Their Days of Nights

22 : Wall

Benjamin

"Where are you going?" Jessy asks before I reach the front door. She's on the couch, watching an American series about a serial killer.

I stop walking. "To the tennis court," I reply.

"Can I join you?" She's already standing, the TV is turned off, and she looks like she's not even asking.

"Sure," I sigh and drop my bag. "Five minutes."

She runs upstairs to her room.

I wait for her in the driveway and next to our car.

She comes out with her hair tied, the same set of clothes, but she puts on shoes. "Give me the keys," she says with an open palm. "You don't look like you should be driving."

I frown at her, but I obey.

We're silent throughout the ride.

*

We have the court to ourselves tonight.

My sister goes around while I take out my things. I step away from the bag, stand meters in front of the wall, and swing my Wilson racket back and forth in the air.

Jessy is back near me. She bends down, grabs a tennis ball from my stuff, and throws it at me to catch.

"What's bothering you?" she asks.

I dribble the ball with my racket. "You know who," I say without looking at her.

"Why? What's going on with you and Kim?"

"Nothing."

I stop dribbling and catch the ball. Jessy is waiting for me to say something else.

"That's the answer," I point out. "Nothing is going on."

She shrugs, picks up the other racket, and swings it on her side.

I look away from her and start hitting the wall.

"What's really your problem here?" I hear her.

"The problem...is that...I ruined...the best thing...that ever happened to me!"

I hit the ball a little too hard it bounces back past me, so I chase it to the middle of the court.

"Come on," Jessy says, with one hand on her hip and the other on the racket. "We've been through this, time and time again before. Stop blaming yourself. That's over. And you have this chance now to change it." She drops her hand, making it sound as it falls against her thigh. "Pardon me for sounding like I'm straight out of a self-help book," she adds.

I ignore her and hit the wall again.

"But that's what I mean! I ruined it again!"

"Okay, stop!" She steps closer to me. "I need more information here."

I stop and watch as the ball slowly bounces and rolls on the ground. Then I stare at my sister and sigh.

"She may or may not be out with Nick tonight," I say.

Jessy narrows her eyes. "Wait, wait, wait." And she shakes her head. "Rewind. Who's Nick?"

"He's a jerk."

"I need something more than that, Benjie."

"He's someone from the office. He's a friend of Lee. He went with us on this out-of-town thing. I brought Kim and her friend there. That's how she met him."

"How do you know Kim is hanging out with him now?"

"Because he told me a couple of days ago that he's inviting her to some party. And I didn't do or say anything to oppose him."