Jessica’s Big Chance Storytelling Week 10

Curling Image (Source) 

It was the night of the big game and Jessica was excited to be with her friends. This was the last game of her college career! Jessica played for the University of Oklahoma's curling team (i’m not sure if we actually have one of those). Her teammates cheered her on as she stepped up to the starting line. In her head Jessica knew she would make or break the winning shot for the last game of the season. All of her teammates had already gone and she would have to do hers perfectly.

“Okay,” she thought to herself, “just be calm. Just be calm. It’s gonna be okay. You got this.”

Before she knew it she was standing at the end of the long iced runway looking down at the opposite end. Her knees began to shake. There was so much pressure on her to get this last shot. 

She took the starting position and was just about to release when a fan blew an airhorn. He grip slipped and the “puck” went in the other direction. They had lost the game. 

Afterwards, the team went to Fuzzy’s Taco Shop to celebrate the end of their season. Even if they didn’t win the game. Jessica felt awful for losing the game. 

On elf her team members came up behind her. “Hows it going?” He asked. 

“Fine.” She replied. 

“Oh, well good.” He said. 

“Look, I know I sucked tonight. You don’t have to rub it in.” She exclaimed.

“What are you talking about? You did fine tonight. We have all messed up before, no one blames you for not making that shot. 

Jessica thought for a moment. “So your not mad at me?” She asked. 

“No. You did your best that is all we can do, right?” He said. 

“Yeah.” I guess it is. 

Author’s Note: I am retelling the ending of the Mahabharata as Yudhisthira climbs the mountain to enter the gates of paradise. Yudhisthira explains that while coming up the mountain he brothers and wife fell into an abyss. Arjuna, the Twins and even Draupadi all gone. Now Yudhisthira and his dog are the only ones left and they wish to enter the gates of paradise. The voice that comes from the heavens tells Yudhisthira to leave his dog and he can enter paradise. Yudhisthira is outraged that he cannot bring this dog into paradise. A creature that had been through so much with him. Yudhisthira says he would rather stay in the freezing cold and die than go without him. The ultimate sacrifice. Finally Yudhisthira is told that the dog is a reincarnation of his father and he passed the test to enter into paradise, where he found his foes! He did not understand where his family was led. Eventually he was led to his family in ‘hell’ a horrible place. When I finished this part of the movie it made me think about what it is like to go through ‘hazing’ at a fraternity. I wanted my story to be whimsical and not too dragged down, so I made the ending a happy one compared to the sadder version presented by the Mahabharata video.