the display.
It was her brother Jonathan calling from Canada which was never a good sign. If
he called for a chat he usually used video calls, not calls to her cell phone.
This had to be urgent. Polly turned around and quickly walked over to a pair of
lounge chairs standing next to the staircase.
“Hey,” she answered the phone. “What’s up?”
“Hey, sis’.” Her brother’s voice sounded
stressed. Polly felt dizzy. The air suddenly seemed very thin.
“What’s up?” Polly asked again.
“Mom is in the hospital,” her brother
revealed. He didn’t need to say anything else. Their mother’s heart disease had
accompanied them now for three years. Polly sank down onto one of the cushioned
chairs.
“Okay.” Polly didn’t move. “Thanks for
letting me know.”
“I’ll keep you updated,” Jonathan said.
There was nothing Polly could do but wait.
***
Her hair was disheveled and her arms spread
to both sides. The straps of the harness around her hips didn’t bother her
anymore and the rhythmic up-and-down movement made her body feel lighter and
lighter. Elise was flying.
She grabbed Gabriella’s hand tighter and
cried out in joy.
“I haven’t jumped on a trampoline in
years,” she yelled to her friend with whom she was assigned to play. They were
on one side of the large trampoline while Gabriella’s sister Lulu and Robyn
Lawrence, a young and upcoming British player were on the other side. All were
strapped with long bungee cords for safety.
Gabriella didn’t react and with a side
glance Elise determined that her friend was concentrating hard on jumping to
the right rhythm. She still looked grumpy after having lost her match against
Luella. Admittedly, Gabriella had looked very clumsy the moment she set foot on
the trampoline. More than once she missed the ball as she was jumping either
too high or too low. She couldn’t get the hang of it while Lulu on the other
side of the net seemed a natural at the trampoline task. She entertained the
whole Supersport crew with trick shots between her legs and changing the
racquet from one hand to the other to get even the most difficult balls back
over the net. In the end Lulu topped it off with a somersault. Everything
worked for her and Robyn and Elise stood on the ground in awe of Luella’s
acrobatic stunts.
“It’s not important,” Elise had tried to
cheer her up when Gabriella dismounted the trampoline for a short break after
the singles match, even though she felt that it was not so much losing the fun
match that bothered Gabriella, but her inability to keep up with Luella’s show
skills. The doubles match was just as lopsided. Lulu and Robyn were giggling
and making points at will while every ball Gabriella was able to reach she hit
outside the trampoline railings. Elise at least tried to have fun.
“Cheer up!” she ordered Gabriella, but in
the end they lost the doubles match.
“That’s a wrap, ladies,” Paola said,
clapping her hands and nodding at the film crew to pack up. “You all looked
great.”
Gabriella snorted while she packed her
racquet bag. “Sure.”
“What’s up with you?” Elise asked her when
they were walking back to the tournament building. “You didn’t have any fun.”
“Is it not allowed to deliberately not have fun?” Gabriella retorted. “I’m trying to win matches. I’m a competitive
person.”
“I guess it wasn’t your day,” Elise said
sheepishly.
“It never is these days,” Gabriella said
cryptically, running to catch a tournament cab and leaving Elise dumbfounded.
It was the first time they had argued since they had become friends during the
last season.
***
Mint was hurrying up the stairs. She had
less than one hour before she needed to be back in the spa area of the hotel
where her stepmother was enjoying a back rub right now, believing that Mint was
in the room next door. Once she opened the heavy metal door and the cool breeze
tousled her hair all the stress
It was her brother Jonathan calling from Canada which was never a good sign. If
he called for a chat he usually used video calls, not calls to her cell phone.
This had to be urgent. Polly turned around and quickly walked over to a pair of
lounge chairs standing next to the staircase.
“Hey,” she answered the phone. “What’s up?”
“Hey, sis’.” Her brother’s voice sounded
stressed. Polly felt dizzy. The air suddenly seemed very thin.
“What’s up?” Polly asked again.
“Mom is in the hospital,” her brother
revealed. He didn’t need to say anything else. Their mother’s heart disease had
accompanied them now for three years. Polly sank down onto one of the cushioned
chairs.
“Okay.” Polly didn’t move. “Thanks for
letting me know.”
“I’ll keep you updated,” Jonathan said.
There was nothing Polly could do but wait.
***
Her hair was disheveled and her arms spread
to both sides. The straps of the harness around her hips didn’t bother her
anymore and the rhythmic up-and-down movement made her body feel lighter and
lighter. Elise was flying.
She grabbed Gabriella’s hand tighter and
cried out in joy.
“I haven’t jumped on a trampoline in
years,” she yelled to her friend with whom she was assigned to play. They were
on one side of the large trampoline while Gabriella’s sister Lulu and Robyn
Lawrence, a young and upcoming British player were on the other side. All were
strapped with long bungee cords for safety.
Gabriella didn’t react and with a side
glance Elise determined that her friend was concentrating hard on jumping to
the right rhythm. She still looked grumpy after having lost her match against
Luella. Admittedly, Gabriella had looked very clumsy the moment she set foot on
the trampoline. More than once she missed the ball as she was jumping either
too high or too low. She couldn’t get the hang of it while Lulu on the other
side of the net seemed a natural at the trampoline task. She entertained the
whole Supersport crew with trick shots between her legs and changing the
racquet from one hand to the other to get even the most difficult balls back
over the net. In the end Lulu topped it off with a somersault. Everything
worked for her and Robyn and Elise stood on the ground in awe of Luella’s
acrobatic stunts.
“It’s not important,” Elise had tried to
cheer her up when Gabriella dismounted the trampoline for a short break after
the singles match, even though she felt that it was not so much losing the fun
match that bothered Gabriella, but her inability to keep up with Luella’s show
skills. The doubles match was just as lopsided. Lulu and Robyn were giggling
and making points at will while every ball Gabriella was able to reach she hit
outside the trampoline railings. Elise at least tried to have fun.
“Cheer up!” she ordered Gabriella, but in
the end they lost the doubles match.
“That’s a wrap, ladies,” Paola said,
clapping her hands and nodding at the film crew to pack up. “You all looked
great.”
Gabriella snorted while she packed her
racquet bag. “Sure.”
“What’s up with you?” Elise asked her when
they were walking back to the tournament building. “You didn’t have any fun.”
“Is it not allowed to deliberately not have fun?” Gabriella retorted. “I’m trying to win matches. I’m a competitive
person.”
“I guess it wasn’t your day,” Elise said
sheepishly.
“It never is these days,” Gabriella said
cryptically, running to catch a tournament cab and leaving Elise dumbfounded.
It was the first time they had argued since they had become friends during the
last season.
***
Mint was hurrying up the stairs. She had
less than one hour before she needed to be back in the spa area of the hotel
where her stepmother was enjoying a back rub right now, believing that Mint was
in the room next door. Once she opened the heavy metal door and the cool breeze
tousled her hair all the stress
Similar Books
