a day at the roller rink

a day at the roller rink

fiction
edward w pritchard


Life is like at day at the Roller Rink. You race around and around the creaking wavy wooden floors in a big circle and contemplate the cracks in the walls and once in a while you stare out the dirty smudged windows at the scenery outside.

When you are young you hang around the aisle where the new arrivals lace on their skates and fantasize about girls in tight blouses. When you get a little older you skate fast and practice traveling backwards over and over.

Later you really look forward to a large salty dill pickle from a gigantic jar that sits on a dirty counter there in the snack bar.

Before you know it you are dragging a couple of your children around the rink worrying they will fall hard and crack their head's open and the ambulance crew will be called into the rink again through the secret back double doors.

Near closing time you get to circle the rink one more time arm in arm with you special girl during the polka couple's skate. You refuse to dance the hokey pokey though even for her.

Before you know it you are walking home alone. Out in the cold. It's a long walk and for a moment you panic because you are not sure which of houses you have ever lived in is your Home now and you forget who you really are.You forget when is Now.

Then you get a warm happy feeling and remember; you are an eleven year old boy in the dark circling and circling the roller rink thinking about pretty girls in pink skates and tight clothes.

Life is like a day at the roller rink.