The tennis match is about to begin. Joy and I sit on the benches to the side, near the net. Master Mind can’t be seen. He is probably watching for danger from a good vantage point.
In front of us, we have Madelyn to one side, on her wheelchair, her racket on both arm rests. On the other side of the court, we have Justin, holding a racket and two balls, ready to serve.
He bounces one of the balls on the ground, then dribbles it a bit with his racket. He hasn’t held a racket or a ball in practically a decade. He’s becoming comfortable with them again.
“Dad’s going to win,” Joy says with the confidence of a girl who believes her father is all-powerful. In this case, I agree with her.
Madelyn rolls to position. “I am ready. Let’s begin.” She takes her racket.
“I’ll take it easy on you,” he says.
Madelyn laughs. “As you wish.”
Justin serves. Madelyn hits the ball back with such force that it hits the ground and moves past Justin faster than he reacts.
“Love fifteen,” she says. “You play your best game with me or you don’t play.”
Justin nods.
They get ready for the next serve. Justin hits the ball hard. Madelyn rolls and strikes back. Then Justin, then Madelyn, then Justin, then Madelyn, and Justin misses.
“What the hell?” Justin says.
“Love thirty,” says Madelyn. I can see how she plays now. She can move so fast with that wheelchair, as if she is running.
They play again. This time, when Madelyn misses, it’s fifteen thirty. They go again. When Justin is about to miss a ball, he jumps into the air, flip-flops, and hits the ball hard. Madelyn misses.
She does not complain.
They are playing for whoever wins six games first. Justin wins the first game. Then Madelyn adapts to his methods and beats him in the next one. And the next one. And the next one. Justin wins the next one. But eventually, Justin loses 6 to 2.
They shake hands across the net and Justin has a wide smile on his face that I haven’t seen in years.
“I’m a bit rusty,” he tells her. She laughs. “But you are amazing!”
“Thank you. I work very hard.” Clearly. We’ve seen she’s a fantastic swimmer, we’ve seen her play tennis, and Justin has seen her race in a desert and a lush jungle. This young woman is amazing.
Madelyn looks around. “Who else wants to play? Walt?” I shake my hand. I’m too old for this and I am not a dreamer. “Zhoy?”
Joy shakes her head. “I’ve never played.”
Master Mind emerges from one of the locker room entrance. “I would like to play tennis,” he says.
Justin stares at Master Mind. Madelyn takes a couple of seconds in which she just looks at Master Mind. Then she says, “I have never played against a robot. Let’s play!”
(To be continued…)
—Told by Grampa Walt