All tagged being a winner
I go to sit next to Charlie, who for the last ten minutes has been watching from one of the pool chairs.
“Charlie, this must be boring for you. I would think you just want to play with Joy.”
“Are you kidding?” he looks at me all excited and I see his eyes are dancing. He is happy. “Joy lives in a dream! Anything can happen! And she’s awesome! Look how strong she is! She’s Superman!”
“Hmm. Yeah, well,” I mutter. “She’s hardly Superman.”
[Click on the title to read the entire diary entry!]
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?”
[Click on the title to read the entire diary entry!]
“Do you speak French, Joy?” she pronounces the name ‘Zhoy’.
“I don’t know,” Joy answers happily. “What’s French?”
Charlie peeks from behind Joy. “She doesn’t speak French, miss,” he says.
Madelyn takes a deep breath. “Then it is harder.”
Both Joy and Charlie are looking down at her. Even though Madelyn is clearly a tall woman, standing without legs she is shorter than them.
“Zhoy,” Madelyn speaks slowly, choosing her words. She knows English, but it is hard for her. “Do you know what it is like to… to win?”
[Click on the title to read the entire diary entry!]