EDITOR’S NOTE: Here is LaPorte High School student Brittany Belkiewitz’s work for which she won the 2011 Christopher Iselman Writing Award for Best Narrative.

“The Bee” by Brittany Belkiewitz

   “L-U-N-…A-…T-I-C.” There was a slight tremor in my voice as I carefully enunciated the letters.

   That was an easy one.

   The three bee officials seated before me glanced at each other and began to whisper conspiratorially amongst themselves. None of them were smiling. I held my breath, involuntarily twisting the lucky friendship bracelet I wore on my right wrist.

   Uh-oh. I must have made a mistake.

   The judge closest to me finally stood to deliver the verdict; simultaneously, I braced myself for the impending failure.

   Darn, I was so close this time. And just think what everybody at school is going to say when they find out I was beaten by a nerdy little fourth-grader who –

Iselman brittany belkiewitz

Brittany Belkiewitz

   My pessimistic trail of thought was interrupted when the man’s face suddenly broke out in a wide grin, and in a booming voice, he announced, “Congratulations, Brittany. You have just won the LaPorte County Regional Spelling Bee! You will now advance to the final round, the National Spelling Bee, which includes an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C.”

   I hung my head, carefully arranging my expression so that I didn’t look too disappointed.

   “What?!” My head snapped back up. “What did you just say?”

   The judge stepped around the table, offering me one handle of the coveted glistening trophy. “I said,” he grinned, “‘Say cheese!’” Visions of stars erupted in front of my eyes as the newspaper reporter’s bulb flashed right in front of my face.

   As I wobbled over to the other side of the gym, complete strangers reached out to congratulate my eighth-grade self, patting me on the back, shaking my hand, and even pulling me in for a hug. I was much too dazed to notice or even care.

   Finally, I spied my fourth grade opponent and stuck out my hand as a gesture of good sportsmanship. A sharp twinge of guilt panged through me when the little boy pushed his too-big glasses back up the bridge of his nose and chirruped, “Good luck — I hope you win!” His obvious sincerity was touching. If anybody deserved to win, it was probably not me; all the other competitors studied their lists fervently day in and day out. I, on the other hand, was constantly preoccupied by my jam-packed schedule. I had shown up at each consecutive bee crossing my fingers, having barely glanced at the never-ending word compilations.

   After collecting my various prizes, I headed home with my family. As I crawled into bed, my head was still spinning. The last thought that crossed my mind before I drifted away was, Me? Go to Washington, D.C.?

   I couldn’t believe it — this stuff only happened in movies …

——

   Yet, three eagerly anticipated months later, that’s exactly where I found myself. As our minivan sped through the streets of our nation’s capital on the way to our hotel destination, grand, imposing marble monuments and sparkling glass office buildings stretched on as far as the eye could see. It was decidedly strange, the architectural mix of modern and historic structures.

   I cannot even begin to describe our luxurious stay at the Grand Hyatt. It was like a dream come true, not to mention free! The countless escalators and elevators of the hotel provided many an evening of endless fun for my siblings and me. The majestic fountains, beautiful displays, and breathtaking view from our room on the top floor were all subject matter for my ever-growing photo album. In fact, for the duration of the trip, I kept my camera by my side, ready to capture the “perfect” shot.

   While many of the other champions locked themselves in their hotel rooms with their dictionaries, I treated my week in D.C. as more of a vacation. We visited tourist attractions galore, riding the Metro from site to site and, of course, hoofing it the old-fashioned way. We kept track of how far we walked, sometimes logging over ten miles a day! My favorite places included Mt. Vernon (George Washington’s former estate), the Lincoln Memorial, and the African Art Museum.

   Miraculously, one of our neighbors, who is a friend of Chief Justice John Roberts, was able to arrange a private tour of the Supreme Court for us. My family and I even got to meet Chief Justice Roberts in person! We explored his personal chambers for a while before sitting down to have a brief chat; since it is customary to bring the justices gifts, I gave Chief Justice Roberts an official spelling bee shirt. It was not until we were about to leave that he revealed that I had been seated on the lounge where John Adams had died!

   Thursday morning arrived much too early. I rolled out of bed at six o’clock, too jittery to go back to sleep. At my mother’s insistence, I choked down a piece of toast as I headed downstairs, through security, to bee headquarters. I felt lightheaded as I was handed my uniform name badge and told to take my seat onstage. Row by row, the chairs in the audience filled up as spectators filed into the humongous room.

   The next couple of hours passed by in a blur. The reasonable voice in my head instructed me to listen as each contestant stepped forward to spell, to try to learn from their errors. However, I was the ninety-eighth person in line, and my focused attention soon began to wane. I knew I wasn’t the only one having difficulty with this; the kid next to me (who was later declared the National Champion!) had fallen asleep, his mouth open, his head tipping dangerously close to my shoulder.

   When it was my turn to approach the microphone, I froze. The judges stared at me intently as I shuffled to center stage. “Parabolic,” the first judge uttered. “Spell the word, ‘parabolic’.”

   In the instant that followed all eyes were on me, watching expectantly. I felt like I was trying to swallow a cotton ball.

   I know this word … it was in our math vocabulary …

   After timidly clearing my throat, I slowly spelled out the word. Then I waited, staring at the buzzer, for what seemed like the longest five seconds of my life.

   “Ding!” The buzzer flashed bright green.

   Yessss! I felt like jumping for joy, but instead, I turned and walked calmly back to my seat, smiling.

——

   Unfortunately, the two points I earned from spelling my word correctly were not enough to bolster my score from the computer test substantially, and I was one of the 190 competitors who did not make it to the third round. On the bright side, I got to meet the host of “America’s Funniest Home Videos” while attending the live television coverage of the final rounds.

   During my stay in D.C., I definitely learned a lot! Not only did I absorb a lot of American history, but I discovered much information that I had not previously known at the Holocaust Museum. And who knew there was so much to flagging down a taxi or knowing which Metro ticket to purchase? I found that, deep down, I really do have good “people skills,” and I gained a better understanding of the diverse culture of “the great American melting pot.”

   But above all, I think the lesson I valued the most was about the importance of perseverance. It took a lot of determination for all of the champions present at the bee to stick with it and study word lists all year long. Obviously, their hard work and dedication paid off. I am grateful that I had this opportunity.

   It sounds cliché, but I still feel like a winner at heart; my experiences will last a lifetime, that’s for sure.

   Can you spell A-W-E-S-O-M-E?