Memories Cycle 2 - WINNER ANNOUNCED

Assignment 6 - The Moment


http://i.imgur.com/HiMImVl.png



“Come on Jennifer, keep that stick down and try to block those in-coming balls.” Mike yelled from the sidelines.

Time was running out and we needed one more goal to win the grand final. The black clouds were building up fast and I had no doubt there would soon be a deluge.

“Get ready, you are the full back and those balls are going to be coming full pelt at you and the whole team is relying on you to stop them. You have a really good, hard hit, use it!”

He seemed to be picking on me today for some reason.

I signalled to my fellow full back to stay back and I ran out to meet the on-coming mob of hockey sticks and bodies that charged toward me. I chose my target. She was the little winger, a finely built bundle of muscle that could have been an Olympic sprinter the way she ran.
I lined up my stick and eyeballed her. I could tell she knew I had my sights set on her and she began weaving in and out. I began following the ball as she started dribbling faster and faster toward the goal that I had to protect.

Instead of looking up I continued to keep my eye on the ball. When I predicted which way she would go, I moved inline to where I thought she’d finish up. Just as she was about to weave out of my mark, I inclined the head of my hockey stick downward and thrust it straight down onto the ball. The clash of wood on the ball was deafening. The ball stopped dead under my stick and the winger kept on running thinking she still had the ball in her control. I quickly glanced up and saw a clear space where our winger could pick up a long hit.

I belted the ball as hard as I could. It made it into the goal circle and was headed straight to our winger, until one of the other team’s forwards intercepted. My hit was so hard it shot out of bounds off the opposition’s stick giving us a short corner. The last chance for us to get the goal we needed to win.

Mike yelled from the sidelines. “Jennifer get up there take the short corner. You can do this.”

I held my stick up and ran to our goals again lining myself up to where I thought my team would place the ball.

“That’s it!” yelled Mike. “You’ve got this. Go for it.”

The finishing siren went but rules stated we were allowed to take the shot. The ball came out long and fast and I had time to stop it and then belt it as hard as I could toward the goals. The loud thunk on the back of the wooden backboard indicated it’d found its target and we won 2-1. Everyone cheered and I saw Mike’s shoulders slump.

The loud clap of thunder, made us all jump and then the rain fell in heavy drops. Everyone scattered to cars and trees or any shelter they could find. Then it happened, Mike came over to me, He’d grabbed a leather jacket he must have had stashed somewhere and ran up to me. The rain didn’t bother me but the bitter wind on my wet skin, even though I felt warm from running, lashed at my skin and I began shivering.

When I looked up, Mike had opened up his coat. “Want to come into my coat, I’ll keep you warm.”

I blushed, but the lamb’s wool fur lining was too tempting and I smiled shyly and moved into the shelter of his coat. I became aware of his warm body close to mine and goose bumps erupted down the length of my spine. I felt secure and cosy in his arms and then he looked at me and said.

“I know this isn’t the greatest place to ask, but if I don’t I’ll explode. I’ve really liked you from the very first time the Club manager introduced me to you as your hockey coach? Would you…er go out with me? You don’t have to answer now, but—"

“Yes!” I answered. Probably a bit too quickly. Actually I’ve been waiting for months for you to ask me,” I laughed.

His lips met mine and we kissed long and deep and from that day on we became boyfriend and girlfriend at 19 and 17 years of age. From behind us a chorus of giggles erupted. Mike and I turned and most of the team drenched to the skin, began applauding. We looked at each other and smiled. That became our moment. One that we won’t ever forget and never have even after 41 years of marriage.