Giggling had always got Marina into trouble.Ever since she could remember she could, for no apparent reason just dissolve into giggles. The sight of the shorts her friend Meghan wore to gym that had shrunk and made her look like a gnome,or her uncle telling her mum that her auntie had got a bee in her bonnet about something, she could go on and on. The worst times were at school though where there was no escape. She'd be stuck there in the school hall listening to someone play the cello or the violin and her sides would hurt from trying not to explode with laughter.. She used to try and control her giggling fits by thinking of something sad, but that often made it worse, because she might think of their neighbour Beryl,who had burst through the back door crying out 'My husband's gone off'. Immediately Marina had had a vision of her grandad peering into the fridge and asking grandma if she was conducting a scientific experiment because it smelt like something had gone off.
Not any more though, nothing would make her laugh anymore.
A tap on her shoulder made her jump. She looked up to see Miss. Dover standing by her desk.
'Marina, please pay attention.' She looked round the classroom,
'Now girls and boys I know you have finished your A levels and feel on holiday but this year's Sports Day is going to be really special.
Miss.Dover smiled at the tall girl , Ashley, the Games Captain,who was at the front of the classroom writing on the board.
That was another thing that made Marina collapse in helpless laughter, people's names. She wondered why parents didn't spend more attention choosing names. Ashley's surname was 'White' . Miss Dover's name was Eileen. Eileen Dover. Marina waited for the giggle but it didn't come. In a way it was a relief. She'd been told off so many times for giggling in class.
Marina had always been proud of her own name, she liked the way it rolled around her tongue and her parents used to grin at each other whenever people asked about it, saying something about an adventure on a boat. Not any more though. Her name was a mockery. A mockery. She felt anger rising up in her, it happened a lot now.
Ashley was clearing her throat and waiting for everyone to pay attention.
'This is our last Sports Day and there has been a suggestion to include those who are use..' She was about to say useless but Miss. Dover coughed loudly and Ashley started over again.
'Apart from the usual sports events we are going to have a competition inspired by a programme called 'it's a Knockout'. This will mean that those who take part will dress up in funny costumes and do things like sack races and egg and spoon races, that way everyone will be involved.'
The words, 'everyone and involved,' made Marina want to cry. She'd heard them so often lately.
She felt anger again.Her life was a lie, everything about it was false.
Miss Dover was looking at her. She caught her eye and smiled. Marina hated that smile, it was one that said, 'I know what you're going through, poor you.' The teacher clapped her hands and went to stand next to Ashley,
'It's a Knockout was also known as 'Games without frontiers, which I think is the whole idea of sport. After all any sport starts off as a game and should be kept as such.'
Ashley was writing on the board. She turned to the class,
'As Games Captain I have been given the task to choose the teams for 'It's a Knock out', no skill is required and I hope you're all going to have fun, and by the way, winners will score points that will be added to our yearly reward scheme. So good luck everyone.'
As they filed out of the classroom Marina saw her name had been put at the top along with all the other non sporty ones. Her friend Meghan came up behind her, 'Oh Marina you're going to have fun with that lot, look there's Gary in your group .' She nudged her with her elbow and made kissing noises.
Normally Marina would have burst out laughing but she turned on her friend and snapped,
'It's alright for you Marvellous Meg, three times county champion of the 100 metres.'
Meghan looked shocked, 'HeyMini what's going on? You've been avoiding me for a while now'
Marina 's face softened at the sound of her friend's nickname for her.
'I'm sorry Meg, I'm going through a terrible time ,something awful has happened, I'll tell you about it on the way home.'
All through lunch Marina thought how she could tell her friend. Marina had worked so hard for her A levels, wanting to follow in her father's footsteps and be a doctor like him. Her dad had always been her hero. She had always thought she was so lucky. Mum, dad and Marina always happy together.She'd always felt sorry for Meghan whose little brothers all had different dads.
A couple of weeks ago, just when she'd finished her last exam
Marina's world had fallen apart. She'd come home from school and found her mum sobbing on the sofa. Marina felt sick just thinking about it. Maybe it would help to tell Meghan.
