The flood seemed to go on forever. My arms began to burn from clinging to the ledge. I couldn’t hold on forever and I had no chance if I had to swim. Finally, I let go, preparing to drown and let the water carry me to Papa. My mother caught me by the collar, holding me afloat. But my weight was too much and we both began to go under. I tried to shake her off, but she held fast, unwilling to let me go. Her blond hair fanned out about her like a halo. As the water rose, I inhaled, taking a deep breath, which I planned to hold as long as I could once my head submerged beneath the water.

Suddenly there was a mighty creak in the distance, and although the rain continued to pound just as steadily above, the water in the chamber seemed to slowly stop rising. “A levee,” someone said. “They must have opened another path for the water to flow.” I was too weary to process the good news or to care if the explanation was true. Surely it would take days, if not weeks, for the water to recede and I couldn’t possibly hold on for that long.

“Hang on,” I heard Mama say, but her voice sounded far away now as I began to slip beneath the surface. I struggled, gasping for air, then slid under once more. Water filled my mouth and nose, causing me to cough and gag. My eyelids were heavy now, as though I was going to sleep at night. The chamber went dark around me and I knew no more.

I awoke sometime later on the ground a short distance from the wall where I had clung. “What happened?” The waters were gone; they had receded even more quickly than they came, leaving the black silt floor sodden and strewn with our wet belongings. But the last thing I remembered was the chamber filled with water, me gasping for a few last gasps of air.

“Sadele!” Mama sat on the ground beside me. “Thank heavens you’re all right. When the water rose too high, you passed out. I tried to keep you afloat myself, but I couldn’t manage it. Saul held you up until the waters receded.”

Saul. I looked across the chamber to where his father and grandmother sat trying to recover from the flood. But I did not see him. “I’m right here.” I turned to find him crouching just inches from where I lay. Our eyes met. Knowing that he had saved me seemed to bring us closer.

“Thank you,” I said.

“I’m glad you are all right.” His hand reached in the direction of mine and I wondered for a second if he might touch me. But with the others here, he could not. He stood and started back across the chamber to his family.

“He wouldn’t leave your side until he knew you were safe,” Mama said in a low voice. I felt myself grow warm inside. “Now let’s find a way to dry ourselves.” I tried to stand, but my clothes, heavy and soaked with icy sewer water, seemed to weigh me down. “Come,” Mama said, making it to her feet before me despite the bulk of her stomach. She held a hand out to help me. There was a steely look of determination in her eyes. She was not going to let this beat us either. Slowly we began to put the chamber back together.