Since Justin has approved the ‘race’ between Madelyn and Joy, Joy has taken off her jetpack and been given a swimming suit by Justin. She had gone to dress in the changing area while we wait.
“Charlie, you want to swim, too?” Justin asks.
Charlie shakes his head. “I don’t swim that well. And I wouldn’t race either one of them, either.”
Justin nods.
I look back. Master Mind is still covering the entrance, his head turning to all sides, looking for dangers.
Joy comes out of the changing room.
“I’m ready!”
Madelyn has been waiting for her at the edge of the pool, not standing on the small stumps of her legs, but rather sitting.
“Come here, Zhoy,” she says. “You will be here. I will be here.”
Joy nods and stands in her own lane, next to Madelyn’s lane.
“Ready?”
Joy nods.
“Do you know how to count in French?”
Joy shakes her head.
Madelyn raises her fingers as she counts, “Un, deux, trois. Okay?”
Joy nods. She puts her head down, arms in front of her head in a V, ready to leap in.
Madelyn raises her body with her arms and now sits right at the edge.
“Un... “ she says. “Deux… Trois!”
They both leap into the water. Madelyn shoves herself in while Joy leaps head first.
In the beginning, Joy has a lead because of her jump. But by the time they are halfway through the olympic pool, Madelyn is passing her.
Madelyn easily gets first to the edge. She holds the side of the pool and patiently waits for Joy.
“Hmmm…” Justin says to himself.
“What?” I ask him.
“Nothing. I want to see how Joy reacts to losing.” He starts walking towards the other side, where Madelyn waits. I follow him. Charlie is already there.
Joy finishes her lap and holds the side of the pool with one hand. She strikes the water in frustration with the palm of her other hand.
“Wow, Joy, that was amazing!” Charlie says.
Joy strikes the water again and again. Her face shows a lot of frustration.
“Wow, Joy, didn’t Madelyn do great?” Justin says. “Isn’t it great how good she got?” And to Madelyn he says. “Wow, that was seriously impressive.”
Both Madelyn and Joy are ignoring him. Madelyn looks at Joy as Joy pulls herself out of the water and sits on the edge, arms crossed.
“Zhoy, you do not become a winner because you win,” Madelyn tells her calmly. “You become a winner when you, uh… come over?” she looks at Justin.
“Come over?” he asks.
“Come over something hard?”
“Overcome!” Charlie says.
“Yes,” Madelyn agrees. I shake my head. That kid is sharp! I like him! Madelyn continues, “You only become a winner when you overcome, uh, hard things.”
Joy’s mouth is clenched tight. But after a few more seconds, she looks at Madelyn. “You won. You did very good.”
“Merci, Zhoy.”
Madelyn is about to start swimming back, when Joy says, “Let’s do it again.”
“Pardon?”
“Let’s race again. Two out of three.”
Madelyn smiles as Joy goes back into the pool.
They both hold the edge now.
“Ready?”
Joy nods.
“Un… Deux… Trois!”
And they race again.
Justin turns around and claps his hand once, beaming. “This is better than goddamn school, Dad! Yes!”
—Told by Grampa Walt