Jumping for Joy

My eyes blinked open. Sore from sleeping on the ground, I looked up to see my two friends, Betsy and Monica. The little room was warm, quite contrary to the cold November weather outside. Betsy asked if we wanted to go outside on the trampoline. Excited, Monica and I jumped up to accept.


At that moment, I had forgotten all the things that my Mom had told me. Forgotten how dangerous trampolines were. Forgotten how they were especially dangerous if the trampoline didn’t have a net. Forgotten how I could easily break something. Forgotten all the long talks we had, the promises I had made, my agreements to how it would be stupid to go on a trampoline without a net. If I were to break something, that would be devastating. I flashed at what was to come. I saw myself crying, asking why me, why now? Pain seized my left arm- now in a sling- and I had to sob. It was not a pretty sight, to see myself lose control. But at that moment, none of it mattered. I looked up from my haze, seeing my two friends rush out the door. I quickly pulled myself up, slightly limp from sleep, and stumbled out with them.


The rickety screen door flung open, and we bounded across the front lawn. Betsy’s Mom was gone, and her sisters were still asleep. We jumped for several minutes, the girls doing flips and jumps off of the swing set, but me, being a newcomer to trampolines, just jumped. What happened next seemed to be happening in slow motion. I stepped back, a little too close to the edge, and couldn’t stop myself. I fell backwards on my back, and lay there in shock for a few seconds. Betsy and Monica came rushing over, checking to see if I was okay. “I think I’m okay, my arm just hurts. I think I pulled a muscle.” I said, wondering why my arm hurt, when I had clearly fallen on my back.


While Betsy went to get me ice and to wake her sisters for help, Monica stayed by my side to comfort me. Legs bent, head on the crunchy pine needles, I was motionless except for my legs. It was cold, and my pajamas were getting dirty from the frost bitten ground. The morning was growing old, and the surrounding trees looked so pretty. Tears streamed down my eyes. Embarrassed about my outburst, I rubbed at my eyes and tried to hide the fact that I was slowly unraveling in front of my friend. But somehow I knew it was okay. It would all be okay, someway or another.