Why Pool Floats Face the Sun — By the courtyard pool, under the striped umbrella, Vera lined up her sketchbook, lime drink, and borrowed room key in a perfect little row. Read the full story →
By the courtyard pool, under the striped umbrella, Vera lined up her sketchbook, lime drink, and borrowed room key in a perfect little row. Everyone else seemed to know where to sit, when to swim, even which palm tree gave the best shade. Vera wanted one sign that this vacation had saved a corner for her, too. The water made soft slap-slap sounds against the tiles, and the big yellow float kept turning its sunny face toward the brightest patch of sky.
Here is the part most guests miss: the resort had a secret habit of hiding useful things in boring places. Vera’s pencil rolled under the tiny table between the lounge chairs, and when she crouched down, her fingers brushed something cool and round taped beneath the wood. It was not gum. It was a brass compass, no bigger than a cookie, with a note curled around it: FOR ANYONE WHO FEELS A LITTLE UNPLACED.
The compass needle did not point north. It pointed across the pool to the sun float, then spun once, satisfied. Vera laughed, and the float slowly turned until its sunbeams faced her like a welcome. Ever since, pool floats in that courtyard have kept their bright sides up, turning toward the warmest light and the person who needs a place to land. Next time you see the sunny float by the striped umbrella, check whether it is saving a corner for you.
