I was on the breakwater, waiting for sunset, when they floated by on a makeshift raft. They were struggling to keep it balanced; every time one of them so much as tilted his head, the whole thing turned turtle.

But that didn't stop the boy from doing his backflip. I marvelled at his audacity, and at the readiness of his companions to make it happen. He scrambled to his feet while they kept the raft steady, like a clumsily choreographed stunt.

After a few failed attempts, he succeeded—a perfect leap punctuated by sounds of splashing water and wild laughter.