God's Creations

When I was a junior in high school, my mom convinced my brother and I to try out for the cross country team. Even though I had been running track for 11 years at that point and the 400m was the most I was willing to run, I figured I'd give it a try. It was the day of try outs and as everyone was stretching, they told us we'd be running 3 miles. I knew at that moment I wasn't making the team but I'm a determined person and I wanted to try. As we started running, I was able to keep up with everyone for about half a mile. I started to slow down and ended up making my way to the back of the pack. Around mile 2, every inch of me wanted to quit but I kept going. At that point, people had formed mini groups to run with. They were even carrying on conversations as I was struggling to keep my legs moving. As we reached 2.5 miles, I ended up behind these two white girls that I had never seen before. I was a few feet behind them, close enough to hear their conversation but not close enough for them to notice me. They were discussing how "God didn't create black people" because "he wouldn't make a mistake like that". Due to my body fighting to keep running and the lack of oxygen, I couldn't form words but I was able to loudly clear my throat. Which caused both of them to turn around. The shock that came across their faces gave me the energy to run past them and finish the 3 miles before them. I didn't see them at the finish line nor did I ever see them at school after that day.