ONE FAULT

One Fault!

It all started when I was on 9th grade. I was the Cricket captain and was considered the best athlete in school, with great height and personality. At the Intramural Sports Fest, my cousin went to watch my game, and he introduced me to Tenzin, his classmate. I knew her ever since we were young, but I never talked to her since we have different peers and that she's a year older than me.

When the match was over and my opponent won, Tenzin comforted me as my cousin laughed at me. She asked me if I would want to watch her game that will start in about ten minutes and since I was lost and not in the mood to go somewhere alone, I said yes.

The tennis court was filled with people; my cousin went to buy some chips and soda leaving me as I walked Tenzin to the bench where her team was located. I bid her good luck and turned around to look for an empty seat when someone called me. To my surprise, it was Coach, the Lawn Tennis Team coach. It turns out that one of the athletes was injured and they need someone to feel out her place and she thought that I could be that one. Without even thinking, I said YES, and the next thing I knew, I was standing on the court beside Tenzin, with a racket and ball in my hand, though I played once only. We were teamed to play doubles; I told her that I'm not sure what I am doing and that to forgive me if we lose.

My cousin was surprised to see me playing and was more surprised when Tenzin and I won.
Her Coach for Table Tennis offered me to be the President of the Town's Table Tennis Club for student, and at the same time, Coach asked me if I  want to play with the team for Nationals and that she will assist me on my training. I had to think about it for days because if I will play Lawn Tennis, it means that I would have to give up cricket. After weeks of considering, I decided to choose tennis and that made my cricket coach mad.

Four years later, Tenzin and I were best of friends. We still played doubles, and went to other places to compete. We win and lose together, exchange secrets, share our love and heartaches, we were typical best friends, just like everybody else.

One day, it was Sunday, we were talking on the phone and she was mad at her mother for letting her babysit her brother and that she wants to meet her friend. I told her that she could meet her later when her mother arrived. Our conversation was disconnected when she had to open their gate for her cousin who just arrived from a long trip.

A couple of hours later, Tenzin was outside my house with her cousin's car. She told me that her cousin was taking care her brother and asked me if I wanted to go with her to the beach where she would meet her friend who was asking her to be there as fast as she could. I told her that I'm tired and that all I want is a long nap; she said that, "I want a long, peaceful sleep myself,”. She bid goodbye and I went inside to have my afternoon nap.

I woke up to my Mom's voice, she was yelling, calling for me. It was already dark, I was grateful to have gotten a nap. I opened my bedroom door just to bump on my Mom. She was hugging me so tight, "Oh my God! Thank God you're here!" I was still a little dizzy and was wondering what on earth is happening. "I thought you were with...Tenzin's gone," she had said. I thought it was a dream, no a nightmare, but the horror in Mom's face was real.

Tenzin had a car accident, she was driving so fast that she wasn't able to get the car to halt when there's a sudden curve. The car tumbled in the air and fell into the cliff, killing my best friend on the spot. Police reports have said that if she was not alone, she might not drive as fast as she had, she would have slowed down. I was heartbroken, for years I have myself to blame for her death. I even stopped playing tennis, it was not the same without her. Her death changed me a lot.

Seven years since she had left earth, I went back to the Tennis Court where we first played, where we had our first win. That was one of the happiest moments of my life. A tear fell from my eyes when I started looking on our picture at the bulletin board, pictures of the past Tennis Players of the school. I missed her so much. Every day for ten years, I can't help but wonder what would have become to the two of us if she hadn't left. Tenzin is now having the long, peaceful sleep that she wanted to have, and I know that she's happy playing tennis wherever she is.    I miss you, Jaan, everyday! Though I always wanted to say that!

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