Bribery- A Figure Skating Scandal

By: Kacie

Author's notes: I wrote this in May 2000 for a creative writing school paper assignment. This isn't my greatest piece of work, and there was a word limit forcing me to take out details and event I would have normally included. Still, I would be interested to hear some feedback.
Censor: G (how can a school paper have anything offending in it? ;))
Summary: Sometimes, a bribe can hurt an innocent person...even in the sport of figure skating. No need be a figure skating fan to read this, it focuses more on bribery than the sport itself.

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It was just an ordinary day for Ms. Sheryl Anderson when she picked up the phone to take an incoming call. As the pleasant, middle aged woman picked up the receiver, she had no idea the a simple phone call would change her life and test her courage and strength for the next several months. “Good morning, Anderson residence.”

“Sheryl!” the other voice replied warmly, perhaps sounding a bit too friendly. “Just the person I wanted to talk to! This is Donna Park speaking. You know who I am, correct?”

“Yes, of course I do,” answered Sheryl. Sheryl’s 14 year old daughter, Nicole, was a local sensation in the sport of figure skating, having shown promise since an early age. Donna’s 15 year old, Christa, had been a long time competitor of Nicole and competed at nationals the past two seasons. Sheryl knew that Donna was a crafty woman
who would do anything for her daughter’s success and grew weary as she expected her to drone on about Christa's day at practice.

But Donna’s voice grew low and serious. “Listen, as you know, Christa and Nicole are both competing at the divisional championships next month in an attempt to qualify for nationals. Only four make nationals, and three are top ranked competitors. One of our daughters won’t make it.”

“I’m aware of that,” replied Sheryl with annoyance in her voice.

“You didn’t let me finish,” snipped Donna. “I know a way to get both of them in. I have called up the judges, and for a price, they are willing to put Christa and Nicole ahead of Laura Banks, the girl who has been struggling lately. We each pay half.”

Sheryl was shocked. “What? I would never participate in such a deal!” she gasped. “If my daughter qualifies, it will be on her own merit!”

Donna made a growling sound into the phone. “Fine, but see how much I care about your daughter’s performance!” she yelled as she hung up abruptly.

“What a strange woman,” Sheryl muttered as she hung up and hardly gave the conversation a second thought.

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Six weeks later, Sheryl sat in the stands with tears in her eyes as her daughter took her final bows. Nicole had just skated the performance of her life and looked ready to qualify for nationals for the first time. The three skaters who were locks had already skated and also done well. Whether Nicole would go all depended on the final
competitor: Christa.

Sheryl crossed her fingers and held hands with her daughter as they watched Christa perform. She started out well, with strong jumps and fast spins. But as the program wore, on she appeared to tire. She fell on her final two jumps and barely held on to a third. Sheryl gave her daughter a hug. “You’re going, I'm sure of it!” she exclaimed.

The results came up a few minutes later. Nicole’s eyes anxiously scanned the list. First, second, and third belonged to the shoo ins. Nicole squinted a bit as she read the fourth place name: Christa Park. She squinted again, but finally noticed her name in fifth. Nicole was distraught. The performance of her life had kept her from Nationals by a girl who had fallen twice. She burst into tears as her coach, Eric Mclays, tried to comfort her. "Now, now dear, life isn’t always fair, is it?” he asked her. "Don't worry, I know you'll make it next year" But even he could not believe the final result.

Cheryl appeared a few minutes later, she was as upset and puzzled as the rest. But then she remembered the phone call from Donna and the bribe offer. She suddenly knew her daughter had been cheated by Donna's money scandal. She would uncover the Parks, and her daughter would go to nationals. She and Eric would talk in private later.

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A few days later, Sheryl called Eric to tell him about the situation. However, Eric did not believe her. “I know that you are extremely upset, as am I,” he said. “But I cannot believe that this would have happened. The Parks are good people.”

Sheryl raised her voice. “I know my daughter was cheated out of this!” she screamed.

“Well, I’m sorry you feel this way,” Eric started calmly, “But I am afraid I can’t teach your daughter if you have that kind of attitude.”

With that, he said his goodbyes, never to coach Nicole again.

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It seemed to Sheryl that there was nothing she could do. It had now been two months since the event, and there was no way she could prove the bribe. Nicole was now coachless, anyway, how would she be able to compete?

But that day, as she was changing the batteries in her phone, Sheryl discovered something hidden in the phone. A microphone. It had been recording her phone
conversations every day for the past year or so. “All right, who bugged my phone!” yelled Sheryl into nowhere.

Nicole heard her mother and came running downstairs. “Oh my gosh, I put that there a year ago when I was interviewing my grandfather over the phone for a school project. I’m so sorry!”

But Sheryl smiled and gave her a hug. “It’s no problem, dear,” she said happily. And inside her mind was racing. She knew that Donna and Christa would get what they would deserve.

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Six months later, Sheryl received a letter in the mail from the top organization in figure skating. It read;

“Dear Ms. Anderson,
after reviewing the tape and checking our more facts on our own, we have determined that the Park family is indeed guilty of bribery. The Park family and the judges who participated ain the bribe are all receiving lifelong suspensions from participating in figure skating competitions. Thank you for you help.
Sincerely,
head of America’s Figure Skating Association.”

Sheryl whooped in happiness and yelled up the stairs, “Nicole, come down! I have something important to tell you!”

Nicole came crashing down the stairs. “What is it, mom?” she asked excitedly. She sat quietly as her mother told her everything that had been kept from her all these months. Her face grew from anger, to resentment, to determination.

“I’m so sorry about all of this, dear,” Sheryl said guiltily.

But Nicole smiled and gave her mother a big hug. “I’m proud of you,” she said. “You did the right thing, not participating. And you got the Parks in trouble.”

Sheryl smiled. “But what about you?” she asked.

“My new coach and I know that I’m going to qualify for nationals this year!” Nicole said with steely determination.

And later that year, Nicole did just that.