Events That Require Documentation

Pride

  The smell of sweat and testosterone invade my tired body. My muscles are sore from weightlifting and my eyes are almost too heavy to lift. Boys stand on opposite sides of a wrestling mat. My school is on my left and the school we are loosing to is on my right. Their uniforms are bright green and WAY too tight.

  My school's team sits hunched over from the weight of losing to the skinny boys in front of them. Too tired to cheer I watch my brother and a few other people on my team wrestle and lose to the other team. Next is my friend, on the other side is a younger kid. His eyes are wide with fear as he takes in my friend Jose's muscular frame. The little boy's face is nearly the color of milk. I try not to frown. Jose will take him down faster than the team can cheer his name.

  Jose and the boy circle for a while, swatting at each other's hands like what guys think cat fights are like. I sigh and look at the match, praying Jose doesn't hurt this kid too bad. Suddenly something surprising happens. Jose smiles warmly at the kid and then up at me before lightly patting his leg, inviting the kid to try to take him down. The boy hesitantly goes at him, pulling his leg softly but Jose lands hard on the mat. I look in awe as the kid climbs onto Jose and tries to pin him. Jose puts up a weak fight for a while before getting up. They begin to swat again, both of them laughing and giggling. Jose pats his leg again and the boy, more certain of himself goes at Jose, stronger this time...

  Jose practically threw himself down onto the mat, the whole crowd I see wincing with me. Jose pins the boy but gets up and waits patiently for the boy to get up and try again. This same thing goes on for three rounds until the final whistle is blown and the two shake hands before the Referee pulls the little boy's hand up into the air. His pudgy face is flushed with happiness. My team's backs are no longer bowed. They sit and stand tall, clapping not only for their opponent but for Jose. I find my sleepiness has gone as I clap for them as well.

  I asked Jose later why he did it and he said... 'Everyone deserves a win.'

  The next day at school he admitted that he wasn't planning on letting the boy win at first but when the boy smiled he knew what he was going to do. He said he was fighting tears.

  I love Jose for this. For the mercy and love he showed the boy and for the pride he restored to my school. They knew, they knew that even though we lost bad to the skinny neon green uniformed kids... we could lose with compassion and respect for them and ourselves.