A steady rain the next morning keeps me in a deep sleep until well after everyone has left the camp. There’s no notes or any other indication to let me know where they all went. It appears that I’m on my own today.
I figure the best way to use my time is to eat a quick breakfast and start on my assigned chores. I grab granola from the cooler, eat, then feed the bugs and collect all the biofuel that I can.
I pour the biofuel into the generator and start it up. Then I head to the beach to collect water to keep our shower and toilet running. I complete everything, then go off in search of the rest of the crew.
I figure the best place to start is the research center. After looking around, I spot Mr. C near the water. I walk over to ask what he’d like me to do but decide not to interrupt his work.
Instead, I begin cleaning the beach around us. That’s most likely what Mr. C would ask me to do anyway. After he completes his task, he walks over to me. I brace myself, waiting for him to comment on the fact that I slept in, but he surprises me…
Craig: Do you play soccer at all?
Prosperity: Soccer?
Craig: Yeah…it’s been a dull morning, and I can use a bit of entertainment.
Prosperity: Uh, I never played formally, but I was decent in my high school P.E. classes.
With just a quick warning, Mr. C grabs a soccer ball and tosses it my way.
Craig: Think fast!
I react quickly and bounce it on my knee. The first few times go great. I even feel confident enough to show off a few moves. But too much confidence causes me to try a trickier maneuver and end up hitting myself dead in the face with the ball.
Mr. C leans back in laughter. And I feel the all too familiar streaks of mustard yellow embarrassment.
There’s no time to dwell in it, though. He tosses the ball my way again. This time I’m determined to show him what I can do. I work the ball with my knees and feet for a bit, then pass it back to him. He uses his knees, feet, and ankles expertly, keeping the ball from ever hitting the sand. I watch him, amazed at his skill…or maybe it’s his shirtless chiseled abs that have earned my admiration. Either way, we bounce the ball and pass it back and forth for a while.
(Generation 2 Chapter Summaries)
