Chapter 311 – Beginning with a Daring Encounter

“Yeah, about that. The first person to find it, chews on it and blows a bubble before stomping on his opponent’s balloon, and then he can jump into the water,” Celsie concluded.

“So what if despite doing that he still comes last in the swimming contest?” Benne asked, and Celsie shrugged.

“That’s why it’s a game. The first can become the last. You need luck to win,” Celsie said with a shrug.

“Are we to swim with our clothes on?” Benne asked, looking down at the trouser and vintage shirt he was wearing.

“That is your call to make,” Celsie said with a shrug.

“Okay, let’s do this,” Celsie’s dad suggested, and without waiting for Benne to consent, he picked up one of the sack bags.

Seeing Andrew’s enthusiasm, Benne picked up a sack bag and Celsie gestured to both men to move away from each other. One to the left walkway beside the pool, and the other to the right walkway, that way the pool was between them so that they would race without colliding.

“At the first whistle, you step into your sack. And at the second, you start racing,” Celsie said as she raised the whistle to her lips, while every other person watched them with excited anticipation. Even though they all knew that it wasn’t a big deal, they were filled with suspense as they watched the show.

Celsie whistled, and immediately both men quickly stepped into their sack bags, and before they could finish adjusting them, she whistled again, making her father who was yet to finish adjusting his bag turn to glare at her while Benne immediately started hopping while holding on to the edge of the bag.

Seeing how everyone was laughing, Celsie’s dad turned around to see what was funny and he swore under his breath when he realized that Benne was already ahead of him. He quickly grabbed the edge of his sack and started to hop. Because he was too quick, he tripped and cursed as he stood up again and resumed hopping.

Benne’s father hooted with laughter as he took out his phone to record the scene before him, while the women laughed each time either of the men almost tripped.

“Come on, Benne, you can do it!” Bryan cheered every time Benne stopped to catch his breath, and each time he looked to the side and saw that Celsie’s father was almost catching up with him, he resumed hopping again.

“Come on, Mr. Miller! Don’t stop!” Sonia cheered, and Bryan turned to scowl at her.

“Seriously?” He asked, and she giggled.

“He is not just Celsie’s father, he is also like a father to me, so I see no reason why I shouldn’t cheer him. And if you know anything about me, then by now you should know that the more you keep up with this attitude the more I’m going to rub it in your face. I admire and respect the man, but you are the one I’m in love with you, and I respect you too. He makes me blush, but you give me butterflies in my belly. What I feel for him is the kind of innocent love a child has for an elder who isn’t their parents. It’s nothing compared to what I feel for you,” Sonia assured him and leaned forward to kiss his cheek, but Bryan was quick to turn so she ended up kissing his lip instead. Samantha was too busy cheering Benne on to hear or see what was going on, but Jamal on the other hand wasn’t. He closed his eyes when Bryan deepened the kiss.

“Yes!” Samantha clapped happily when Benne made it to the table before Celsie’s father, and Bryan and Sonia pulled away from each other as Jamal handed them the inflated balloons.

Immediately they got to the table, both men stepped out of the sack bags and chose a bowl each in which they stuck their faces trying to find the bubble gum. While they were busy trying to find the gum, Sonia went to attach a balloon to Benne’s ankle by tying the string of wool that was attached to the balloon around Benne’s ankle too, while Bryan did the same to Celsie’s father.

Thankfully the bowls weren’t filled to the brim with whipped cream so each time the men raised their face to catch their breath it was just their forehead, nose, and lips that were covered in cream, making Jamal laugh out loud as they looked like clowns.

Bryan took out his phone and made a recording of this aspect of the game since his father wasn’t close enough to do so, while Sonia captured several pictures of them with their faces stained with whipped cream.

Soon Celsie’s father found the bubble gum and immediately he lifted his head and chewed on it very quickly so that he could make a bubble and stomp on Benne’s balloon before he lifts his face from the bowl, but while he was still chewing, Benne found his and also started chewing really quickly making the observers laugh out loud at how funny they looked while chewing fast.

Celsie’s father soon succeeded in blowing the bubble, and immediately he tried to stomp on Benne’s balloon, but Benne was quick to evade him while also trying to blow his bubble.

They both ran around the place as Celsie’s father kept trying to stomp on the balloon, but Benne kept avoiding him. Once Benne succeeded in blowing his bubble, he ran after Celsie’s father trying to stomp his balloon, and it soon became a game of defense and attack.

By this time no one was cheering either of them anymore as everyone was too engrossed in the entertainment to care about the bet anymore.

When Celsie’s father attempted to stomp on Benne’s balloon again, he almost slipped, but Benne was quick to catch him, and once Benne held on to him to steady him, he quickly stomped on Benne’s balloon and dove into the pool to the surprise and amusement of everyone.

Seeing how he had been tricked, Benne dove into the pool too and moved as fast as he could to catch up with Celsie’s father who was doing a butterfly stroke.

Halfway down the pool, Andrew’s strokes weakened when he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder, but in Benne’s haste to beat him, he didn’t notice as he tried to race past him.

Sonia who was walking beside the pool as they swam, and was following every of their movement with her sharp gaze frowned, “I don’t think he is okay,” she complained to Bryan.

“Who? Benne?” Bryan asked as he squinted against the evening sun to see who Sonia was talking about.

“No, not Benne. Look at Mr. Miller. He is favoring his right arm,” she pointed out with a worried frown, and Bryan observed closely, and once he noticed that she was right, he quickly dove into the water, causing Benne who had already swam ahead of Celsie’s father to turn around.

Once Benne saw Bryan coming behind him, and he noticed that Mr. Miller was still far behind, he sensed that something was wrong, so he turned back, causing Celsie and the others who had been waiting for him to get to them to stand up.

“What is going on?” Celsie asked in confusion as she watched both brothers swim towards her father who she also just noticed was favoring an arm.

“I think your father hurt his shoulder again,” her mother said with a sigh.

“Did you hurt your arm?” Benne asked as he got to where Celsie’s dad was.

“Shit! I was going to beat you, but my shoulder seems to have a mind of its own,” he swore good-naturedly, and Benne took his good arm and placed it over his shoulder, while Bryan came from the other side and took the arm he was favoring gently and also placed it on his shoulder.

“We could just leave you here to drown, you know? Now you have to give up whatever right you have over Celsie and Sonia in exchange for saving your life. You are too weak to protect them,” Bryan said, and Celsie’s father chuckled as they slowly made their way to where the others had gathered with concerned expressions which relaxed when they saw how he was laughing.

“Not on your life. I can take you on anytime in physical combat…”

“Then why not take me on right now?” Bryan challenged, and both Benne and Celsie’s father laughed this time.

“Don’t be a coward. Why will you want to fight with an injured man?”

“You mean an old man? Your shoulder hurts only because you’re too old to be doing butterfly strokes,” Bryan taunted, and all three of them laughed.

“How about I fight him in your place since I’m going to be a part of your family,” Benne offered with a grin, making Bryan lean forward to look at Benne incredulously.

“WOW! I never knew I came from a family of traitors until today. Today has revealed a lot. You are just like your father,” Bryan said accusingly, and Celsie’s father chuckled as he slapped Benne’s back approvingly.

“Welcome to the family, son.”

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