Somewhere in the middle of no place special, down a long unkept trembling road there lived a family that paid no mind to just about anyone but themselves. If you reached the dead end near the marsh you've gone too far. It's alright if you've missed it, lots of people do! See the thing is there was nothing too special about that old yellow house either. The shutters were right where they needed to be and they did their job for the storms to come. The driveway is narrow and full of rocks that travel and the yard was patchy and torn up from pickup trailers and mucked up tire tracks.
Through the screen door you can see the blue TV flickering like a candle in the wind. The kitchen smelled like stale saltine crackers and the the sound of an old mildewed window unit rattled through the halls. That house sure was peaceful during the day, sometimes even late afternoon. That's because during the day I get to stay home all by myself! That's right, I live there ...not in the proud kind of way either. My names Abel. I'm 14 years old, Okay 13 and 1/2! I'm almost there, but it's not polite to fib!
It's the Summer here out on the Bayou and you know what that means? No school! The funny thing about summer is that you'd have to have some friends to enjoy it with. I'm not the friend making type. I'm friendly don't get me wrong, and I've been to sleep overs and things like that. I guess I can't keep them around and my granny says that's okay because I'm special. I guess special makes you funny too! All the kids at school think I'm funny all the time. Especially when I pick the back seat on the bus, and they have all kinds of different names for me. I guess they can't remember my name or somethin'.
You know what's really good in the summer time out here? Miss Vicky's Sno Balls. Granny takes me out there on the weekends sometimes. It's not too far down the road, sometimes I ride my scooter down there, but I've got to eat it quick before it melts all ova the place. I slammed the screechy screen door right behind me and picked up my scooter from the dirt. Grabbed the handles tight with my dirty fingernails piercing the rubber and pull out a stained mustard yellow beanie from my back pocket. Momma fusses me all the time for wearing my beanie in the summer but I really took a liking to it. I can't go no place without it and anyways I'm not too hot for it. I pulled up my socks over my scabby scrawny knees and with one foot I pushed off down the wobbly road.
They never have too much traffic to worry my head about, the only traffic I've mostly noticed is towards the front on the road near Miss Vicky's. I can't say I blame them, Miss Vicky was a sweet little crooked lady. She walked around like she was carrying a load on her back but she never showed anything less than a smile. I know I said I didn't any friends before, but maybe Miss Vicky could be my friend. She always remembers how I like my sno ball. Heck, sometime's she sees me coming and has it ready for me by the time I get to the window.
Ah look! There it is in all it's glory, paint peeling off the sides and everything! Miss Vicky was already waving my way and I started dragging my sneakers against the gravel, I dropped my scooter and ran the rest of the way. I must have made it about halfway, then I started feelin a bit funny and my vision got all blurry and seemed to fade away. I fell to my knees and tried my very best to catch my breath. I heard miss Vick screaming my name but I couldn’t see her no where's. " Please help me with this child, help me get her in here, will ya?! " I heard her calling out to another customer no doubt. My heart was racing faster than my thoughts could carry me, and pretty sudden I felt someone with strong arms scoop me up and carefully place me into a wobbly roller chair in a room with a fan blowing right at me. Miss Vick gave me a cold paper napkin with some shaved ice inside and pretty soon I was sipping up razz-berry syrup and my vision started coming through. "Child! You just about gave me a heart attack, you can't scare an old lady like that! Are you alright?!" I nodded my head. "your getting your color back, you were white as a ghost Abel!"
I never understood why people said that, I always pictured myself looking like a vampire in those Twilight movies. I guess you could say this happens a bit more than I'd like. Sometimes when it happens at school they let me sleep on the cotton ball bags near the AC in the back on the class. The teachers used to be a lot more scared, but I guess they kinda realized it's just a thing that happens to me. Sometimes I wonder if my body is being controlled by someone else and just let the batteries go too long without chargin'.
