To my beloved children

Bruno and Antoni

Have you ever died! Well I have. Bazinga! Just kidding! Although losing

a softball tournament wasn't death but it sure felt like it.

In the land of Romania, in the busy car packed city of Bucharest, in the

American school, in a Ceesa softball tournament. Were the fiercest kids

competed. Dwelled one kid the fiercest of them all. Even though I was

not the biggest but I was the coolest kid, my name is Kay. This match,

my team the asw warriors and I were more than determined to win. It

was my turn to bat. In the dark red colour of my proud warrior jersey. I

walked to the home plate with my great weapon the Wilson bat the

colour blue was ready at my side. I could actually pinpoint the tiny rocks

on the bloody red ground. My senses have been awakened. When you

stand there at bat I could see the perspective a lot better than I do from

the stand, my hands were shaking which meant I was nervous as well as

excited.

“Relax Kay” I said to myself.

The other team was ticked off, their expressions weren't happy. Biting

my lip which already had a place to mark as I do a lot. Parents, different

teams, and kids in the American school of Bucharest knew that when I

strike there will be no turning back for the other team to come back and

win. Standing there and awaiting my opponents first pitch, in my head I

had a lot of ideas to hit the ball. This head was about to pop. I hear my

biggest enemies the nasty white.

Black penguins chanting “Warriors suck they are the worst ever, Kay of

the town bad shall miss.”

As the annoying Moscow penguins finished.

I called out “what‟s your deal, keep calm and be nice.‟

I also knew that if I hit a run my team will win so the pressure is on. I

could hear the crowd gasped for oxygen and they didn't dare to let the

air out.

„Why so serious people‟ I whispered to myself with the ring of the joker's

voice.

The pitcher gets a good grasp of the ball and throws it in an

uncomfortable line but it wasn't the hardest pitch to swing on. Seriously I

loved these kind of balls so I also made the final twitch of my body a

routine my mentor in softball Takahiro told me to do. I shifted the weight

from the right leg to the left so it would accelerate my swing while doing

so I swung my bat timing it perfectly and I hit the ball. The crowd

released their hold on their precious air.

The ball went flying right through the third base. A perfect line drive.

Then the second stage started. I didn't dare to look at where the ball

went but I had a slight smile beneath my helmet. But, I mean it was a

good shot so I had to be amazed at what I produced out of such a poor

pitch. It was a not remarkable shot which just stopped in front of a home

run but it was flying on an angle just in the middle of third base and the

foul line. I sprinted to first base while doing so was setting a new goal to

reach the second base. By now I only thought of the base and muscle

memories made my knees go up for a perfect sprint. With a thud I

pasted second base. I could by now hear the lost voices from the stands

it was a horde of ghosts that were shallow enough to think that you are

just a piece to entertain them.

On the other hand my mentor Takahiro was chanting “GO GO GO!”

I stressed even more. Now I think I shouldn't have got so much

adrenaline because it had to end bad I mean the balance of yin and

yang states if there is good there has to be bad. When I heard Mr.Kuhn's

voice shouting “Come on Kay!” This single statement I wanted it all I

wanted to make everyone proud. Again I get another surge of adrenaline

and my muscles start to tense. The little angel in my head said don't

stress, boy. The devil said no no no no you have to be tense to score the

point. Unfortunately the bad side was winning.

So I lurched forward and heard my childhood and best friend and 8th

grader Witek Radwanski yell from the stands “You can do it just run bro”

know I had tears in my eyes because I just wanted to do for the team.

The defending team shouting “to third base!”

Slide, Drop just then my heart stopped. Total blackness overflowed into

my head. Then one panicked shout from the stands of my friend, Witek

that brought tears to my eyes a second ago

“Oy, someone help him!” that‟s the last thing I recalled.

So I guess this is the end. It always has to be this yin and yang bull.

Good day starts, evening flunks. Maybe god wants me like this crippled

forever. Maybe those bloody penguins cause all of this. Or maybe it is

just pure bad luck. Unlikely because nothing in the world is luck. There‟s

got to be someone behind this!

So I have tried to find who this was but it was only one thing the

miracle. This taught me miracles are possible

Have you ever died but, not fully and lived?

This match, my team the asw warriors and I were more

than determined to win.

It was my turn to bat.

…

“Oy, someone help him!”

That‟s the last thing I recalled.

“A memoir of substance, tenderness, and grace.” – Thomas Geleschun memoir author of the

bestselling Hide and Seek

“Fresh, funny, touching and wise” – Jai Bonjwani author of the memoir A Helpful Lesson

BLOOMSBURY

Kay Minkiewicz was born on August 10, 2000. He

lives in Powisle, Warsaw. His hand feels better and

lately his teeth fell out and he plans to publish

another memoir about how his friend bumped into

him and his teeth fell out. He works in Ms.

Windust‟s classroom and he likes peace.