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Winning
by Monika Becker Anna was still showing off her medals on the bus ride home. She had won for best citizen and for best essay. No eight grader had ever done that before. Most of her classmates had their parents in the audience, but Anna had told her mother not to bother coming. Anna’s mother couldn’t drive, and Anna’s father would never take off a day of work. Besides, what if Anna didn’t win anything, then her mother walked five miles for nothing. Anna’s younger brother, Peter, had run ahead to tell their mother about the medals. Anna expected her mother to be so happy, but when she got to the front door, her mother wasn’t there. “Where’s Mom?” she asked Peter. “I told her you won all the medals, and she went upstairs,” he said. Anna thought her mother must be preparing some surprise for her. “Mom, look at my medals,” Anna said taking the steps two at a time. She found her mother in the bedroom, stripping the bed, but her mother said nothing. “Mom, don’t you want to see my medals. No one’s ever won both before.” “So you have big day? Peter say all have family there.” She threw the sheets off the bed, beside where Anna was standing, and wiped her hand over her wet cheek. “Mom, I thought you would be happy. Why are you crying?” “You ashamed of me. You not ask me to come, so no one know I your mother,” she said choking on the words. Anna was shocked. “No, Mom, I didn’t want you walking all that way, and then I might not even win. The school’s five miles away.” “Why you think I not walk five miles? In Austria, I walk more everyday.” She sat on the bed and cried. “I’m sorry,” Anna said and sat down next to her. She wanted her mother to say it was all right, but her mother didn’t. For several minutes they just sat on the bed. “I just didn’t want you to walk so far,” Anna said again. “I’m not ashamed of you.” “Others have someone there. I be so proud to see you win. It be best day in my life.” The things Anna had worried about during the day all revolved around herself. Never once did it occur to her that her mother, who did everything she could to make her happy, would want to be there, would want to share the joy of her winning. Anna imagined, too late, how excited her mother would have been to meet her teachers, to hear the principal say nice things about her, even to apologize for her broken English. There was no way to recapture that moment. Anna took her mother’s hand and sat beside her as quiet tears slipped down her cheeks. All the joy of winning was gone. |
Monika Becker is a member of the Florida Writer's Association and has had three short stories published in their annual short story collections. Several other stories have made the finals list in the Royal Palm Literary Awards Competition and in the Writer's Digest Writing Competition.
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