Seize the Day My Love [Marlene's story] - Pt 1 of Carpe Diem Series

28: Hang on!

How rude!  I heard his sinister laugh behind me.

I was stuck swinging like a monkey on this rope all thanks to that sore loser!

But I can't let my team down.  NO!  My pride won't be dominated by a knucklehead who loveds to degrade my status.

My teammates were rooting for me to continue, but ignored the sound of their cheers.  I needed to focus. And call me crazy, but I believed a voice of an angel whispered in my ear.

My hands felt sweaty after becoming too apprehensive, and think the voice I heard belonged to my late father.

Dad always taught me to push harder to do my best. 

When I was younger, I used to cry after school since bullies belittled me. 
Thus, my father would ask me to sit on his lap and calm me down by saying, "Marlene, don't let them get to you.  Do you want them to win or will you be bullied all your life?  Stand up and be a big girl now!  As I asked your sister the other day, are you a woman or a mouse?" 

And this faint voice told me the exact same thing, that I should not give up so easily.

I am a strong woman now!  Vincent won't win!

I decided to try anything that wouldn't let me touch the soiled ground as I twisted my feet and kept the flag in my other hand.

I looked up to see where the strings hung, and twisted my body in different corners to avoid all of them.  

There were four 'trip wires'.   

The first one was short, so I ducked once it appeared. The second and the third pieces of twine were of equal height, not too far from my reach.  Twisting my body like a trapeze artist made me super dizzy, but it was worth the effort because the 'wires' were now behind me.  The fourth line was longer; and since my mind was still in a daze, I had to think of something fast. 

Out of nowhere, I moved in a position where the rope rotated nearer to my teammates who were still cheering for me.

However, their loud voices were still oblivious to my ears; since I was focused on getting to the platform.

But I swung too much toward their direction, that my legs were dangling over their heads.  So I just jumped before the rope swung back to Vincent.

Tammie and Rebecca jumped back on the platform at the sight of my feet coming down, but Robin caught me just right in the nick of time.

And I felt a flushed face of confusion come upon me.

***************

"Thank you Robin."

"The pleasure was all mine, my lady."  He put me down and bowed down like a proper gentleman.

He surely knows how to embarrass me in front of the other two onlookers.

Trying to change the subject and to stop my blushing from recurring, I looked at Vincent and shouted.

"OKAY, HOTSHOT! GIVE IT ALL YOU GOT NOW!"

Thus, the jerk looked at me with a smirk and grabbed the rope.

And when Vincent accomplished his second attempt to join us, we had the task of trying Team B's stunt.  I believe the Coach planned us to do more exhilarating obstacles than yesterday, in order to challenge us.

Owen's team had the task of attempting the "LOW V or WILD WOOZY" activity.  Here, cables were installed between three trees in a narrow "V" about 12"  from the ground.  The objective was for two people, each on a separate cable, starting at the narrow end of the "V", to stand and face each other.  They must support each other as they walk towards the wide end of the "V" without falling.