The Humiliation Of Jen Ch. 01

I shook my head in bewilderment. "Am I the only one here who is not a total idiot."

"Perhaps you are," Uncle Jimmy smiled, unfazed by my outburst. "Which would mean your chances of winning the bet are greatly enhanced? Betting against idiots you can't lose, surely."

I continued to shake my head in despair. "You already have cheerleaders. Well at least I think those bimbos that prance around on court before the games are supposed to be cheerleaders."

"They are indeed, and very cute too," Uncle Jimmy responded. "But in case you hadn't realised they are only in attendance at our home games. Having our own little cheerleader for our away games would be a great bolster for the team, wouldn't it boys?"

The surrounding band of brainless, budding basketball stars all nodded their heads in eager agreement.

"You must be in a total dream." I gestured dramatically to the whole group of onlookers. "It would be bad enough following you morons around on your trips running your errands. But to think for even a nano second that I would prance around court as some sort of one-person cheerleader squad is preposterous beyond belief."

The look on Uncle Jimmy's face indicated he was growing tired of my dramatics.

"Look Jen. I couldn't give a continental if you take my bet or not. I am offering you a chance to be the rescuing saint for your orchestra. By your own admission it is an offer you are sure to win. So I can't see why we have to stand here and watch you be a little drama queen and belittle the whole team. So fuck off home to those parents of yours who think you are God's gift to humanity."

He is such a prick. I was absolutely fuming.

"You could just let the orchestra use the stadium. Why go through all this crap about a bet with me!" I spat out.

"Go to hell," he angrily retorted, and turned to leave.

"All right, butthole, I will take your pathetic bet."

"Too late," he responded without looking back. "If you are going to be so rude the offer is no longer on the table."

He was absolutely unbelievable. However I realised I had let my temper get the better of me.

"Alright. I am sorry. I will take the bet, Uncle Jimmy."

Slowly he turned around to look at me. The small grin on his face gave me an uneasy feeling.

"You are sure now?"

I hesitated. If I lost the bet my world would end. But there was no way his team could beat McNeese. I couldn't turn up the opportunity to be the saviour of my orchestra.

"Jen!" My brother Jethro had been trying to attract my attention, but I choose to ignore him.

"Yes. The bet is a bet. When McNeese beat you on Saturday I will phone our conductor and give him the good news." I tried to look confident but I am not sure I was very convincing.

Uncle Jimmy shrugged his shoulders and walked off. "What will be, will be."

I looked over at my brother and cousin, and beckoned them to follow. I was still wound up and in no mood for conversation. There was a stony silence in the car until after we had dropped off Dirk and my brother and I headed off to our house.

"Jen," Jethro sounded concerned.

"What?' I snapped.

"You do realise that Saturday's game is only a friendly. The championship does not start for another two weeks."

"So?"

"Well, McNeese have already announced they are resting a number of their top players for the game."

"You are kidding me, right?" I tried to keep the panic out of my voice. "You are bloody telling me this now!"

"Jen, I tried to tell you at the stadium but you ignored me,"

My heart was pounding and I began to feel nauseas.

"You should have tried harder, you stupid idiot." I tore into my brother.

"You have no one to blame except yourself, Jen. You can be a bloody hothead at times."

I knew he was right. I shouldn't be blaming him. I took a deep breath and tried to clear my head.

"I'm sorry," I apologised. "But even if McNeese have rested some of their top players they should still be too strong for you guys. Surely?"

"Perhaps," Jethro responded. "But Uncle Jimmy is right. We are playing better now than we ever have before."

I groaned the type of groan that comes from misery. "If you win, I swear I will kill you."

Jethro smiled and shook his head. "For my little sister's sake, I almost hope we do lose."

By the time Saturday came I was a bundle of nerves. I had slept restlessly the two nights that had passed since my stormy confrontation with Uncle Jimmy. And that stupid bet he had goaded me into accepting. At night my mind kept wanting to contemplate what could happen if McNeese did lose to our college's basketball team, but I refused to let it go there. We couldn't lose. We wouldn't lose. There has to be a natural justice in the world, and justice dictates that McNeese wins and Uncle Jimmy has to let our orchestra rehearse in the stadium.

My Ma and Pa and little sister, Trixie, could sense something was troubling me, but I could not bring myself to discuss it. To be honest I was too embarrassed. I had also sworn my brother, Jethro, to secrecy.

All the family went along to watch the game, but I could not bring myself to go. I tried to watch a movie on TV but the pent up tension meant I could not focus. Time dragged by, and by the time I heard our family's vehicle pull back into the driveway I felt physically sick.

The front door swung open. My younger sister, Trixie, stood there, arms flinging excitedly in the air. "We beat them sis. We beat McNeese. Can you believe it?"

I think I fainted.