Member-only story
The (Almost) Lost Summer
My best prank ever
I decided to take up kickboxing in addition to my summer running. My first (and only) class would be free of charge. I was looking forward to becoming a well-rounded athlete with mad skills. It was a little before six when I pulled into the lot of the square building. In the wet grass, I saw a woman in a long ponytail aggressively boxing and sparring the air. I wondered who was winning as I climbed out of my cerulean ford.
I strolled into the dimly lit building where I met with the instructor. After dropping my bag on the bleachers he led me to a gym filled with climbing ropes, punching bags, a ring, and a wrestling mat. James Brown blasted off the walls as the rest of the class completed a rigorous warmup. Throughout the class I learned to throw some good jabs at the plastic dummies.
It was now time to practice kicking. I was placed in front of a punching bag that dangled from the ceiling. The goal was to keep the bag from swinging back to me. It was going alright until I kicked hard and the bag slammed back into my foot. I landed on that same foot to keep from falling over. A searing pain escalated through my ankle. This was followed by a snap, crackle, pop.
I’ve done it now. I scolded myself for being so clumsy. For the remainder of class, I could only sit and watch. My foot was still throbbing by the…
