The Small Cup
Mina put her race number on the kitchen table. Beside it stood a small silver cup. Her father won that cup in the park race many years ago. Now the silver was dark, and the handle was broken. Mina cleaned it with a soft cloth. She wanted to bring home a new cup on Sunday.
Her friend Jo came to the door with two bananas. "One for each runner," he said. "Do you think I can finish?" Jo often walked in the park, but this was his first race. Mina ran there every morning. "You can finish," she said. "We can practise the last part today."
They followed the wide path past the pond. At the far end of the park, it divided into two smaller paths. The right path climbed a low hill, then went round the football field. The left path went straight through a green gate. Beyond the gate, they could see the race tables.
"That way looks shorter," Jo said. Mina shook her head. "It is shorter. But the race goes round the field." After the field, the path went down to the tables on the other side. They turned right. Near the top of the hill, Jo stopped to catch his breath. Mina waited beside him. She was watching the gate below. People were putting chairs near the tables.
At the finish area, a volunteer named Mr Bell was checking the route. He carried a red sign with a white arrow. "Can you help me?" he asked. "Put this at the two paths. The arrow must point right." Mina took the sign. Jo carried its wooden stand.
They put it beside the path and pushed the stand into the ground. The arrow pointed towards the hill. "No more wrong turns," Jo said. Mina looked at her watch. There was still time for one fast run round the field. She asked Jo to wait and started running again.
The Wind
On Sunday morning, Mina woke before her alarm. She ate breakfast and took her number from the table. Her father touched the old cup. "This one lived in a box for years," he said. "I like seeing it again." Mina smiled. She did not tell him how much she wanted to win.
The park was full of people. Some wore bright running shoes. Others came in old trainers. Jo was standing near the start. His race number was upside down. Mina helped him turn it round. "I'll be behind you," he said. "But I know the way now."
A strong wind moved through the trees. The runners held their numbers against their shirts. Mina heard a loud bang near the tables. Someone picked up a fallen chair. Mr Bell was busy helping an older runner with her number. Mina wanted to tell him about the wind, but the race was starting.
When the whistle blew, everyone moved forward. Mina ran beside a boy in a yellow shirt. On the wide path, he stayed a few steps ahead. At the pond, Mina passed him. Her legs felt strong. She could hear other runners behind her, but she did not look back.
Then she reached the two paths. The red sign was lying on the ground. Its wooden stand was loose, and the white arrow pointed left. Mina knew the route went right. But the left path was open. Perhaps Mr Bell changed the route because of the wind. She slowed down.
Behind her, the boy in yellow turned left. Two more runners followed him. Mina looked up the hill. It was quiet. She thought of the new silver cup and followed the boy through the green gate. The finish line was only a short distance away.
Too Soon
Mr Bell was standing at the finish with a list and a pen. When he saw the runners, he stepped forward. "Already?" he said. "Did you go round the field?" The boy in yellow stopped. Mina looked at her watch. They were several minutes too early.
"The sign pointed left," the boy said. "We all followed it." Mina looked towards the gate. More runners were coming down the short path. Behind them, Jo was climbing the hill alone. He remembered their walk on Saturday. Mina felt hot, although the wind was cold.
Mr Bell put his list on a table. "You must go back and run round the field," he told the early runners. "Can someone stay at the turning while I find a heavy bag?" Mina looked at the cup beside his list. She could still go back to the turning and run the full route. But the runners behind Jo were getting closer to the broken sign.
"I'll fix the sign," Mina said. "You can get the bag." She ran back through the gate. At the turning, a woman was about to take the left path. "Right, please!" Mina called. "The race goes round the field." The woman thanked her and turned towards the hill.
Mina lifted the sign. She pushed the wooden stand into the ground again, but it fell over. The earth was dry and hard. She looked for a heavy stone. There was nothing near the path. Then she put the sign against her legs and held it with both hands. The arrow pointed right.
Runner after runner passed her. Some asked about the gate. Mina gave the same short answer. Jo came down the far side of the field. He saw Mina across the grass, beside the sign. "Are you coming?" he called. "Not yet," she said. "There are still people behind you."
The Long Way
Mr Bell brought a heavy bag from the tables. "I filled it with water bottles," he said. They put it across the feet of the wooden stand. This time, the sign stayed up. The last runners passed it and took the hill path. Mina could finally let go. Her hands hurt, and there was dirt on her shirt.
"You can finish the route now," Mr Bell said. "I'll watch the sign." Mina looked at the empty hill. Everyone else was far ahead. She took a slow breath and began to run. At the top, she walked for a little while. Then she ran round the football field.
Jo was waiting before the finish line. "You finished already," Mina said. "Yes," he answered. "Now I'll do the last bit twice." They ran towards the tables together. The boy in yellow was there too. He ran the full route again after his wrong turn. An older woman won the cup.
Mr Bell wrote Mina's time on his list. It was her slowest time that year. He asked her to help with the next race. "I can give you a place at the start," he said. Mina looked at her dirty shirt. "I'd like that. But please bring a stronger stand."
At home, her father asked about the race. Mina told him about the wind, the gate and the sign. She also told him that she followed the arrow. He did not move the old cup from the table. Mina put her race number beside it. There was a small tear in one corner.
On Monday, Jo came to the door without bananas. "A walk?" he asked. They went to the park and reached the two paths. The race tables were gone. The green gate was still open. "Which way?" Mina asked. Jo pointed right. "The long way," he said. "I can get up that hill now."
