It was just a simple activity on the playground that the kids were playing in teams. Apple didn’t take it serious until other kids got serious.
Apple was in A team and Apple’s best friend, S, was in B team. They played in the separated teams as a single player and Apple was also charged in checking the scores of A team.
Playing the game, Apple noticed S missed a ball and lost a single point. Actually it was a bit hard to say clearly if S lost it or not because the timing was quite tricky. It was more like missing the ball anyway although S caught it again. Apple might have more believed that S did not miss it because S was her best friend. So Apple said so.
The thing Apple missed was that the game was at the final round and S’ point was important for winning of the game. Apple’s team lost in the game by this and A team was furious about the result. After the game, the kids in the A team all asked Apple if she saw it clearly S did not miss the point.
Apple was embarrassed to answer their questions because she did not remember the scene clearly and she just simply wanted her close friend to get the score. Seeing the pals’ serious reactions, Apple realized her judgement was not that simple thing to be.
Apple had no idea about winning and losing like the other kids. In fact, she was not even interested in the game at all. Reminding the scene, Apple was thinking about something else at the moment. Then suddenly the children all gathered around Apple and were demanding her clear answer.
“Well…S got the point…I guess…?”
A team seemed to be all doomed as Apple answered in doubts.
“We have to score it again! S missed the ball! I saw it clearly and Apple is also not sure about that!”
“What are you talking about? She said S got the point!”
One kid shouted and then it was chaos after that. Children were separated in two groups again and started arguing who lost it and won. A team could not admit they lost the game and B team was same to take their victory back.
Apple felt awkward what to do for the things around her. It seemed to be too late to say the truth who won the game which would make both teams upset whatever the result was. As more time passed by, the more Apple felt confused what the truth was but the one thing was clear that Apple felt very uncomfortable about the both teams’ aggressive, competitive desires to win.
Kids from both teams came to Apple one by one and asked several but similar questions.
“You did not see that clearly, did you?”
“We can win if you say the truth now, Apple”
“Why don’t you say that clearly we won the game, we won the game, right?”
Now Apple felt a headache with the strong tensions. The ground was swirling and falling towards her. She was suddenly afraid what would happen to S if she took her saying back. B team would blame S that she made her team lose the game.
While the kids were still arguing about that, Apple met S on the playground after the break time. Then S asked the same thing to Apple.
“Did you really see it clearly, Apple? If it is for me, I am fine. You can say that I lost the point if it is as it is.”
Wish Apple could do it as S said. S seemed to know why Apple did it and be more worried about lying rather than losing the game. The thing was that Apple was not even sure what the truth was and she was not willing to say the truth in the midst of the arguments. At least Apple had to say it clearly S lost the point if she was not sure if S won the point but Apple was not sure about it either.
S seemed to be ok to accept the truth but now Apple was not ok at this moment. Apple did it first for S’ sake and now S did not want Apple’s favor so that Apple could say the truth. Though Apple realized it was time to keep her dignity whatever the truth was.
The dignity Apple might have ignored the truth so made her team lose the game over friend’s small benefit which was Apple’s thoughtful consideration that nobody wanted now.
uniproduce.net 