Wednesday's Words on a Friday

On Wednesdays, assorted people have been taking monthly turns at putting up a selection of six (or twelve) words which is called “Words for Wednesday”.
We have taken over this meme from Delores, who had been having computer problems
This month the meme continues here, at Elephant’s Child with words supplied by Margaret and Sue.

Essentially the aim is to encourage us to write.   

Each week we are given a choice of prompts: which can be words, phrases, music or an image.   What we do with those prompts is up to us:  a short story, prose, a song, a poem, or treating them with ignore...
Some of us put our creation in comments on the post, and others post on their own blog.  I would really like it if as many people as possible joined into this fun meme.  If you are posting on your own blog - let me know so that I, and other participants, can come along and applaud.

I’m hopeless at poetry so I always do a story.

It’s a fun challenge…why not join in?

This week's words are:

1. balancing
2. epic
3. caustic
4. ubiquitous
5. warmth
6. film

and/or:

1. despondent
2. publican
3. equanimity
4. set
5. blunder
6. gate

Here is my story:

Balancing on the beam, twelve year old Ursula absorbed the caustic jibes from Coach Miller with the equanimity she was famous for. He was furious that her parents had signed, and allowed her to sign, that film contract. He told her she was making the biggest blunder of her career. Ursula hadn't yet told him her reasons. Coach hadn't given her a chance, refusing to listen as he ranted about the Olympics and Gold Medals. 

Ursula executed a perfect backward dismount and stood listening to him, waiting for a break in the tirade so she could get a word in. The on and off pain in her knees was a warning, if she didn't rest them now, she might be crippled by sixteen, or at least would be taking truck loads of pain killers to get through the routine. Far better to quit now. Coach Miller would be despondent for a few days, but the newest member of the team, Sandra, had great talent and was showing amazing promise at just eight years old. 

Ursula thought of the film, a two part epic about the life of famous gymnast *Katrina Kordova, Ursula was to play the part of Katrina aged ten. As coach wound down and just looked at her, Ursula began to explain about her knees, how the doctor had said they needed time to rest and recover before too much damage occurred. She mentioned Sandra, definitely Gold Medallist material and willing to take Ursula's place. Coach Miller sighed, wiping a hand across his face, said he would be very sorry to lose her, then walked away to his office, where he closed the door and just sat at his desk.

As Ursula changed into her street clothes, she thought of her parents; her mother Natasha, once a ballerina, who had gifted her with grace, with elegance of movement; her father, Mick Gilhooley, a publican who had drawn upon his Irish roots, buying and transforming the shabby "Meg's Bar and Grill" into the highly successful "Shenanigans Hotel". Ursula's equanimity had come from him. Their warmth and encouragement had surrounded her since birth.

Already famous on the gymnastic circuit, Ursula's ubiquitous fans were also convinced this was a good move. They had tweeted endlessly about her talent, how she would be a star from the moment she set foot through the studio gate. 

(*Katrina Kordova, a figment of my imagination)