The Trophy

Her father always wanted her to be strong, to be a fighter. He was an ambiguous business man and Harriet's role model. She was only 16 but had the dream of making the first place in the annually fighting combat of her kick boxing school. She was attending the class for nearly 2 years and this would be the year. She was not bad but was lacking confidence. Especially when Tom was is the room. He was simply too handsome and too talented in kickboxing. He would never even recognize her. One week before the event the class meet three times and their coach was relentless. "Show me some grit! I know it's in there somewhere". During the training everyone was watching, so was Tom; of course she couldn't find her grit when he was frightening it away. She kept getting punished by Anita. She was so mean, Harriet hated her for being better than her. During the combat she kept looking at the shiny trophy that would prove her and everyone that she was a fighter. She was so nervous; what if Tom was watching and her dad? What if they were disappointed? Of course she lost and seeing Anita carrying around her second place trophy made her feel worse. "I don't know why you even came. It was way too easy for me." The next week Harriet didn't attend class and the week after that. She was too ashamed. The week after that she went home from school and saw Anita from a distance with three boys arguing, when she realized, that they were trying to rob her. Slowly and anxious she apporached them and by the time she arrived, Anita was lying on the ground. Those three big, angry Hulks didn't notice Harriet yet. "For once my invisibility pays out", she thought. She was scared what they would do with her once they recognized her but something else inside her was growing as well. She couldn't describe what it was - her instincts, her humanity - but something took over her head and her fear. Harriet conjectured and hoped that she only had to really hit one of those giants really really hard, after all, David also only needed one good punch to beat Goliath. She put down her bagback and approached them from behind. Her first hit come unexpected and probably broke a giants nose, according by his screaming and bleeding. The second giant came to destroy her. Luckily she was able to evade him. Two years of kickboxing class paid out: she kicked him somewhere between liver and kidney. She still felt the rush of adrenalin when the suddenly very ordinary looking boys retreated. Anita got up and thanked her with a truly greateful look in her eyes. Harriet continued to go to kickboxing class and attended the next years fighting combat. Tom was still there and she never would get used to his warm eyes and his soft looking lips; she hoped that some day he would become ugly or fat or dumb, hopefully everything at once. Still, this time she did really well and reached the fourth place; she didn't win a big trophy but a shiny medal. Anita made it to second place again and afterwards she congratulated her with a respectful nod. They never became friends but at least they respected each other. Holding the medal in her hands, Harriet realized that this piece of material would never bring her the satisfaction she was working for. In a real fight out there she was able to defend herself and others, she won this fight, and that was her real trophy. A meaningful trophy that no one would ever hear from but also one that no jury for an artificial fight could ever take away from her.