Chapter Two: Bubblegum and Butterflies by Lynette Ferreira
The air at the skate park hung thick with the mingled scents of hot asphalt and freshly mowed grass. Beneath the relentless South African sun, Daniel McCarthy tightened his grip on his skateboard. The warn edges of the deck was evidence of the countless hours he had spent mastering tricks.
He perched at the top of the half-pipe, gazing down at the
empty bowl below. The space was his escape. It was a sanctuary carved out of
the chaos of his life. A place where the world’s expectations did not exist.
Daniel rolled his shoulders and adjusted his stance. A soft
breeze ruffled his hair as he pushed off. Then gravity claimed him, pulling him
into a smooth drop. The world around him blurred for a moment. His body moved
on instinct, his muscles tensed and released in perfect harmony. He kicked the
board mid-air into a perfect varial flip and landed cleanly with the effortless
precision that had earned him a grudging respect even amongst those who
whispered about him.
Chatter from a small group of kids hanging out on the park’s
edge faded as they watched him. The awe in their eyes was familiar. Daniel had
seen it a million times before, but admiration was fleeting. Soon enough their
parents would fill their heads with warnings about not ending up like Daniel
McCarthy who was nothing but trouble.
He ground to a halt, letting his board clatter against the
concrete. Dropping to sit on the edge of the bowl, he tipped his head back and
let the sun’s rays warm his face. For a moment, he could almost forget the
whispers, the labels, and the way adults looked at him as though he was a
walking cautionary tale.
“Dude, that flip was sick.” It was Luca, his best friend and
the closest thing to family Daniel had besides his mom. The lanky boy plopped
down beside him, shoving a juice box into Daniel’s hand. “I’m telling you; you’ve
got the moves to go pro. When are you gonna start filming your runs?”
Daniel smirked, rolling the cool drink between his palms. “And
what? Post them online so that everyone in town can tell me I’m wasting my time
even louder?” He laughed a dry laugh but there was no humour in it. Popping the
straw into the juice box, he took a deep sip, savouring the sweetness as the
liquid ran over his tongue.
“Let them talk.” Luca kicked his heels against the concrete.
“They just don’t get it. They don’t get you.”
Daniel’s eyes squinted as he stared across the park to the
horizon. Beyond the neatly trimmed fields of the park lay a row of weathered
houses, their peeling paint and sagging roofs a stark contrast to the polished
homes on the other side of town. His home was somewhere in that cluster. A narrow,
two-bedroom rental with too many memories crammed between its walls.
Inside, his mom would be working a double shift for the call
centre. Her voice would be hoarse from answering phones all day. And his dad?
Daniel’s jaw tightened. He had not seen his father in years. The man had left
behind nothing but a box of vinyl records and a pair of scuffed work boots.
Relics shoved into the back of a cupboard. Sometimes, Daniel thought about
throwing them out but every time he tried, he stopped. The pit in his stomach
reminded him that this was all he had left of the man. It was things he did not
want and, also, things he did want to hold on to. He did not like to think
about it for too long, but deep down, really, really deep down, he cared. He
wanted to know why. Why the man just upped and left.
The past clung to Daniel like the dust on the roads of their
small town. It was inescapable and ever present in his thoughts.
He could still hear the sharp whistle of the referee, the
deafening cheers from the stands, and the slap of his boots against the grass.
Rugby had been his ticket out. Coaches talked about scholarships, about
potential, about a future that did not involve being stuck in this town
forever.
Then he threw it all away.
He had not meant to, not at first, but life had a way of
knocking you down, and sometimes, it was easier to just stay on the ground.
His mom tried her best, but trying did not pay the bills.
Some nights, he came home from rugby practice to overdue notices littering the
kitchen table. Late at night he could hear her muffled cries behind her closed
door. The weight of it all pressed down on him and his only option was to help her,
so he applied for a job as a packer at the one and only grocery store in town.
His meagre, part time income helped when she could not afford groceries or when
the electricity flickered off because they could not make the payment on time.
This meant that there was not enough time for school, rugby
and extra shifts at work, and slowly Rugby started to feel pointless. What was
the use of having potential, of having a bright future, of scholarships, when
real life was crumbling around him? So, he stopped going to practise. One day
turned into two, then a week, then longer. The coach stopped asking but that
was when the rumours started.
“Such a waste.”
“Could’ve made something of himself.”
“Just like his father.”
He tried not to care, but the words stung as they burrowed
under his skin.
Luca’s voice jolted him back. “You spacing out again?
Thought you were the master of focus?”
“Shut up.” Daniel shoved him lightly. A flicker of amusement
breaking through his brooding.
“What’s the plan for tonight?” Luca grinned. “Find something
to do that doesn’t get us arrested.”
Daniel snorted, standing up and grabbing his board. “Sounds
like a challenge. Maybe after work.”
They skated off, weaving through the park on the concrete
walkways with easy familiarity. Daniel’s movements were second nature. His body
instinctively adjusted to every bump and turn. As he kicked up into a final
ollie, the tail of the board hit the concrete with a sharp crack. He soared for
a moment, feeling free and untouchable. He landed smoothly, the wheels of the
skateboard rolling back onto the concrete.
A small cheer erupted from a group of kids who were watching,
and Daniel tipped them a salute before turning away. His expression was neutral.
He did not skate for the applause or the attention. He skated because it was
the only time he felt in control.
As he and Luca headed toward the exit of the park, the
shadows grew longer in the late afternoon light. Daniel shoved his hands in his
pockets, and his board was tucked under one arm. There was an ache in his chest,
but it was familiar. It was a dull reminder of everything uncertain in his
life. In a few months he would be finished with school, and he was not sure
what his future held afterwards.
For now, at least, there was the park, the tricks, and the
fleeting moments when he felt like he could defy gravity. It was enough. It had
to be because there really were no other options for him.
