essay #1 the game

Melinda Borgnis

English 101-057

Marlen Harrison

9-9-08

The Game

Crystal blue. Calm, peaceful, and even somewhat relaxing… for some. Not for us, not for my girls, my girls took this seriously. This was our water, our blocks, our goals, and our last game and nothing would stand in the way of our final win. For my seniors this was war and as always those no good Upper Merrion girls were going down. The whistle pierced through my ears like a gun and as if it was involuntary I pushed off the wall hoping to hit the ball or if not that the other girls face. I didn’t like the person I became in polo. I was mean and I almost wanted to hurt someone but inside I felt bad after doing so. Each of the great eight seniors was different. There was me the loving mother like captain that wouldn’t hurt a fly… as long as it wasn’t touching the ball. Then Natalie the artsy but mean one that kept to herself. Then Maddy, she would kill anything in her path…your typical polo beast. Then Laura the pretty blond captain that rocked it in the water but was never aggressive. Next was Alysha, the ditz with an amazing arm, scoring from half pool! Then Dtav our head captain and for her 110-pound body she packed a lot of power. Next there was Dianne the cheerleader who always had our backs. Finally there was Amanda, she was the crazy, loud, in your face type. All these different personalities fit amazing in the water especially on that day.

With the game in progress starters in place and our possession of the ball coach warned us not to make and dumb moves but that was uncommon for us. The next thing you know Maddy throws a punch, there’s blood everywhere, and no one saw what happened. I look at coach and the referee looks mad. Maddy is pulled from the game and is told to stay off deck. My mind races, ‘What are we going to do? she’s a starter?!?!’ Coach Lyons puts Dana in and tells Maddy to go and change. Maddy is flagged for giving the other girl a bloody nose. The game goes on and now I get put into the goal.

The orange glow of 7-0 illuminates brilliantly in the corner of my eye. My first shut out, but it is only the second period. “Keep it up,” coach screams. Upper Merrion girls play dirty and getting ripped to shreds is now something any player just had to live with. I guess they did not check nails today. My Heart races a mile a minuet and the water gets warmer from all the tension. I have some great blocks and a few near misses but my girls were on their game today and this shut out seemed like a piece of cake. I just had to hold it together for one more quarter I think to myself. Finally fourth quarter comes after a rough third and a near goal by the Upper Merrion girls.

The score is 12-0 and I hold my shut out. Within the first few seconds of the final quarter they gain possession and no one is on their girls to defend me. I scream for some form of defense but I have no one to help me. Man vs. beast. A 200-pound female comes barreling at me. “So much for that shut out,” I think to myself. I bite my lip and as the ball flies through the air all I could do was pray it did not go in. I side dive to stop the ball with any part of my body I could. I slam into it with my face as hard as I can and it reflects back to Laura. She stares at me ignoring the ball . “How did she miss it was right there, and why is everyone staring at me? Did I do something wrong?” The ball just lay there floating on the waves from the previous kicks and then becomes still. Everyone is still staring at me. Suddenly the taste of blood rushes into my mouth and coach is pulling me out by my suit. The trainer waits for me on the phone with an ambulance dispatcher. Still not sure what happened I try to speak and no words come out. I see my mom and inside I’m screaming but outside all I hear is silence. I get lifted on to a stretcher and the only word I hear is dislocated. It took me a minuet to process. Dislocated… like not attached. I reach down, my legs are there and arms and, ‘OH MY GOD, my face my jaw I can not feel it. What is going on?!?!?! How did this happen? I didn’t think the ball hit me that hard. It can’t be I need my jaw! I have to eat and talk and stuff!’ I arrive in a crowded hospital with doctors everywhere they put a mask on my face and tell me to breathe deeply. I closed my eyes and the next thing I remember is waking up and I was in a room with flowers and balloons. I find out that the amazon girl threw the ball so hard it dislocated my jaw and that I had just had surgery to correct my face. The great eight stood around my bed and hugged me. I may have been wired shut but my best friends still loved me and that was all that mattered. As for the game well Courtney filled in for me in goal and kept my shut out. We won 18-0 and even though I could not be there to see it I felt like I had won with them. Our team is till as close as ever and my jaw eventually went back to normal and I was able to eat again in a few weeks. That final game was one of the best I had ever been in and even though I did not see the end of it or get to have my senior recognition I was still glad I was there and that I had good friends to help me the entire way. As for the amazon girl that hit me Maddy said she took care of her in the locker room and rumor had it she came out with a black eye. After polo ended we started swimming and our swim team, which was the same as our polo team, was never closer.