Wominjeka to another Sproutings. Wominjeka means welcome in the language of indigenous Australians who lived around my part of northern Melbourne (Naarm) - around the Merri Creek - prior to European colonisation - which happened here in 1835. Indigenous people from my part of Naarm are known as the Wurundjeri. Their language is known as Woi Wurrung.
Earlier this week I posted my 500 word fiction story entry to the Australian Writers’ Centre Furious Fiction for September 2024. The writing prompt for September was a photo (below).
Today I share a 500 word fiction story that I wrote but DID NOT submit to the judges. I submit it to you, instead. For this story, I thought about September. I thought about footy finals, Olympic Games, Roy & HG, John Clarke, Farnarkeling, “The Games,” and competition.
The story is called “Go Tammy!”
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Go Tammy!
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“Thanks Bruce, and welcome back to the Endurance Chair-Sitting World Cup for all genders, 2024. And this is going down to the wire! With me in commentary is five-time Olympian and patron of Sitting Australia, Bert McCabe. Bert, at the four hour mark, how do you see Australia’s hopes for gold?”
“Thank you very much, Michael Finnegan. Look, four hours into this World Cup, Australia can feel quietly confident. Just seven athletes remain from the initial peloton of 278. And our Tammy Lee is among them.”
“Wearing her trademark black...”
“Wearing her trademark black. And isn’t she looking good? Her breath isn’t laboured. Her posture is strong...”
“Her hands are in her lap, as you suggested to her, I think, Bert.”
“Yes, that’s right. Tammy had that scare at the 2022 Asian Cup, where after 90 minutes, she bizarrely hung both of her arms by her sides.”
“BOTH arms!”
“BOTH arms! She could have lost balance, she could have lifted a foot. And that would have meant immediate disqualification.”
“Out!”
“But thankfully, THANKFULLY, she righted herself. She dug very, very deep. And in that moment Michael, we had a glimpse into the mind of a champion.”
“Indeed! And Bert, I think I’m right in saying that she approached you for some advice?”
“Yes, we met afterwards.”
“And what did you tell her?”
“Well, I told Tammy exactly what my old coach used to tell me. He would say: ‘hands together; there forever!’ Simple stuff. But VERY EFFECTIVE.”
“And Tammy has listened.”
“She has, Michael. Look at her!”
“She looks good.”
“She looks very good.”
‘But poor old Jesper Bloomqvist from the Netherlands there, wearing glasses today, Bert. Look at his hands.”
“Well, Michael, we’ve seen this before from Bloomqvist. Again, he has LOST CONCENTRATION. If Jesper is not very careful, he could soon lift a foot and be OUT!”
“You’re right, Bert. And there he goes! The foot comes up and Jesper Bloomqvist is disqualified.”
“Yes, I’m afraid Bloomqvist is being found out at this level.”
“Six remain now. And Tammy Lee’s hands continue to look good.”
“Tammy’s hands look good, Michael. But what I’m most impressed with, is the placement of her feet. Look at them. Tammy has done a lot of work on this. A LOT OF WORK. My advice was simple: ‘Tammy: feet straight, feet great!’”
“Feet straight, feet great! That is tremendous, Bert. Who do you see as her biggest threat?”
“Well, her biggest threat was always going to be Katerina Novikova from Ukraine there in yellow. She has yet to raise a sweat.”
“Indeed, she is the current world record holder with a time of 47 hours, 28 minutes, 21.2 seconds clocked at the 2022 European Cup. Can Tammy go 48 hours, Bert?”
“Of course she can! Go Tammy!”
“There you have it, folks. Things are heating up here. For now, Bruce, it’s back to you in the studio.”