Under the gun

She studied her feet and could see his, almost touching her’s. He was that close.

‘You think that was good enough? You think that was good enough?’ He snarled.

She didn’t look up, didn’t dare. She knew it hadn’t been good enough and she knew how angry it made him when she didn’t try. He placed two fingers under her chin and lifted her face. She looked in his eyes and could see his disappointment.

‘Get back down there,’ he jerked his head behind her to indicate where she needed to move to. She turned and walked in the direction. She walked purposely, not too slow but not too fast. She needed to gather her thoughts. Eventually she stopped and turned to face him. She couldn’t see his face in detail but she knew the scowl he would be wearing, she had seen it enough times. The scowl he had worn before, but this time it was different, this time he knew she had let herself, and him, down. She crouched down and watched as he raised the gun.

She saw the smoke before she heard the sound and she was off. Racing towards him for all she was worth. Pounding along the ground, racing, and covering the ground like a cougar. Breathing in all the right places not stopping to think just doing what was instinctive.

She screeched to a halt meters past him and turned to see his face. He head was bent, looking at his hand. He raised his head and lifted his hand so she could see the contents. A small silver stop watch. The hands stopped at exactly 11 seconds. He opened his arms and she ran to him. He picked her up and swung her round.

‘I knew you could do it.’ He said as he put her down. ‘We’re going to the Olympics and you my sweetheart are going to win the 100 metres.’

‘Oh Dad I knew we could do it.’ She said smiling and hugging him.