Eight Times Up by John Corr

Author:John Corr
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781459818637
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Published: 2019-01-31T16:00:00+00:00

SEVENTEEN

After what seemed like forever, Wafaa took a deep breath and started speaking again.

“Around that time I started wearing my hijab. Off the mats and on. It wasn’t an easy decision, but the time just seemed right.

“Next thing I know, my judo sensei gets this anonymous letter.” Wafaa sounded angry now. But her voice was shaky, like mine gets when I’m trying not to cry. “Probably from one of the other parents. They had included a copy of Judo Canada’s competition rules. One rule had been highlighted.” Wafaa swallowed. She took a deep breath, and her voice wasn’t shaky anymore.

“Turns out, there are rules about competing in a hijab.” She reached up and ran her hand along the one she was wearing. She patted it. “As in, you’re not allowed to. So I made my choice. That was it. No more judo.” She shrugged and stared at the flames. I could tell she had stopped paying attention to her hot dog. It had gone crispy black all on one side, but she wasn’t even turning it.

Zack reached over with his stick and gently lifted hers away from the coals. He cleared his throat. “Burning,” he said. He got up and dropped a few more logs onto the coals. He pulled Sensei Rick’s iron rod out of the ground to shove the logs around till it looked like a real fire would get going again.

Wafaa sighed. She brought her hot dog close to her face for inspection.

“Wait a minute!” Joe said. We all looked at him. “So you’re saying you quit? Just like that?”

I think I knew what he really meant.

I think he meant it couldn’t be that simple.

It couldn’t be that…unfair.

“She didn’t quit!” I said. “Weren’t you listening?” I kept an eye on Wafaa to make sure I had it right. “Her sensei quit on her when someone pointed out the rules.”

I looked across the grassy field to the back deck of the cottage. Kondo Sensei and Sensei Rick were just hanging out, taking it all in.

Sensei Rick could be kind of a bully, and I had only just met Kondo Sensei. But I couldn’t imagine either one of them ever quitting on us.

At least Wafaa has real senseis now.

I turned back in my chair and smiled at her.

She looked at me.

Uh-oh. She did not look happy with me.

In fact, she looked like she was going to stand up and stab me with with her roasting stick, burnt wiener and all.

I shrunk in my chair.

I should have known better than to try to defend her.

“No,” she said. “My judo sensei did not quit on me! He called up Judo Canada and screamed his head off at them. He screamed so much they threatened to take away his accreditation.

“Then he threatened to sue them. They said the rule was there for a reason and that some other countries had the same rule, and they weren’t going to change it for just one girl.”

I knew I was taking a chance, but I had to ask.

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