The girl seemed unsure how to respond. I'm Mia. Thelma Gardner. Pleased to meet you. Mia nodded awkwardly and continued gathering her things.
Thelma found a bench and carefully unfolded the white uniform. It was clearly several sizes too large, but it would have to do. She slipped it on over her clothes, struggling somewhat with the stiff fabric. The white belt proved particularly challenging as she tried to remember the proper way to tie it from watching the other students. When she emerged from the locker room, several students from the previous class were still lingering.
Tyler and his tall friend were among them, and they made no effort to hide their amusement at Thelma's appearance. Check it out, Josh. Tyler said loudly. Grandma's ready for battle. Josh, the taller boy, laughed.
The belt's not even right. It's upside down or something. Thelma approached Rick, who was setting up for the next class. Is this correct? She asked, gesturing to her belt.
Rick glanced at her, then quickly adjusted the belt. There you go. Let's have you join today's class since you're already here. Just follow along as best you can. The beginners class was smaller than the advanced one Thelma had observed earlier.
Most of the students were teenagers or young adults with a few in their 30s. Thelma was by far the oldest person in the room. Rick positioned her in the back row. Basic stances today, he announced to the class. We'll start with front stance.
Thelma watched carefully as Rick demonstrated, then attempted to mimic his position. Her knees protested as she tried to bend into the stance, and her balance wavered. She had to use her cane to stabilize herself several times. No canes on the training floor. " Rick called out. "If you need it, maybe this isn't the right activity for you. " Thelma nodded, setting her cane against the wall.
She wobbled back to her position, moving more slowly now. As the class progressed through various stances and basic punches, Thelma struggled visibly. Her movements were stiff and awkward, her timing consistently off. When they practiced simple blocks, she seemed to forget the sequences, dropping into wrong stances or moving in the opposite direction from everyone else. She could hear the snickers, could feel the side eyes from both students and instructor.
But she persisted, her face a mask of concentration. After class, as students filtered out, Thelma approached Rick. Despite the humiliation she had endured, she bowed deeply to him, showing proper dojo etiquette. "Thank you, Sensei. " She said. "I look forward to improving. " Rick seemed taken aback by her formality and composure.
"Right. Well, see you Wednesday then. " In the locker room, Thelma could hear Tyler and Josh in the adjacent men's room, their voices carrying through the thin wall. "Did you see her trying to do the horse stance? " Tyler's voice mocked. "Like a newborn giraffe. " Josh's deeper voice followed with a high-pitched imitation. "Thank you, Sensei.