñas, ―gritó mi papá con aquella voz fuerte y gruesa.
Mi madre con su voz tranquila y dulce despertó a mis dos hermanas más pequeñas, que se habían quedado dormidas en el camino.
Al entrar al balneario Los Caracas nos detuvimos en un peaje donde a mi padre le entregaron las llaves de la casa donde nos quedaríamos y unas sábanas muy blancas.
Seguimos en el carro por una carretera entre el mar y las montañas verdes cuyos cimas estaban cubiertos por unas nubes grises. Llegamos al área donde estaban las casas pintadas de blanco y azul con sus techos rojos y un porche de entrada con unas palmeras en la esquina, rodeadas de jardines.
Mi papá detuvo el carro y nosotras abrimos rápidamente las puertas y salimos.
Corrimos a la casa, pero estaba cerrada, dimos la vuelta y allí había dos caballos de brillante pelaje color marrón. Yo me quedé un rato mirando, eran hermosos, hasta que escuche la voz de mi padre.
"Vengan a ayudar a su madre a llevar las cosas adentro". Era una orden, solo bastaba escuchar ese vozarrón para obedecer. Así que corrimos de nuevo siguiendo a mi hermana mayor hasta la casa.
La casa estaba muy limpia y era muy cómoda. Tenía tres habitaciones con camas individuales y literas. La cocina tenía una ventana grande y una puerta que daba al jardín desde donde pude ver a los caballos pastando.
"Niñas vayan a ponerse el traje de baño mientras les preparo el desayuno para irnos temprano a la playa", nos dijo mi madre.
Cuando estuvimos listos nos fuimos caminando desde la zona de las casas bordeando el río que estaba canalizado hasta llegar a la playa.
No había muchas personas y escogimos un lugar en la arena debajo de una palmera y allí mi papá colocó la sombrilla y nosotras ayudamos a mi mamá ordenando la comida.
El día era ideal, una brisa fresca soplaba desde las montañas al mar y el sol apenas calentaba la arena.
"Vamos a la playa" grito mi papá y todas corrimos excepto mi mamá que no le gustaba bañarse en el mar, mi hermana de 3 años que jugaba en la arena y nuestra perra Pelusa que se quedó en la orilla ladrando y corriendo de un lado a otro. Era una mestiza de pastor alemán con el pelo negro y marrón.
Cuando entre al mar, senti frío y mis hermanas y yo nos quedamos cerca de la orilla porque no sabíamos nadar
"Ustedes quédense aquí mientras yo nado un poco". A mi papá le gustaba mucho ejercitarse y era muy buen nadador. Lo vimos bracear y avanzar contra las olas, alejándose cada vez más de donde estábamos.
Jugando y brincando las olas que llegaban a la orilla, pasamos la mañana. Al llamado de mamá salimos a comer y allí estuvimos en la sombra, echándonos protector para no quemarnos.
En lo que regresamos al mar las olas estaban más altas y venían una detrás de la otra. El mar se levantaba allá a lo lejos y cuando llegaba cerca de la orilla golpeaba con fuerza. Como estábamos desprevenidas, una ola nos envolvió y arrastró, Dábamos vueltas en el agua y la arena del fondo que se había mezclado y se nos metía en el cabello y dentro del traje de baño. No podíamos salir de ese remolino hasta que nos dejó en la orilla.
Mi papá que nos estaba observando se reía a carcajadas y entró al mar para enseñarnos a perderle el miedo.
Cuando llegó a donde estábamos, nos dijo.
―Una por una van a ir conmigo a donde las olas no revientan.
― ¡Pero papá! ¡Nosotras no sabemos nadar, nos podemos ahogar!, ―mi hermana mayor hablaba por todas.
―Vamos, hija, usted es la mayor, así que va a hacer la primera y no tenga miedo, ― y agarrándole la mano la fue llevando mar adentro. Mientras tanto nosotras esperábamos nuestro turno muy nerviosas.
Mi mamá viendo lo que hacía mi papá le dijo a la más pequeña que se saliera del mar.
Pelusa corría y ladraba desesperada, aquello no le gustaba. Ella era como una segunda madre, cariñosa y protectora.
Cuando mi papá volvió y se llevó a mi otra hermana, a mí se me hizo un nudo en el estómago. El próximo turno era el mío. Pelusa no aguantó más y se metió al mar, saltando entre las olas, la vi nadar y acercarse a nosotras, me alegro de que estuviera cerca.
Cuando llegó mi turno, mi papá decidió llevarnos a mi hermana y a mí, una a cada lado, agarrándonos por el brazo, fuimos mar adentro y luego me monto en su hombro y me lanzó al mar.
Caí y me hundí, el agua a mi alrededor era azul y muy clara, salí a flote tragando el agua salada, mientras él con sus cejas levantadas que le daban una expresión muy severa a su rostro cuando no se reía, me dijo.
― ¿Te gustó? Así es como yo aprendí y ahora ustedes también lo van a hacer. El mar hay que respetarlo, pero no temerle, puedes disfrutarlo aún más si aprendes a flotar y a nadar.
Luego subió a mi hermana sobre su hombro y la lanzó. Allí estuvimos un rato hasta que ya no sentía temor y pude disfrutar del mar. Me sentía segura con mi padre a mi lado.
Después de esa experiencia ya no quisimos quedarnos cerca de la orilla y con más confianza y bajo la atenta mirada de mi padre, nos adentramos en el mar, a flotar en sus aguas, a saltar sus olas o a sumergirnos si eran demasiado altas y si de vez en cuando nos daba la vuelta, nos reíamos. Solo estaba jugando con nosotras.
The English translation was done at www.deepl.com corrected in https://languagetool.org/es