The Sun Shines Brightest in June (Completed) gxg

Monday, June 9, 2003

Everyone was settled in now. Everyone was relaxed. I spent the evening out on a small boat with my dad and Caleb, as we raced Timothy and Mr. Jacobs to a make-shift finish line. Our mothers were on the shore watching us, and as I found out later, Klara was with Anna and Alice, hearing all about their very first official year of school. I didn't get the impression she minded though. She seemed to love my two little sisters like they were her own.

"Woooo!"

Caleb's hands flew up in the air as he cheered. We had just crossed the finish line. First. My dad began to laugh, and jokingly made fun of Mr. Jacobs while Caleb and I did a small victory dance, or wiggle, I suppose, because we didn't want to tip the boat over. Our mother cheered for us. Mrs. Jacobs cheered too. It seemed as though she had switched teams once she saw how badly we were whipping her own family's butt.

We slowly rowed the boats back to shore and climbed out. Our dad's dragged them out of the water and then shook hands.

"You put in a solid effort," my dad said to Mr. Jacobs. "It just wasn't good enough."

He laughed and Mr. Jacobs shook his head.

"You'll regret all these jokes of yours when we annihilate you at Badminton tomorrow."

I got excited. Badminton was one of my favorite games ever. In my own opinion, I was practically pro. It was the one thing I could really show off at, since most of the boat rowing had been done by my father and brother.

"Doubles or singles?" I asked, hoping for singles.

It wasn't that I didn't like playing with a partner. It was just that playing with a partner always slowed the game down.

Usually, I played with my father, and the two of us would have the birdie soaring back and forth over the net at least twenty or thirty times before one of us slipped up. When you added other people into the mix, it only ever made it across four or five times before dropping to the ground.

"Singles," My dad answered. "Everyone's playing against the person closest to their age. Keeps this fair for the most part."

"Yes! Inside or out?"

He looked up at the sky, as if it would somehow give him an answer.

"I guess that depends," he said, turning back to me. "If it's not too windy we'll be outside, but otherwise the basement should do. It's pretty big. I don't think it's going to be windy though. The weather's been beautiful."

It had been beautiful. The temperature was a perfect mix of warm, with a light breeze. The skies were free of clouds. The sun was shining bright. I had no doubt we'd be outside, and I could hardly wait.