On the way home she told Meghan how her mum had discovered her dad was involved with a nurse at the hospital, he wanted to go and live with her.. He was determined that everyone would get on.
Marina felt like her life was a lie. Nothing was real, all those birthdays and Christmases and holidays were just a pretence. Wanting to be a doctor like her dad seemed ridiculous.
She burst into tears thinking of all her shattered dreams.
Meghan was quiet for a long time. Then she handed Marina a packet of tissues and put her arms around her.
'Listen Mini, it's hard, I know, it hurts, It's going to hurt for a long time, but you've got to realize that your life wasn't a lie, it was real. Your mum and dad love you believe me. Really, it's a tale as old as the hills.' she stopped, she turned Marina to her and looked her straight in the eyes.' You're going to be a great doctor.'
Marina wiped her eyes and blew her nose. 'I don't want to be a doctor.'
'Yes you do, 'Meghan almost shouted,' and you know what I was thinking while Ashley was rabbiting on, you could be one of those doctors without frontiers, like the games, you'd be brilliant. You could even get your mum to help you as a volounteer or teach in a school or something,you could go to Africa and help and you'd be really cool, you'd met loads of interesting people and make a difference.'
She spoke with such passion that Marina gazed at her in amazement, 'Where did all that come from? Where did you get those ideas''
Meghan smiled, 'To survive I have always had parallel lives, one life for me and many for my dreams.
But come on let's get your costume for the It's a knockout, I've got some great stuff you can use'
The weather for Sports Day was superb. Bunting had been put up and the area where the 'It's a Knockout 'competition was going to be held was decorated with balloons and many of the teachers were standing around in fancy dress. the History teachers had set up a stall for throwing pies at each others'faces and the Science teachers had a mini lab for making stink bombs.
Marina gathered her team together. She was dressed as Catwoman thanks to Meghan, Gary was dressed as a pirate, he looked like Johnny Depp, the others were Pokahontas, a cowboy and a wizard.
They started off with a sack race which Gary won then there was throwing a water balloon which the wizard won. The last race was due to start and Gary came up to Marina. He looked as though he was about to say something and her heart missed a beat.
Ashley was calling them on a megaphone to get to the starting line. Marina could see her mother among the parents, she had put some make up on and done her hair. It made Marina want to cry.
She was so busy looking at her mother the starting gun made her jump and she shot off along the track without her egg and spoon, she ran back to get it, flustered, she tripped up over Gary, they landed in a heap, the eggs smashed . His face was so close to hers, covered in the egg. His eyes were golden brown.She could hear Ashley shouting, 'get up, get up, go Marina go.' She started to run holding the spoon and her cape flying out behind her, the cowboy whizzed past, his hat fell off and he stopped to pick it up, as he bent down the caps in his guns went off, the wizard overtook them his cloak flying up to reveal bare legs. Gary grabbed her hand, 'come on Catwoman '. He yanked her along and they tripped again but this time over the finishing line, in a heap, the cowboy and the wizard landing on top, the eggs all broken.
They all stood up and the onlookers broke into a loud cheer. The cowboy fired his guns again, the wizard used his spoon to cast some spells and then everyone was laughing. Marina caught Gary's eye. That wonderful, feeling, the one that had often been the bane of her life, but was oh so welcome back, came over her, like a fountain of light running through her. She felt like a sparkling mountain stream that had been running along underground looking for the light and then had found it, bubbling up to the surface, out again into the light of day, the sunshine catching the water as it gurgled out of the ground. Her giggles, her laughter, her joy came rushing to the surface again. I'm here, I'm alive, my heart is full of joy and laughter and sunshine. She waved across to her mother. She took Gary by the hand and they ran together to where she was standing. As they got near she could see her father coming up behind. He didn't join them, though.
Just then Meghan came running up to her and Gary shouting,
'Well done Mini, go girl, I knew you could win. The world's your oyster now.'
Marina ran to her friend and hugged her tight, then she turned back to Gary and grabbed his hand and they raised their arms to the cheers.
