That boy is beyond unbelievable! It's like Logan has a magnet that drags me into things that I don't want, that he wants. Well, I've learnt my lesson and I'm never going to do as he saysagain, which includes me not joining the basketball team. How couldI touch the ball I couldn't touch for six months? I feel like I'm in a dream, which I had recently of those lovely times we would have a picnic and afterwards play basketball.
As I enter the house, my mum waits by the door, eagerly.
"Come e stato (How was it)?"
"Logan disse a Coach Taylor di venirmi a prendere presto dalla lezione sette, quindi non potevo scappare. Ho giocato a basket uno contro uno contro di lui e ho vinto. Al termine della partita, Coach Taylor mi ha offerto un posto nella sua squadra di basket e basta. (Logan told Coach Taylor to pick me up early from lesson seven so I couldn't escape. I played a basketball one on one against him and won. When the game was finished, Coach Taylor offered me a place on his basketball team and that's all.)."
"E tu cosa hai detto (And what did you say)?"
"Ho detto che non lo so, ma ho detto a Logan quando abbiamo lasciato no (I said I don't know but I told Logan when we left no)."
"What? You have an opportunity like this and you turn it down," she says while she also drops the tray of snacks she brought me to eat on the floor.
"Look at the one overreacting now."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"You know exactly what I mean."
"Attitude, Luna."
"Why do you always want to tell me what to do?"
There's an awkward silence.
"It was advice, Luna because as your mother I give you advice that makes you a better person and what I think is the best for you and your life," Mom whispers so quietly that I can barely hear her.
"Well whether I take your advice is optional and I'm not going to join the basketball team."
"Fine but Ella wouldn't want this," and that was the last thing she said to me for the whole evening.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am playing basketball with Ella and it's a tie with little time of the game left. My face is burning red with sweat but I don't give up and encourage myself that I just need to shoot another basket and I win the game. However, the game does the opposite with Ella winning.
"Bel gioco (Good game)," Ella says cheerily and wearily at the same time.
I repeat the same thing but the words come out grumpily. This always happens when Ella wins our one on one basketball games. She would always say, jokingly:
"Non essere un perdente dolorante (Don't be a sore loser)."
However, this time she sits me down and her face has a look of seriousness on it.
"Luna, puoi promettermi qualcosa (Luna, can you promise me something)?"
"Che cosa (What)?"
"Promettimi che qualunque cosa accada, giocherai sempre a basket (Promise me that whatever happens, you will always play basketball)."
"Lo prometto (I promise)."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My dream is interrupted when I wake up. It's weird. Recently, all my dreams have all been about basketball, but I don't know why.
YOU ARE READING
The Immigrant Who Played Basketball
General FictionShe was and Italian Mixed Race Girl, with a black mom. She was looked down on and insulted by the residents of her town, who said she couldn't do anything. But she never listened when it came to playing basketball, the sport that transported her awa...
