The Sun Shines Brightest in June (Completed) gxg

Tuesday, June 10, 2003

I never usually remember two days in a row so well, but the Badminton game was a hard event to forget. The weather was perfect, as we had all imagined it would be. We dressed appropriately, in somewhat matching outfits. Although we were playing singles games, each family was also a team. Our family was blue, The Jacobs were red. At the end of all of our matches we would tally up scores to see which family had won more games.

Since there was an even amount of teams, we'd have to have tiebreaker game if came out even. That game would be between each family's best player, since the rule was that whoever scored first took the game. I hoped we tied, because I knew I would be the one playing in the tiebreaker. My dad was a good player, and he did well against my straight shots, but I was faster. If an opponent hit the birdie way off to either side, I'd make it over in time more often than he would. He always blamed his age for slowing him down.

The first game was between Timothy and Caleb. It lasted the shortest out of all the games, because Timothy kind of sucked at Badminton. Caleb was whooping his butt straight from the beginning. Our family cheered loudly from the sidelines. Anna and Alice, who stood beside us in little homemade cheerleading outfits, jumped up and down, waving streamers around themselves as they cheered.

The second game was between my mother and Mrs. Jacobs. They lasted a good amount of time, since both of them were about equal, and neither of them were that bad. Mrs. Jacobs won the game, in the end. It had been a close match, but she managed to edge her way past my mother with a four-point lead.

The third game was between my father and Mr. Jacobs. This was another game that lasted a decent amount of time, but it was still shorter than the women's. My dad showed off his ability to always get high shots, as Mr. Jacobs was taller, and often hit the birdie way over his head. My father tried to take his shorter stature as an advantage, and often let the birdie bump softly off of his racket so that it would just graze over the net. Mr. Jacobs had to keep lunging forward to make sure he got them before they hit the ground, and it seemed difficult for him, because he was so tall. My father laughed at this, and eventually threw his hands up into the air to cheer when the birdie was finally missed by Mr. Jacobs, giving the winning point to my father.

The last game, of course, was played between me and Klara. My family was currently in the lead. Either I was going to give us the victory we rightfully deserved, or Klara was going to tie us up and force us into the first-point tiebreaker. Seeing as I loved Badminton so much, I was up for either scenario, even if it meant having to play two games in a row. I knew I could handle it.

The sun was still high in the sky. No clouds could be seen. The air was calm and still. I could feel rays shining down on me, heating me up. Halfway into the game I was sweating. My tank top clung to me and the thin strands of my hair that fell out of my ponytail stuck to the back of my neck. I pushed my damp bangs out of the way and brought my focus back to the game.

Klara and I were both tied. Our game was lasting the longest. She was way better than I had been expecting. Her ability to stay focused was impressive. It seemed as though her eyes were trained to follow the birdie. She never once let a loose strand of hair or the slip of a foot distract her. I was good, but I didn't have the focus that she had. Every muscle ache, loose hair, slipping foot, noise in the distance, or wrong movement caught my attention.

It was then that I realized Klara could very well beat me. Not only could she beat me, but she would be the player her family would chose for the tie breaker. It would be two games between me and Klara, and I was sure that she would win both of them if I didn't get my head where it needed to be.

I don't know if she ever picked up on it. Probably not. Her mind was too focused on not letting that birdie get away from her. I was thankful for that, because all she would need to do was wait for the right moment. Surely I'd get distracted again and she'd have the perfect moment to steal her winning point.

"Come on, Sadie!"

Caleb cheered louder than anyone else. I could hear his voice loud and clear. He really wanted me to win this. I fought myself to keep from looking over in the direction of my family. No doubt they were probably all on edge. It was getting later out and no one was going to want to stick around for a tiebreaker if Klara beat me. It had already been a long day. I needed to win this one.

"Come on, Sadie! You know you can do this!"

I couldn't fight any longer, I glanced over. It was only a second, but that was all it took. When I looked back the birdie was coming straight at my face, and it was already pretty close. I did the only thing I could think to do. I ducked and swung my racket aimlessly, hoping, no, praying that I hit it. I did. I heard an off sounding clunk and opened my eyes, only then realizing that they had been closed.

The birdy hit off the side of my racket, and shot out to the side in the opposite direction. Klara wasn't prepared for this sudden change, and she scrambled to get over to where the birdie soared to the open side of the net. It was all for nothing. She dived forward. Her feet left the ground, but she still came up inches too short. The birdie went over her head and fell softly into the grass. Klara, on the other hand, came down with a hard thud.

My family cheered as loud as they could well Klara's turned to congratulate them. I jogged over to her side to give her a helping hand. Her arms and legs were covered in grass stains where they had hit the ground. She brushed at them once she was back up on two feet.

"Who knew getting distracted could come in handy," I said with a quick laugh.

Klara smiled.

"And I thought I was prepared for anything."

We shook hands and that was that. The game was over. Our family had won,and that meant that dinner was going to be made by the losing team. It was anarrangement we had all agreed upon prior to the game. My family sat back andrelaxed in the living room, in front of the TV, waiting for whatever it wasthat her family decided to make.