The Pigeon With the Tennis Elbow Read Online Free

too, belting a shot out of Kevin's reach. 30-love. He went on to win, twice earning points on
     Kevin's misplays.
    He won the second game also.
    What's the matter with me?
Kevin askedhimself.
I just cant seem to get going. What will the crowd think?
    Just before Tommy began his first serve of the third game Kevin heard a soft flutter of wings. He looked up and saw Charlie
     diving low over the court, then zooming up and settling comfortably on a post, the same post he had perched on the other day.
    Charlie winked at him and Kevin winked back. Maybe this was what he needed. Charlie.
    Kevin scored on Tommy's first serve, got ahead of Tommy, and stayed ahead until the score was love-40. Then Tommy began to
     score and worked it up to a deuce game.
    Kevin felt the life drizzle out of him. Sweat glistened on his face, but he was more anxious than tired.
    “Buck up, boy,” said Charlie. “You can't give up now.”
    The sound of Charlie's voice lifted Kevin's spirits a few notches. Tommy dealt a good serve, then rushedthe net. Kevin hit the ball back, a soft shot that arced over the center of the net. Tommy returned it, and Kevin met it with
     a smashing blow that Tommy had no chance in the world to touch. Advantage Kevin.
    “Attaboy,” said Charlie.
    Not so loud!
Kevin wanted to yell at him.
    Kevin took the next point to win the game. As he started off the court for the one-minute rest, Charlie glided down to him
     and stopped at his feet.
    “Get down here,” said Charlie. “Stroke my head as if I'm your pet or something.”
    Kevin did so, even though he felt foolish about it.
    “Your problem is you, Kevie,” said Charlie. “Instead of concentrating on the game, you're thinking about what the spectators
     are thinking of you. What they think if you make an error, and so on and so on. My boy, you've got to get your cotton-pickin'
     mind off that crowd and start concentrating on the game. You've got to watch that ball closely all the time and try to make
     your returns sure-fire. You can do that only by meeting the ball squarely and hittingit a little easier. Aim it where your opponent ain't. Get what I mean?”
    “You're right about concentration, Charlie,” admitted Kevin. “I just can't do it.”
    “You've
got
to do it, Kevie,” Charlie said, jerking his head from one side to the other in order to look up at Kevin with both eyes.
     “That's number one in tennis. Without it you might as well forget it and take up tiddly-winks. And I'd hate to see you do
     that. I want you to play that Murphy kid and beat his britches off!”
    “I'll do my best, Charlie.”
    “Hey, Kev!” yelled a voice Kevin recognized as Roger Murphy's. “What's with you and the pigeon?”
    “Wouldn't
he
like to know,” said Charlie. He winked at Kevin and took off, flying back up to his perch on the post.

5
    K EVIN TRIED TO FOLLOW Charlie's advice as the fourth game of the first set got under way. He kept his eye on the ball as Tommy returned his serve,
     a sharp drive that headed straight for the baseline.
    He waited, breathless. It struck just inside the line, and Kevin swung. Off balance, he met the ball with the throat of the
     racket, sending it dribbling toward the net.
Darn!
he thought angrily. A point for Tommy.
    Kevin's next serve hit the net. He followed it up with a good one that Tommy returned without trouble. Then they stroked the
     ball back andforth, Kevin concentrating mainly on getting the ball back over the net as Charlie had advised, and not about what the fans
     might think of him if he made an error.
    It wasn't easy, though. You can't change bad habits in one game, or in one set, or even in a dozen sets.
    Then Tommy returned a ball that had bounced just inside his left sideline, and started to
walk
back toward the center of the court. Kevin, seeing his opportunity telegraphed to him, socked the ball hard to Tommy's opposite
     corner. Tommy sprinted after it but couldn't get within a mile of it. Kevin's point.