I gave Miss Vicky a hug, I didn't say a word and I took a pocket full of peppermints she gave me, and she called out to me "Take that beanie off child it's 100 degrees out there!" I took the last sip of my Sno Ball, tossed it in the trash and walked my scooter back home. As I started down the driveway I noticed a pick-up truck in the driveway and a stocky man was smoking a thin cigar all leaned up and comfortable against it. I drifted my attention the kitchen lightbulb flickering above the sink through the window and I could hear the sound of the QVC channel on the television. I glanced back at the smoker and realized he was looking back at me. I pulled my sweaty bangs out of my beanie over my eyes and watched the ground move beneath me as I carried my scooter towards the side of the house and quietly snuck through the back door. Instead of catching the door behind me like I fully anticipated, the door slammed right behind me and I shut my eyes as tight as I could and naturally there it went... piercing through the air was a voice calling out my name. I tried to ignore it, imagining to myself that it might go away..but there it went again. "ABEL! come in here!"
I took off my boots and drug my socks across the carpet floor, maybe if I ignited enough friction the static would give me super powers! I entered the kitchen and peeled off the bangs from my eyes. There was momma, clearly worn from the day and shuffling around kitchen utensils in a cluttered and unorganized drawer. "Why did you leave this house when I wasn't home Abel?! You know damn well that you are not allowed to do that!" Momma slammed the kitchen drawer and stared at me real awful like. I have this terrible thing about me, where when I get nervous I tend to crack a smile and laugh. So I stared at the ground as fast as I could. "Are you smiling Abel, this is not funny...look at me!" I looked up, and once again a smile came through on my face like a crack on the windshield. I saw the furry in her eyes and then *BAM* The front door swung open and the man entered the room and threw a heavy set of keys and a bent up wallet on the countertop. I looked down and my eyes widened and then squinted, I have got to get out of this room. Avoiding eye contact at all times, I just watched my toes tap the ground. I noticed a tiny hole starting to form in my sock at the tip on my big toe.
The man grabbed my shoulder and *pop!* static electricity shocked him as he tried to ask me very shallow small questions about my day with a sound of dis interest in his voice. "AYY YA YIIYYY!" He flailed his hand around like he was trying to put on a short match. I smiled deliberately this time and made my escape to my fortress. I locked the door behind me and slid down the back of my door like honey dripping down a spoon. It wasn't a moment too long before I started hearing the soft mumbling of voices turn sour, followed by the clashing and slamming of cabinets or doors. I sat up on my bed and stared at the door knob for awhile hoping it wouldn't start wobbling, and then reached under my bed for a basket where I kept my cassette player, sketch pads and some old thumbed through books. I untangled the rats nest of wires and put on my headphones on ear muff at a time, I pressed rewind and hit play. I laid on my back and pulled the tattered rim of my beanie over my eyelids.
I started to feel myself falling, you know... that weird sensation you get when you start riding the downward slope of a hill or a roller coaster...well that. I felt my head spinning and then I opened my eyes again. Except I wasn't in my room at all, and instead of opening my eyes to the backside of my beanie, I was staring up at a spinning sparkly ball at the top of a ceiling. I slowly pulled myself upright and went to scratch my head, and then I realized I was wearing a helmet. I looked down confused at my feet and there... were two of the coolest pairs of roller skates that I have ever laid my eyes on. I rubbed my knee pads together and the velcro started to scratch together, giving me goosebumps down my arms. Maybe this is isn't a dream, as I looked back at my skates from my goosey arm. The skates were a dark shade of emerald green, accompanied by 8 sparkly golden wheels. They were laced on pretty tight and they looked like they'd been worn down by time. My eyes were wide with amazement. "Wow." I whispered.
Then I heard a soft little voice behind me, "Hey do you need help Abel? You aint hurt or nothin' are ya?" I looked behind my shoulder and met eyes with a very young girl with bright yellow hair with scabby legs, holding a juice box wearing bright pink skates. "No..." I said confused, I think I'm alright thanks. I think that was the first time I've spoken to anyone else in a long time, and who was that anyway? She knew my name?
