Love's a Racket

Author: Jeannette Sheehy
Word Count: 339
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Love's a Racket

Love's a Racket belongs to the following groups:

Short stories - Spherical Scriptings, Twisted Tales, WMG and Writers Edge

I was fifteen. It was love. I ran up and down that tennis court, flourishing my beautiful new tennis racket (a Wilson), knowing I was impressing Chris, the rising star of our high school baseball team. He stood there smiling at me, as I trounced my tennis partner.

I was fifteen, so was he. I knew that day, we were meant to be together.

We married after graduating from college. He was playing pro-baseball and I was on the tennis circuit with my trusty Wilson.

I turned thirty. Fifteen years ago, I thought we would be a match made in heaven.

I was thirty, so was he; Chris’s baseball career had ended abruptly and I was still rising in the ranks, playing tennis matches all over the world, taking my loyal Wilson with me. Chris hated it, and let me know, through his taunts and his rages.

Suddenly, we were both forty. I was a successful tennis coach now, and Chris? He was an unemployed drunk. His rages got worse. Once, when I told him he had crossed the line, he stood nose to nose with me screaming, “You cannot be serious!!”, too drunk to see the irony. Another time, he threw my beloved Wilson at me. His baseball buddies never came over anymore.

Being bigger than me, he thought he had the advantage. One night , he went too far. After a long, loud volley of threats and screamed abuse, he went for me, swinging my tennis racket like a weapon, slamming it against the wall. My Wilson was broken and useless, like our marriage.

Safely locked in the bathroom, I sat thinking, wiping the sweat and blood from my face with a towel.

Quietly I came out of the bathroom. Chris was sitting watching ESPN Sportscenter on the TV with his back to me. In his hand he held my battered Wilson, like some kind of trophy.

In my hand, I held his heaviest baseball bat.

Game, set and match to me.

Mark Bateman

Heh – had me right to the end. Spellbound. Great writing. Love the last line.

PS I had a Wilson too!
Jeannette Sheehy replied

thanks Mark. I could not think of what to write..then as I lay in bed thinking at 2am (husband snoring merrily next to me) I decided to get up and write. I put some tennis expressions and scores in the story to make it a little more layered (am I sounding pompous now??) and now am paying for it today at work. I would love to nap under my desk right now. I have a Wilson too, but it hasn’t been in use for a few years! ;)
Mark Bateman

2am? Now that’s dedication!
Alison Pearce

Powerful write and a satisfying, and apt, conclusion Jeanette!
Jeannette Sheehy replied

thanks so much Alison – I really enjoyed writing it, but had really struggled with the prompt to begin with.
henrybones

Forty-love! I didn’t get the tennis-score references until near the end, but I loved the “cannot be serious!”. And even wiping her face with a towel. But I feel the last line is a little too heavy.

If I may suggest: “In his hand he held my battered Wilson, like some kind of trophy. In my hand, I held his heaviest baseball bat. I was behind him. Game, set and match to me.”

Just a suggestion. Good story.
Jeannette Sheehy replied

hi Henry – I’m glad you got the tennis references…I think that you are probably onto something with the ending, the more I think about it…. Thank you so much for the critique..I’m learning a lot. :)
Jeannette Sheehy replied

OK -I changed it a little…I didn’t put “I was behind him” in there, as I had already established that his back was toward me. You’re right, it is less heavy.
henrybones

Hi Jeannette. The ending seems to work much better now, at least for me. The final act of violence is latent, implied, and much more effective because of it.
Jeannette Sheehy replied

thanks Henry – I keep revisiting it and wondering….but I think I shall leave it at that now. I wrote it quickly during a bout of sleeplessness the other night and wanted to get it in before the deadline, which I thought was yesterday cos i’m so discombobulated at the moment!! lol
AndyGii

That is Karma. Great story. The end is wrong though. No winners there (unless she got away with it)
Jeannette Sheehy replied

thanks for the comment Andy – Like, you said, no winners at the end…often like life, but I wanted the twist (as this was written for Twisted Tales) to come from her life (tennis) and his (baseball). Cheers for reading it – I really appreciate it!! :)
Jeannette Sheehy

oh for those who wondered what the last lines were before I changed it…

In his hand, he held my battered Wilson like some kind of trophy.
Game set and match to me.
I killed him with his baseball bat. (still humming and hah-ing over the ending though!)
Banalheed

I love the tennis related voculabary running throughout…particularly the McEnroe-ism thrown in. I agree, the ending works really well now. A good read.
Jeannette Sheehy replied

cheers mightily Mr. Heed! I was hoping that people would notice the tennis vocab in it. I miss the days of McEnroe and Borg :) Thanks for the comment and the encouragement. It’s very much appreciated. :)
Karin Taylor

ooooo heavy stuff, i was right there ….
thankx Jeannette, terrific piece, can sense your dedication to the core!
Jeannette Sheehy replied

thanks very much Karin – I imagine you sitting, sipping your tea/coffee reading all our stuff…it’s cool – and we appreciate it :)
Matthew Dalton

Ah – I liked the old ending but this does add a bit more weight (if you’ll excuse the Pun).

I recently watched a movie called ‘Wimbledon’. It’s a romantic comedy that has John McEnroe in a bit part. Your story reminds me of this (just not such a happy ending.)

I like the the contrast between the two characters. You get a sense of there personalities form how they respond to their lives.
Jeannette Sheehy replied

thanks Matthew – i saw that movie a year or so ago. I loved McEnroe – even with his tantrums! I have been feeling old this week, as a friend of mine told me she only knows McEnroe from his recent commercials and wondered if he was famous for his temper..lol!!
lightsmith

Yikes – he got the home run beyond his wildest dreams….. I did guess the ending, but it was no less enjoyable for that.
Jeannette Sheehy replied

yes he did Lightsmith…and where have you been? We haven’t seen your writing for the past coupla weeks and miss it! Glad you enjoyed the story. :)
Zolton

Ha ha ha… okay… I shouldn’t be laughing, but you have a way! This line made me giggle Another time, he threw my beloved Wilson at me. I think this is very realistic, sadly. Love can be a racket, but doesn’t have to be!
Jeannette Sheehy replied

lol…laugh away Zolton – part of me thought it was almost like that dark comedy “War of the Roses” where they’re throwing stuff at each other :) And no, love doesn’t have to be a racket…and I’m very fortunate to have a great husband!! :)
Mark Bateman

I think the new ending has more weight too…. just my tuppence..
Jeannette Sheehy replied

your tuppence or thrippence is always welcome Mr. Bateman. :)
Kanaka

I thought it was great but I would wouldn’t I. lol
Jeannette Sheehy replied

thank you Father dearest :) I’m glad you liked it! Am having fun writing at the mo!
sinX

oh shiitt…this is what you called a great piece of writing…damn…enjoyed that from start to end.. Excellent and Superb at the same time.
Jeannette Sheehy replied

wow sinX – thanks so much for the wonderful compliment and for featuring this story in the group. I really appreciate it! :)
Rex Inkpen

good yarn! like the way you cover so many relationship issues with your whirling chronology
Jeannette Sheehy replied

Thanks Rex – I had fun writing it and trying to get the tennis lingo in there, and making it score like a tennis match. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. :)