Camp Little Willow

Chapter 11

     They seem pretty psyched up about the game as we line them up from oldest to youngest. Zoe hands me a clipboard with their names, ten boxes for points beside each one and a total box at the end.

     "Your first throw can be a practise, but every one after that counts. Benjy, you're up first." Zoe smiles encouragingly as she holds the bucket of bean bags up for him.

     Zack is stationed at the end of all the hoops, ready to call out a point for me to mark down, while Tabitha and Aisling are at the end of the line, helping the youngest littles to practise their throwing.

     Benjy picks a bean bag from the bucket and eyes up a hoop, he hops from one leg to the other, deciding which position is best. He pulls his arm back and launches the bean bag, hitting Zack right in the stomach. He doubles over and the littles erupt into laughter.

     "Sorry, Zack!" Benjy's cheeks redden.

     "S'OK, dude. Just aim for the ground next time." Zack gasps as he rubs his belly.

     "Great energy, but you don't have to put so much effort into it. The bean bags are light so if you toss them hard they'll stay in the air longer." Zoe demonstrates a gentler throw as Benjy nods beside her.

     Benjy steps up to the mark again, takes a new bean bag and a deep breath. He pulls his arm back again, but not so far this time, and throws the bag much more controlled than before.

     "Good job, Benjy!" I exclaim as Zack calls out, "twenty points!" I mark the score down and Benjy joins the back of the line, making way for Annie. 

     She gives me a small smile and tucks a strand of the strawberry blonde hair she shares with her sister behind an ear. She plucks a bean bag from the bucket and jumps as she throws it into the orange hoop.

     "Great, Annie! Do you want that as your practise or shall I count it?" I ask.

     She shrugs. "It's a good score, right?" 

     I nod. She seems happy enough with that and skips to the back of the line.

     Harry takes his place at the mark and fishes around in the bucket until he finds a bean bag he likes. He takes a deep breath, places one leg in front of the other, pulls is arm back slowly and then tosses the bean bag carefully,  just missing the first ring. Harry hangs his head and my heart beats for him.

     I kneel down to Harry's level and smile. "It's alright, that was just a practise." I hand him a new bean bag. "Give it another go." Harry flashes his gappy grin and throws the new bean bag with more power. It lands right in the middle of the ten hoop. Harry claps his hands in delight and runs to the back of the line.

     Next up is Nellie. The plaits I did in her hair this morning are starting to come out; I'll have to learn how to tie them better.

     "I don't want to," Nellie whispers, she looks almost teary-eyed.

     "How come?" I ask. My heart goes out to her, I just want to hug her and tell her to give it a go.

     "I'm not good at it." She shrugs.

     I don't think, my hand automatically reaches for a bean bag. I toss it so gently that it lands halfway to the first hoop. "Well, you can't be any worse than me." I smile and hold a bean bag out for her.

     Nellie giggles quietly and takes the bean bag. Her face turns serious as she steps up to the mark. She takes a deep breath and hurls the bean bag with her eyes squeezed shut. It lands in the red hoop, just.