"Pa, I'm sorry." I told him right after the game.
"It's okay, just don't make that foolish mistake again. Anyways, good hitting!" he replied lovingly. This is the true side of my father. He isn't the very loving dad. He's the strict type actually. I remember those times when he and mama taught me how to read. I was so scared, I was crying even because both of my parents are holding a stick and each mistake, those sticks will surely land at my body but I learned so fast.
"So, this is your child?" the mysterious guy who smiled at me earlier went at our spot.
"Sir! Yes, this is Danna. Danna, say hi to Sir Paul!" my father said.
"Uhmm. Hi sir! Pleased to meet you."
"The next in line... I must say," Sir Paul said while smiling.
My father laughed and they talked some more but I went to my teammates and besides, it's bad to eavesdrop.
-----
"Team, congratulations. It was a good game but it's not great. Try to do better next time. We are up against Diffun tomorrow so be ready. They are the defending champs," the coach told us.
Oh well, tomorrow, I will not make any mistakes. This is a promise.
----
Yes, these girls are tougher I must say. They are excellent from throwing, batting and catching. They are in a different level.
I've been doing a great job from the start, delivering a perfect basehit and RBI but no ball came to me in the first two innings. The ball is flying up to the fielders and no grounders. Unexpectedly, the match was tight, we weren't so behind at 5-3.
At the beginning of the third inning, a sharp ball to the ground came to me. The fastest grounder that ever came to me. I faced it with no fear but due to the ball speed and uneven ground, I wasn't able to calculate the landing of the ball. I positioned my gloves but it changed it trajectory, luckily, I was fast enough to react on that but at the same time, I felt a sudden jolt. A pain I never experienced before. A sharp pain in my chest.
I looked at my gloves but the ball wasn't there. It was infront of me then I realized, it was my first body hit. I was dizzy. I don't know what to do. I faced first but the runner was there.
I looked at my father and I can tell he was so worried and so was my mother.
The game continued like nothing happened but I can't take this pain anymore. I suddenly dropped at one knee before our pitcher even delivered the ball. The coach didn't budge but Sir Paul, the guy from yesterday who is also the tournament manager suddenly stopped the match. He is, after all , the chief umpire.
I was benched, I hate it. I can see the action from where I was sitting. I saw how our team suffered. Oh well, that was expected though.
After the match, Papa approached me.
"Does it hurt?" he asked for the first time
"Not much now,"
"You were so brave to face that ball, I am proud," he told me with a smile.
"Well, love hurts." he added