A Weekend Retreat with Michelle and Kyla

"Christine, can I talk to you for a second?"

It was 3:00 in the morning, and my phone suddenly rang inside the bedroom. Upon gazing at the phone, it was Michelle who came out calling.

Christine: "Michelle, can't you see it's very early in the morning? I'm a bit sleepy right now."

Michelle: "Christine, Kyla and I are going with the team today for a weekend retreat. I already asked permission from the coach to invite you here, and she gratefully accepted."

After a loud, piercing yawn, I resumed speaking on the phone.

Christine: "Okay. So what time is the assembly?"

Michelle: "It will be 5:30 sharp."

Christine: "Already? 5:30? But I haven't packed up yet."

Michelle: "Don't worry Christine. You have enough time to pack your stuff. Then at the bus you can just snooze yourself on the way."

Christine: "Oh well Michelle. I'll go cook some breakfast and start preparing."

Michelle: "Okay then. You wait for me outside, around 5:00."

Christine: "Definitely. See you there."

An hour later, I was at the dining table eating breakfast when Charissa went downstairs.

"Why are you up early?" she said.

"Mother, Michelle graciously invited me to her retreat along with the team today," I promptly responded. "It was very unexpected and I was still sleepy."

"Don't worry about that," Charissa advised me. "If you want to join Michelle on the retreat then that's fine with me, as long as your body gets some good sleep."

After breakfast, Charissa helped pack up my bags for the trip. A short time later, the clock struck 5:00 in the morning and Michelle was already waiting at the lobby.

Upon arriving, I spotted Karina at the driver's seat.

"Wonderful morning to you, Christine," she happily greeted me.

Karina smiled, and I smiled back at her. Then it was off to school for the retreat.

Thirty minutes later, we spotted a bus parked at the campus. As Michelle and I got out of the car, we saw her teammates eager to get inside and take their favorite seats.

Just then, Kyla spotted us.

"Hey girls," she enthusiastically called out.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the coach came out for a roll call. A few minutes later, all of us were ready to enter the bus.

Michelle, Kyla and I sat comfortably on the back of the bus along with some of the other teammates. But just as it slowly rolled out of the campus, all of us quickly drifted into a deep sleep.

It had been an exhausting midterms week for the whole team. No one mingled nor bothered to carry out some extracurricular activities.

The whole bus was silent. Even the coach herself went into dreamland.

Two hours later, we were aroused to see a magnificent retreat house. It was erected like a mansion, complete with a swimming pool, a basketball court and a garden.

As Michelle, Kyla and I left the bus and into this magnificent palace, we were quickly enamored by its sheer beauty and glamour. This place was ideal for our kindred spirits to relax and enjoy.

After a satisfying lunch, I eagerly followed the whole team to the quarters to pack up and enjoy a short nap. Just then, Kyla instantly turned towards me and commenced a meaningful conversation.

"I didn't expect you to come," she softly commented.

"Neither do I," my face wide-eyed in shock. "Michelle suddenly telephoned and quickly invited me for this. It is possible your coach knew me extremely well."

"Probably," Kyla responded. "You have always been watching us from the sidelines all year, so our coach must have gotten used to your presence."

After a short yet meaningful nap, Michelle, Kyla and I woke up and started to play some billiards at the games room. Meanwhile, the other team members played different games as well.

But just as I was about to hit the eight-ball to the pocket, a stray dart unexpectedly struck my forehead.

"Oh I'm sorry," Michelle and Kyla's teammate immediately attended to me. "Are you okay?"

Just then, blood started seeping from my head. With troubled expressions on their faces, Michelle, Kyla and their teammate rushed me to the living room and called out a nurse.

After patching my bruised forehead with a bandage, I promptly rejoined them for some more billiards. We played three rounds and Kyla wound up victorious two times while Michelle won once.

Later that night, a campfire was properly set outside the garden and all of us basked in on some marshmallows and sausages. Each player embraced an opportunity to tell a story to their teammates.

When it came time for Kyla to speak, she quickly called me out. I immediately stepped in and sat at ease beside her.

"Notice anything similar?" Kyla pointed out to her teammates.

"Am I seeing double?" one of the players thoughtfully remarked on us. "There's nothing different between the two of you other than the bandages on your friend's head."

"We do have a few differences, though," Kyla responded passionately.

Seconds later, we both stood up and much to the players' profound amazement, they immediately recognized Kyla as the taller and leaner person.

"Teammates, this is my best friend Christine," she promptly introduced me to the team. "This woman has been observing our practices from the start, and she had been tremendously supportive of us."

"We are delighted to welcome Christine to the team," the coach smilingly remarked. "She may not be an official member, yet it was a unique privilege to appreciate an energetic woman like her who fiercely supports the team."

"Thank you coach," I nodded approvingly in respect. "It was a pleasure joining all of you."

Kyla continued her story by narrating how she and I ended up becoming friends. Kyla also gave out a few minor details about my terrible childhood, which left the whole team in tears.

The next morning, I willingly followed the team to the conference room. With a local pastor in attendance, we were given an hour of spiritual enrichment, meditation and personal reflection.

After a delicious lunch, the team took a dip in the swimming pool amid the searing heat of the sun. Then a 90-minute pickup game followed at the outdoor basketball court.

Throughout the weekend, I witnessed how the team's bond strengthened and emboldened with each passing hour. As the tournament neared, it was clear they need all that chemistry and camaraderie to win games.

Kyla also took it upon herself to act professionally as a more mature and responsible leader. With Michelle at her side, she was given enough minutes to impart her leadership skills to the whole team.

Suffice to say, Kyla unanimously passed the test with flying colors.

All of us naturally wished for more time, but alas, it was time to head home. Tomorrow is a return to the harsh realities of school life, but for one memorable weekend, we were all glad to get the pressure off our backs.