The day seemed exhausting as we treaded far from the front of campus to the back with the sun soaking up all the water we had within us; shining its rays on us as the rail station appeared in view. At last, we were almost done with today’s long walk on campus—- or so I thought. My eyes caught the rail turning its corner; just begging us to make it through the last 13 yards.

First thing I asked myself: Could we make it to the rail on time? Or was it just the hope that we wouldn’t have to wait longer and sit through another five to ten minutes under the heat of the sun?

Man; we so did not want to do that.

Before I came to realize it, my sister and I had glanced at each other and without a second thought we began to sprint towards the rail station.

It was us against the rail. It was a match that we were desperate to win.

It got closer and closer and closer and closer.

As we got closer

and closer

and closer

and c l o s e r.

It was as if we were runners competing at the end of a race battling for that gold medal.

I felt the air of the rail blow across my face. We were finally at the station when the rail was about to make its departure. My sister ran in. The doors began to close. I had just enough energy to squeeze myself in. I saw people around me smiling as if to applaud the match we had just won.

It was so surreal. I didn’t know where that energy came from. I didn’t know that I had it in me. In fact, I was fasting that day. But all of that didn’t matter to me at the moment.

What mattered was that we won the race.