I slowly got to my knees and managed my way to standing nearly straight. I grabbed onto the nearest rail I could find, and suddenly a heard of wild teenagers started skating in my direction. "What are you doin holdin' on to the rails like you don't know how to skate or somethin' Abel?" *called out a scrawny girl with braces. "I....I can't skate", I replied. *the girl started sneering and laughing* "You're so funny Abel, you know you could leave all of us in the dust, now hurry on now the race is about to start!" "Race? I can't race..I'll.... " *the group started skating off into the middle of the rink* "I'll pass out... " I whispered to myself.
I was always scared to be in sports and things like that. You see I always went and passed out in PE class, and well I didn't want the other kids to make fun of me for it either. *THE P.A. SYSTEM KICKED ON.....a man with a scratchy voice announced that the race was about to begin* I could see the other kids waving at me at the starting line. I looked down at my feet and started to wobble a bit at the knees, as I let myself try to balance without the rail. I slowly inched my way forward and started sliding a little without much effort. All of the sudden I didn't feel so wobbly, and I barely felt nervous at all. It was like an angel came down and pinched me on the shoulder.
I steered my wheels all the way until the tippy toes of my skates were touching the blue line. I looked off into the distance and realized there was quite a crowd. Miss Vick was there, and what do you know my family too! I waved dramatically into the air with both arms all criss crossed, like I haven't seen them in years! I was just so excited to recognize someone! *READY, ON...YOUR....* "Oh no! What if I fall!? That would be so embarrassing... " I thought to myself, I crouched down and got into racing stance...*GET SET........GO!!!!* I sprinted with one leg forward really hard just how I would with my scooter! I hunched down with my head piercing through the wind and started skating as fast as my feet would allow me...HOW IS THIS HAPPENING?!...I nearly tripped one of the boys I passed just as I hit the last curve! "SORRY!" I called. I looked behind my shoulder and the kids were right, I left them in the dust. I passed the scratchy short man waving the checkered flags. *AND WE HAVE A WINNER...FOR THE 3rd TIME IN A ROW FOLKS...ABEL!!!* he announced. The little girl was the first one to come congratulate me...she gave me a huge lingering hug, smiled and then skated back to her family. I looked around but there was no one to be seen. Odd..I took off my skates, carried them with me and ran outside, but there was no one there either. In fact, this place was a ghost town. I looked down and the skates were gone too.
A mosquito buzzed around my ear and landed on my arm, I raised my hand and *SMACK!*
I had smacked myself back into reality... *lifting from my bed* I pulled my beanie and headphones off of my head and tossed it onto the floor. I checked the underneath of my bed and my closet but the roller skates were no where to be found, just an old pair of sneakers and a pair of sandals. I shook my head, and tucked myself into bed. I reached down into the basket again and sketched out the pair of skates so I could remember their every detail, and fell asleep staring at them on the side of me.
The next morning I jumped out of bed so fast, you could have swore it was Christmas morning. I grabbed a fresh pair of un-matching socks, jumped up and down as I put them on and slid out the door and into the hallway. I checked all of the doors, and every room was empty."YESSSS!" I ran outside and down the porch stairs and and grabbed my scooter again. I know momma didn't like when I left, but I have to tell Miss Vick about my vision! I have to tell my friend!
The ride there felt like the longest ride I've ever been on down that road. I must have flew over every single pot hole this time, but I didn't pay any mind. I nearly dropped my scooter on my right foot, but I pretended not to notice. "MISS VICK, MISS VICK!" I called out to her. Her window was still closed, but she started to open it and as soon as I got there..."Now what is the matter with you child?! You crazy or something?" *catching my breath* I have something to tell you! I won a race! "A RACE?! Child you nearly fainted running down da' driveway yesterday" All of the sudden I felt a tug on the back on my shirt.. I looked down and to my surprise was the same sweet little familiar face "excuse me, but did I hear you won a race? she said up to me. I smiled and I looked up at miss Vick and we all shared us a sno ball on the bench that day. The next day, I had a brown package sitting on the porch labeled "Champ".
I sat on the swing and carefully ripped a small piece of it off, revealing a bright blue box. My heart started racing as I took off the lid of the box. Underneath the white tissue paper, were the most beautiful pair of skates my eyes have ever seen for the second time. On the inside of the box was a note that read " Leave them in the Dust, signed with a V."
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