Swimming Pool Tales
Jan Vondrák, 5/24
01 High Water
Dark clouds were rolling in from the Lusatian Mountains. The evening air was rich with the scent of the forest, but something foretold that a serious storm was brewing. Pavel knew it. His knees always sensed in advance what was coming. Like a crystal ball, they hinted that he'd soon have to hit the road. It was always like this. Pavel stripped off his pajamas, put on his work clothes, and jumped on his bike. His carbon semi-racing rig sliced through the thick air below the quarry. He rode over roots and rocks with the effortless precision of a snack-stand worker sliding a sausage into a roll. A sharp turn on the dam of the settling reservoir above Lesák, a small but technical jump over its spillway, and he was already turning the water valve, which obediently redirected the flow into a steel pipe.
The pool has an ingenious bypass system that protects it from torrential rains. The reservoir has two inlets, and before every storm, both must be diverted so the water flows from the trash racks above the reservoir through an underground channel straight out below the pool's dam. A few more turns and everything is closed; water gushes below the dam, and it's time for bed. Late evening had long parted ways with the sun, the water's surface had settled, and in the distance above the Ještěd ridge, lightning was flashing like the strobe lights at the old Ďábelská Huť nightclub used to. The tension in the air hinted that something much stronger would sweep through in the night.
By morning, news was spreading about the flood that had swept through the Forest Pool (Lesní koupaliště). During the night's cloudburst, the Jizerský Brook turned into the Amazon, mercilessly taking everything in its path. An avalanche of branches, mud, and rocks clogged the inlet racks above the pool, and water began overflowing the embankments and dam. When we arrived at the scene, a harrowing sight awaited us. The sun beat down on a brown surface packed with branches and mud. The only hint of a swimming pool was the stainless-steel ladders sticking out, piercing the eerily murky water.
We decided to throw ourselves into the work right away. Around two dozen people arrived to help, sacrificing their day off with brooms in hand to tackle the cleanup. By evening, the basin was clean, and we started filling it up. By morning, the water-soaked stream had filled the reservoir with crystal-clear, icy water. Pavel watched the ecstatic swimmers with satisfaction—everything turned out well.
It's a joy when you help us! Whether you're Pavel, who wakes up in the middle of the night to turn off the water, or you're mowing the lawn, fixing benches, or sending money for the renovation, it gives us the feeling that we're not in this alone. We still have a lot of work ahead of us, but we can see the finish line. Thank you!
