愛？

chapter 3

But they were outside the house minutes later after the call, they actually went and left some donuts for us, the funniest thing is that they took their sister (Heyla, 17 years old, really nice person towards me), another guy and even their dog. I was freeze again and my sister and I, we both thank them for the donuts. The next day, March 27th  we had a tournament therefore I was getting ready, few minutes later my family and I were heading to the place: I thought that he would have been there early so I reached there early hoping I can see him, but he wasn’t there wait a long time. Then he arrived and I was happy to see him. Then the tournament started he was helping me practicing. Then it was his time to compete, and of course he won. I was proud of him, he came by and all of his friends were congratulating him, then he got a little closer to where I was, so then I said with a smiley face “congratulations, Senpai” to which he responded with a smiley face “thank you, you will do good, okay” my heart started beating fast because I was afraid to fail him, to fail my Sensei, my father and the others. Then the judges called my category for Kata (a system of individual training exercises for practitioners of karate and other martial arts: an individual training exercise in karate and other martial arts.) I did “good” twice but for the third time my thoughts were drowning me, I couldn’t focus on what I was doing, I started to have a panic attack but still yet I kept going, while Senpai Ishmael was signing me to breath, I messed up, I didn’t win at all; when I looked at father I was able to see on his face disappointment, I knew he wanted to go, seeing me loose was a nightmare to him. I started crying because I failed my supporters, can you imagine that all the time, work effort they put to help me, and I loose. Sensei Raion, the man that was always there to make me feel better at that time, came to me and told me that everything’s going to be fine, he also said go with Suzume. I went to him and I was ashamed for him to see me crying, he came closer to me and asked me “why are you crying?” I answered with a squeaky voice “because I lost, I failed you, and I sniffs really hard that I could have sniffed a whole elephant I failed my parents, I failed everybody and I was such a waste of time!” he said “hey, hey look at me, hey-you did good, okay, and I enjoyed every and each second I spent with you, and you haven’t failed me, if you want I can talk to your father, okay. You still have kumite (Kumite can mean 'sparring'. In Karate terms, Kumite is where two competitors face off performing defensive and offensive techniques in a standing competition. Competitors can use punches, kicks or takedowns against their opponents) to win, use everything you know.” The things he said melted my heart but I still had the feeling that I failed him, but still yet I answer “okay!” while cleaning my tears from my face. After some time the judges call his category for kumite, so then he had to go and spar, my eyes were on every movement he did I was trying to see if there was something that I could do to my opponent, but his technics were to rapid and too advance for me. After they gave him his medals, proceeded with the intermediate category. Meanwhile they compete he approach to me and said “remember they might going to kick you but I’m still sure that you’ll get first place, and use everything I had teach you because I want you to be the best and because I like you.”   Damm my heart was racing, I looked at him and my face was red, smiled and my eyes were really big, looked away and said nothing; he was smiling and said “you should be okay with it by now.” I turned redder after he said that: he smiled even more and he said “did you mean it?” I was too nervous to answer with words so then I shake my head up and down saying yes, then I asked “you?” he said “of course” I couldn’t believe him. Then I asked “Senpai-what if –I lose? The he answered “if you lose you lose we can’t do anything about it, but we can just keep trying” it was my category, my category was beginner category, and my category only had three participants therefore I was going to compete with the winner from the first match, meaning I would be fighting for first place. I started to put on my gloves and Senpai Ishmael told me to ask him if I can borrow his shin pads (is an equipment worn by athletes on the front of their shins to protect from injury) I went up to him and asked him if I can borrow them, he thought I called him by his name, {which I really did but …} and he got exited, he did hand gestures indicating me I can get them, I put them on and I was ready to win , before entering the tatamis (mats) I took a look where my father was, then I looked at him and I smiled- he smiled back. I sure I was going to win, therefore I entered the tatamis with confidence; in addition they put you as my coach, I liked that. My opponent was Mimi , a girl that rarely go to the dojo, really pretty and kind of disrespectful, she was from my dojo; the judge said “hajime!!!” at that very moment I knew that I was going to receive my First place medal. We started fighting, my only focus was to do a sweep on her since Senpai Suzume taught me I wanted to use it, we kept fighting and then Mimi close the distance while I was doing a kick so I fall, there when I was on the floor giving hope to my opponent to destroy me, the energy from the hot sun entered in me therefore I got up with the most explosive kicks, saying my “KIAS’’. I guess I made them proud. Then I had to rest a little and he helped me getting off the gears it was an honour in addition he said that I did a good job. I couldn’t stop thanking them all; if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t have won. The judges gave me my first place medal, Mimi received the second place and the other girl the third. The next day, at the dojo we did Judo (a sport of unarmed combat derived from jujitsu and intended to train the body and mind. It involves using holds and leverage to unbalance the opponent) he was my partner I liked it because he was really close to me. The following days of the week he was making me laugh a lot. But on Thursday a little boy name Nate, around the age of seven or less told me “Mewosamasu, Mewosamasu I like you” around four times. Later that evening I stayed back and practice with Taira, a boy that was 14, he started karate one week before the tournament, a very good friend, he had a little brother named Amuri (a very cute and respectful kid of the age of eight). Taira and I were practicing judo and in accident he scratch me, I honestly didn’t felt it but when Senpai Suzume saw that my neck was bleeding he told me that I have blood and to go wash it, I said “it fine” but then he stand close to me and said “go wash it, please, it’s for your good” and he smiled, so then I went and wash it and he whisper “good, love” I was shocked. Then on Saturday morning I asked my dad if he can give me permission to go to the dojo and he said yes, I went and he was there my sorrows left when I saw him; he asked how my neck was, I said it was good. We trained and everything, then class finished so I had to have patience on Sunday to see him on Monday. Monday came and the entire day I was thinking about him. He went to the dojo and he said “buenas tardes” (good evening in Spanish) it was so cute, he went upstairs and Ishmael told me to go start my warmups, so went; we were by ourselves and it was weird but at the same time it felt good. At that moment all I was doing was staring out the window, few minutes later I looked behind me and there he was standing behind me, my heart started pumping really hard. He then asked me how my day was, I said it was good, I was really nervous but after a while of awkward silence I asked him how his day went, he said “huh-it was good” while we were conversing he was getting closer and closer to me, my eyes grew big, he was looking at me and I was looking at him after that we both started to smiling and proceeded to laugh. I really felt good after that moment. But then I heard Senpai Ishmael’s footsteps so I hurried to start jumping rope and we both acted like nothing ever happened, Senpai Ishmael put some songs on and we three were laughing at random stuffs. When I was finished skipping rope I began to roll the rope as usual but this time he grabbed the rope off my hands and touching them gently and he smile at me. I could just picture us into a beautiful future together. Sensei Micah enter the dojo and when Senpai Suzume saw him and moved from where I was. I thought that sensei Micah had told him something. Training started and we did judo, I really wanted to be pair up with him but I wasn’t; after training he came towards me and began to ask me things about the class. After sometime sensei Raion came and asked who would do yoga, I join and I was admiring Senpai Suzume’s curls, but he caught me looking at him and he smirked and I started to blush. I saw him almost all the times I went to the dojo, and he always made my day.