The Night I Beat Yao Ming
This story is about a boy, Devin, who does not like broccoli. Emphasis on, does not. He falls into a deep sleep, and starts dreaming about his greatest hero, Yao Ming. Yao Ming challenges him at a game of basketball with broccoli involved. Will Devin be able to overcome his distaste of broccoli and accept the challenge? Or will he become defeated by broccoli and Yao Ming?
It was a cold night on a street in South Brooklyn. I sat with my mom at the kitchen table. Dad was in the next room watching a documentary on Yao Ming.
"If you don't eat that broccoli right now Devin, you are going to go to bed hungry," she said sternly.
"Well then, I guess I'll just go to bed because anything would be better than sitting here and eating broccoli." I said with a hint of sarcasm.
When my mom gave me a dirty look, I jumped up, ran through the living room and into my room. When I suddenly remembered that I left my lights on. I ran over, looked back at my bed, and estimated how many steps it would take to reach my bed. Three steps. I switched off the lights and dashed to my bed. Within minutes, I was asleep. That's when it all started.
I was in a dark room when lights started to turn on. There in the middle of the room, which I discovered was a basketball court, stood Yao Ming at 7'6''. As I looked him over from head to toe, I could've sworn that his shoe size was the size of my whole arm. Right then, he chucked a basketball at me, with some force if I might add.
"We play,"he said.
"Basketball?" I asked uninsured.
He didn't answer, only nodded. Okay so Yao Ming wanted to play basketball with me. That's not weird at all.
"Okay. What's the deal?"
"You win, I give you jersey."
"Okay..."
"I win you eat broccoli... Forever."
Oh gross! Broccoli, I hate broccoli, but being competitive.....
"Okay, it's a deal."
Time passed, it was half-time. The score was 26-16. Even with my eight point lead, he still managed to whip my butt. Time went on, I was tired, but quick enough that he was getting tired of keeping up with me. It was the 4th quarter, and time is running out. There was 15 seconds left on the clock. The score was 34-32. I needed a three-pointer, but he was too tall. I was in trouble. I didn't want to eat broccoli for the rest of my life. I knew what I had to do, but he had the ball. As he dribbled down the floor, I began to panic.
"HEY! WHAT'S THAT?!?" I pointed to nothing.
He bought it! He looked towards where I was pointing. I stole the ball! I dribbled down to the other side, but he caught up to me. He was now between me and the basket. I faked him to the left, then to the right. I knew I wasn't going to get past him. 10 seconds. Oh no! Broccoli casserole, broccoli soup, raw broccoli, cooked broccoli, broccoli on sticks. Broccoli was running through my head. I looked to the right, then to the left. I had no choice but to go between his legs! Right under him! I fake him once more to the right then darted between his legs. He was shocked! He hadn't seen it coming. 5 seconds. Broccoli. I shot from the three- point mark. The ball went up. It began circling around the rim. Please God, let it go in. Boy oh boy! God must have heard my prayer because the ball went in Yes! No Broccoli!!!
"Yes, Yes, Yes, I'm da winner! You da loser!" I chanted happily.
"You play good. Here jersey."
"Thank you."
Right then, I woke up. It was all just a dream. I was disappointed. I really thought that I beat Yao Ming at basketball. Then, something caught my eye. In the corner of my room on my computer chair, was Yao Ming's jersey. Was it all a dream or was it real? It's just another one of life's great mysteries. For now..... I've got to tell my mom.
"HEY MOM! GUESS WHAT!?!"
"If you don't eat that broccoli right now Devin, you are going to go to bed hungry," she said sternly.
"Well then, I guess I'll just go to bed because anything would be better than sitting here and eating broccoli." I said with a hint of sarcasm.
When my mom gave me a dirty look, I jumped up, ran through the living room and into my room. When I suddenly remembered that I left my lights on. I ran over, looked back at my bed, and estimated how many steps it would take to reach my bed. Three steps. I switched off the lights and dashed to my bed. Within minutes, I was asleep. That's when it all started.
I was in a dark room when lights started to turn on. There in the middle of the room, which I discovered was a basketball court, stood Yao Ming at 7'6''. As I looked him over from head to toe, I could've sworn that his shoe size was the size of my whole arm. Right then, he chucked a basketball at me, with some force if I might add.
"We play,"he said.
"Basketball?" I asked uninsured.
He didn't answer, only nodded. Okay so Yao Ming wanted to play basketball with me. That's not weird at all.
"Okay. What's the deal?"
"You win, I give you jersey."
"Okay..."
"I win you eat broccoli... Forever."
Oh gross! Broccoli, I hate broccoli, but being competitive.....
"Okay, it's a deal."
Time passed, it was half-time. The score was 26-16. Even with my eight point lead, he still managed to whip my butt. Time went on, I was tired, but quick enough that he was getting tired of keeping up with me. It was the 4th quarter, and time is running out. There was 15 seconds left on the clock. The score was 34-32. I needed a three-pointer, but he was too tall. I was in trouble. I didn't want to eat broccoli for the rest of my life. I knew what I had to do, but he had the ball. As he dribbled down the floor, I began to panic.
"HEY! WHAT'S THAT?!?" I pointed to nothing.
He bought it! He looked towards where I was pointing. I stole the ball! I dribbled down to the other side, but he caught up to me. He was now between me and the basket. I faked him to the left, then to the right. I knew I wasn't going to get past him. 10 seconds. Oh no! Broccoli casserole, broccoli soup, raw broccoli, cooked broccoli, broccoli on sticks. Broccoli was running through my head. I looked to the right, then to the left. I had no choice but to go between his legs! Right under him! I fake him once more to the right then darted between his legs. He was shocked! He hadn't seen it coming. 5 seconds. Broccoli. I shot from the three- point mark. The ball went up. It began circling around the rim. Please God, let it go in. Boy oh boy! God must have heard my prayer because the ball went in Yes! No Broccoli!!!
"Yes, Yes, Yes, I'm da winner! You da loser!" I chanted happily.
"You play good. Here jersey."
"Thank you."
Right then, I woke up. It was all just a dream. I was disappointed. I really thought that I beat Yao Ming at basketball. Then, something caught my eye. In the corner of my room on my computer chair, was Yao Ming's jersey. Was it all a dream or was it real? It's just another one of life's great mysteries. For now..... I've got to tell my mom.
"HEY MOM! GUESS WHAT!?!"
Post Comment | View Comments
