Ode To Latitude
Drilling

“Sleep, tomorrow we talk” Danu said caressing Regata's hair.

Regata looked up at Danu. His father's face was tired. The gray hair in his father's hair could not hide the fact that his father's age had increased. 

Regata wiped away the tears on her face. Danu looked at her daughter's face, her way of wiping away tears was like a small time. Nothing has changed in Danu's eyes, Regata is still her little daughter.

Arimbi joined them. Regata alternately hugged his parents, in his heart please forgive him for all the actions he has done from childhood to the present.

****

Regata stared at the sports hall where Mia practiced badminton. Today Danu and Arimbi are busy taking care of their work. They had dinner together at home. Regata has no other activities other than accompanying Mia for a full day. Danu and Arimbi enrolled her little daughter in homeschooling to make it easy to manage practice time.

Mia leads Regata to the field where she trains. Mia was trained privately by a very old coach. The woman is thin and looks hunched in the company of her assistant. The coach's face was familiar. Regata searched where the face had been.

During the exercise, Regata observes Mia. According to Regata his daughter is quite agile for an eight-year-old. Today's practice is drilling for beginners. Mia was retrained with a more structured method.

The coach throws a kock from a high spot in the stands, Mia hits a ball thrown over and over again. Kock thrown will be very useful for beginners because the slower pace of the knock is more directed.

After the coach felt enough with the technique, Mia was allowed a three-minute break. Mia straightens up the mineral water and wipes the sweat that runs up to the wrists and feet.

The next blow the coach stood across the net. The hull ball that Mia returned at one direction followed the direction the coach threw. There was no variation in his punch, Mia's steps were still limped. Regata follows the training process carefully, guessing the technique that is being taught to Mia. Six hours passed quickly, in the final blows Regata saw Mia begin to blow her hands holding the grip of the racket.

After training Mia approached Regata.

Regata sanctions. Indeed, their age children do not come alone to that place but are escorted by parents. The bath facilities were uncomfortable for Regata. Regata doesn't allow Mia to take a shower after the workout, let her sweat dry on her body until they get home.

Regata pulled Mia's reddish-looking hand. He opened his daughter's fist which looked red. Mia's face shrieked, calluses in her palm unable to hide. There are parts that begin to peel off from the thickened skin of the hand. Regata forces Mia to open her shoes, examining Mia's soles. Sure enough, the soles of his feet were calluses due to rubbing against socks and shoes.

“Ma, mama's not mad right?” tanya Mia held Regata's hand towards the parking lot.

“Sick no?” ask Regata.

“Sick Ma, fitting early. Now it's normal aja” said Mia.

His little daughter told me the beginning of her joint training felt like letting go. His arm and thigh muscles hurt. Not infrequently he feels tingling after training but it's all he believes is a process because no athlete immediately champions without going through a convincing training process.

Regata admits Mia's getting smarter. The quality of the exercises and the environment in which she lived had opened her daughter's mind to become more advanced.

“Tomorrow training at six in the afternoon. The next morning school” Mia told her schedule.

Regata smiled wryly, his heart filled with worry.

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