The Swimmer. Summary

On a Sunday afternoon in midsummer, Neddy and Lucinda Merrill and Helen and Donald Westerhazy sit around the Westerhazys’ pool, complaining about their hangovers. They are all drinking. Neddy feelsyoung, energetic, and happy. He decides to get home by swimming across all the pools in his county. He feels like an explorer. He dives into the Westerhazys’ pool, swims across, and gets out on theother side. He thinks about all the pools that lie ahead and the friends that await him.
He walks to the Grahams’ pool, swims across, then has a drink. He next swims across the Hammers’ pool, thenseveral others. At the Bunkers’ pool, a party is going on. Enid Bunker greets him, telling him that she’s happy he could come to the party after all. He has a drink, then moves on. The Levys aren’t home,but Neddy swims across their pool anyway and helps himself to a drink, feeling very contented. A storm begins, and Neddy waits it out in the Levys’ gazebo. After the storm, he notices that red andyellow leaves are scattered all over the lawn.
Neddy heads toward the Welchers’ pool. On his way, he finds that the Lindleys’ horse-riding area is overgrown, and he can’t remember whether he heard thatthe Lindleys were going away for the summer. At the Welchers’ house, he finds that the pool is empty, which Neddy thinks is strange. There is a for-sale sign in front of their house. Neddy tries toremember when he last heard from the Welchers. He wonders whether his memory is failing him or he has just repressed unpleasant information.
Neddy waits for a long time to cross a highway, and people inthe cars going by yell and throw things at him. He knows that he should head back to the Westerhazys’, but he can’t bring himself to do so. He finally manages to cross to the median and then to theother side. He walks to a public pool, showers, and swims across, disgusted by the crowds and the overly chlorinated water. Then he walks to the Hallorans’. He takes off his swim trunks because he...