What is Fair?

"Don't you want to go pick up your ribbon," Mom asks in confusion as I turn to the door.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I should be getting a trophy," my reaction leaves her stunned.

"Why do you think you should be getting first instead of second."

"Because my project was better, I presented better and she only won because of her dad. She doesn't need a scholarship anyway."

My mom doesn't answer me right away. She's mad, I can see it in her face. I just can't tell if she's mad at me or the entire situation. She knows we can't afford college and she knows how hard I worked on this project. Watching someone else claim my reward because they had prominent family members, just isn't right. The world shouldn't work like this.

"You're right," Mom leads me out. "You should have won. She couldn't answer a single question from the judges and it was clear she hadn't rehearsed."

"So why did she win?"

"Because," Mom pauses as we reach our car. "Because life just isn't fair. You can work as hard as possible, be the best at whatever you want to do, and you still might not win because someone had friends, or family or looked better. That's just the way life is."

"Why is it like that? It shouldn't be."

"You're right again, but I don't have the answer. That's something you'd have to ask God."

And I will. After we had dinner, complained to dad, and gotten all cleaned up I went to my room early. Mom and Dad probably figured I was tired, and annoyed after the competition, but I had business with God tonight. I got onto my knees at my bedside, closed my eyes and grasped my hands together. I was unsure of the best way to star, so I just went for it.

"God, why isn't life fair? I worked hard on that project, really hard. I didn't get any help, and I practiced my presentation for a whole two weeks. I answered all the judges questions. It was like I could see them coming before they answered. It isn't fair that someone else should win just because their daddy knows the judges."

I don't know what I was expecting but I didn't get an answer. I just crawled into bed, defeated. I deserved to win.

[Twitter] [Intercosmic] [Exsanguinate] [Books for Sale] [Newsletter] [Reddit]