Counting the wrong chickens

My mom had always taught me to be confident in myself but overconfidence has led to the downfall of many and I wasn't exempted. Back in my high school days, I had been a good athlete, which was a trait my mom had passed down to me. Story had it that she was the best during her time and the only time she ever lost was when she had come second in a race. She had been hospitalized after that incident and from that day, she never went to the field again, because the heartache was too much for her to bear.

I, on the other hand, attended the high school my mother used to attend as a teenager and her classmate happened to be my coach too. Before graduating from junior high, I had already won six gold medals and two trophies. I was unstoppable and students trembled when they were chosen to compete with me until I slipped and made a grave mistake.

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"Jenny, what are you eating?" My mom asked as she walked into my room.

"It's a burger. Would you care for one?" I said, smiling at her.

"You're not supposed to be eating this. You race in two weeks, you should keep yourself as light as a feather." She scolded me.

"Mom, one burger won't make me heavy and inflexible. Would it?" I asked her.

"That's how it starts, and what's with the sick call you made to your coach today? She called and said you called in sick, but you look pretty much fine to me." My mom asked me with a frown on her face.

"What was your response to her? Surely, you didn't rat me out. Did you?" I asked her in return.

"I wanted to see for myself before I'll say anything. So, what's with the lies?" She asked me.

"I just needed a break from the whole training. We keep practicing every day and it's exhausting." I complained.

"Jenny, she wants to help you, that's why she's your coach. That's her job." My mom said to me.

"A help that I do not need Mom. The people in this competition are nothing to be compared to those that I've been competing with." I responded.

"Just so you know, lots of money has been placed on this competition. You as the racer will be given three hundred thousand if you win, and you can do a lot with that kind of money." My mom said to me.

"Mom, you taught me to be confident..." I was trying to speak when she cut in.

"I didn't teach you to be stupid, Jenny." She shouted. "Those schools know too well what they're up against when it comes to you, and you of all people should know that they'll engage in all kinds of training to be able to race you. Why is your brawn more into this than your brain?" She rebuked my actions.

I shrugged my shoulders and ate the last bit of the burger I had in my hands. My mom had always been that way. She believed that a steady grinding with no leisure would get you to a maximum point in life.

"Mom, they'll bring their best and I'll still beat them at their own game. I just don't like the whole training stuff, it's always the same old stuff. How many trophies and medals have I won so far? You all need to let me rest, I'll figure this out." I explained to her.

"Pride goes before a fall, Jenny." My mom warned.

"Whatever, mom. This isn't pride." I responded and she walked out of my room.

The days went by and practices kept on going. I was tired of it all, I felt I could race anyone and still win without all the constant practices. My coach and my mom kept pushing me and at some point, I lost it and took it out on my coach.

"Jenny, I'll have you replaced if you continue this way." Miss Evelyn, the coach, said to me.

"Replace me? I am the deal and you know this." I responded rudely.

"You seem to forget that your mother went through this phase. Had she been as arrogant as you are, she wouldn't have lasted in the field." My coach said angrily to me.

"I'm not my mom, coach and I'm not losing to a bunch of newbies. I barely practiced for the last competition, but I still brought the trophy home." I said to her.

"The fact that your opponents are people you've been in the field with before, should be enough to make you buckle up. They know what they're up against and that alone should make you shiver and put your head back in the game." Miss Evelyn said.

I sighed loudly and dropped my backpack. It was annoying how they were all pushing me. During the practice, I noticed that my speed wasn't as fast as it used to, none of my teammates noticed and I was glad for that. I couldn't tell if my coach saw how I was struggling too, she had her angry eyes on me all through the training.

'I will be better on the field.' I consoled myself.

Source

The D-day for the race came, and I couldn't wait to be done with it. My mom came into my room in the early hours of the morning. She threw off the blanket I had been using to cover myself.

"Get up, Jenny. We need to exercise." She said to me.

I grudgingly stood up from the bed and left with her. We jogged for almost two hours and she massaged my legs. Looking at her, I was convinced that she would have gone back into the game if my dad had allowed it. Her passion for sports was something else.

"Jenny, I'm sorry if I have pushed you too hard. All I want is what's best for you." She said to me.

"It's all good, mom. You're the best coach that I could ever ask for." I responded and she laughed.

"Do not let Evelyn hear this." She said.

"Did she race too, during your school days?" I asked her and with that, we conversed till we got home.
I slept for an extra hour before I got my things ready and left for the sports arena. I met with my friends who cheered me but there was a girl who had said some creepy things to me, and I later learned that her sister raced in the competition as well.

"Jenny, do you think you'll win this race as you've always done?" She had asked me.

"I'm the G.O.A.T in this game dearie." I responded and my friends laughed.

"You wish you were." She said in a voice laced with disdain.

"Do you have a problem with me? Whose side are you even on?" I asked her, getting annoyed by her words already.

"If I were you, I wouldn't count my chickens before they are hatched."

Before I could find a suitable response to give her, the shots were fired and my coach whisked me away.
I glanced at where my mom usually sat so she could watch me and I saw her. She smiled and waved at me and I smiled back.
Soon, the announcer came on stage and the waiting began. That tensing moment when the "On your mark" "Get ready" has been said, and everyone is waiting for the gunshot to indicate "Go."
The shots finally came and the racers leapt forward. The other teams in the competition must've prepared well. I saw how resilient they all were and I pushed forward, taking the first place in the lane. The students cheered me on.

One of the racers came to my side and we were neck to neck. I tried to run faster but my legs felt heavy and when we were close to the finishing line before I could figure out what was happening, my opponent leaped forward and crossed the line. She had won the race and I had come second place for the first time since I started racing.
The creepy girl ran towards the winner and when she got to where I stood, she stopped for a moment and smiled at me.

"I told you. Didn't I? Don't count your chickens before they are hatched." She said to me and ran past to hug her sister.

I looked up to where my coach stood, there was a look of disappointment on her face, my mom had a sad look too and that was when I fell to the ground and wept. I had been overconfident and arrogant and I paid the price dearly.

Source
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