Alex Jackson: SWA

by Pat Flynn

  Alex looked down. Without even trying he was hurting his friends, his family. He wanted things to be right. At least with someone. He made his voice start low and then crack at the end of the sentence. “No I’m noooot.”

  Sam tried to stay mad but she couldn’t. They laughed and laughed until tears were running down their faces and their mum yelled at them to go to sleep.

  “You might as well tell me what happened,” said Sam, “coz you know I’ll find out.”

  “Then it’d be no fun,” he said. “How did Mum and Dad know I wasn’t at Jimmy’s?”

  “Casey called from overseas. Mum gave him Jimmy’s number, but when you weren’t there Mrs Homan called Mum back, all worried. You were caught out like a slimy toad.”

  “Did Casey say anything?”

  “Dunno.”

  The next morning Alex slipped out early while everyone was still asleep. He knew it was risky but he had to see Kim. Thirty minutes later he stood outside her bedroom window and tapped on the glass.

  The curtains finally opened and Kim’s scrunched-up face appeared. She pointed to the back door. “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  It was a good question. “I got busted by my parents,” he said.

  She shrugged.

  “I’ll probably get grounded till I’m 30. I wish they were cool like your mum,” said Alex

  “Suz is okay. She doesn’t like me drinking and smoking and stuff, but she knows I’ll do it anyway so she lets me. It was better when Dad was around. At least they could control me.”

  “You want to be told what to do?”

  “No. Sometimes. I don’t know. What are you doing here? Running away?”

  “Nah. I just wanted to see you.”

  He reached for her hand but she took it away. “What’s wrong?” Alex asked.

  “Nothing. I just think you’ve got the wrong idea.”

  “About what?”

  “About us.”

  He tried to think but his brain was fuzzy. If he said the right words, everything would be fine. He knew she liked him. “What about last night?”

  “What about it?”

  The way she said it was like a blow to the guts.

  “Are you going out with Steve?” he said.

  “I’m not going out with anybody.”

  “Do you sleep with him? Like last night after I left?”

  “I don’t have to listen to this crap. You can leave now.”

  He stepped out the door then turned. “I’m sorry, Kim. I didn’t mean that. I just …”

  * * *

  He reached out again, but she shut the door. He went to the skatepark. It was still early, so except for a little kid he was on his own. He dropped in from the vert a few times and thought of Casey. Alex missed him, especially his advice.

  “Commitment is the key.” Alex could see the railing tempting him, shining silver in the morning sun. It was time to face his fear and there didn’t seem much to lose.

  He ollied onto the rail easily, but something felt strange on the way down. Later he realised his back trucks were hooked in, so he was actually feeble grinding rather than sliding. Everything felt okay, however, until he went to pop off — when his back wheel got stuck. He flew forward and took the fall on his chest, his head raised and his arms outstretched — like Superman. Also, like Superman, when he lifted up his shirt later that night, the rash made a letter across his chest. It wasn’t an S, though. It looked a lot like an L.

  When he hobbled back to his board the first thing he did was chuck it across the skatepark. Only when he looked up did he see that someone was sitting on one of the benches above the park watching him. It was his mum.

  Also watching Alex was the little kid. He tried what was probably his first ever ollie, missed it, then chucked his board away in disgust.

  “What are you doing here?” Alex said to his mother.

  “What are you doing here, more like it? You know not to go out without our permission, especially after last night.”

  “So I’m a prisoner now?”

  “No. But while you’re living at our house you’ll respect the rules. While I can’t trust you you’re not going out unsupervised.”

  “Chief never had rules when he was a kid and he turned out all right.”

  “He was lucky. Lots of his mates are either dead or in jail. I’m not going to have the same happen to you.”

  “I didn’t even do anything that bad. I just skate-boarded with my friends.”

  “Maybe, maybe not. But you lied to me.”

  “If I’d told you the truth you wouldn’t have let me go. I didn’t want you to worry, that’s all.”

  “So you were thinking of me?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you really believe that?”

  “Yes.”

  “You are going through puberty.”

  They sat there for a minute, quiet. The little kid kept trying to ollie but he couldn’t do it.

  “I used to bring you down here, remember?” said Sharon. “You’d skate for ages, then come and sit next to me and we’d watch Casey. Remember what you’d say?”

  “I’m gonna be as good as him one day.”

  “You were like that little kid. You’d keep trying a new trick until you could do it. I used to love watching you. And then when you’d finally do it you’d get mad if I didn’t see.”

  He smiled. “I always did my best skateboarding when you had your head in a book.”

  “Sometimes I’d pretend I saw you, even when I didn’t, just to see you smile. You were such a good boy,” she said.

  The kid was getting the hang of banging the tail on the ground but he was too slow sliding his front foot forward to get any air. His back wheels looked like they were glued to the concrete.

  “I’m not now, am I?”

  “No, you’re not.” She put her hand round his neck. “You’re a fine young man. I know you’ll find the right way, you always do. But your dad and I, we want to help you. We might not have been the greatest parents lately. You’re turning into a man so fast.”

  A lex bit his lip. He was in danger of crying twice in two days. “It’s not your fault I’m stuffing up,” he said, “or Chief ’s. It’s not Beeton’s either.”

  “Whose is it?”

  He couldn’t answer. Crybaby.

  The kid nailed one. He jumped as high as his little legs would go, and his front foot caught the nose just in time to straighten it out and lift the back wheels off the ground. They only went up a centimetre or two, but to the kid it probably felt like he’d made it to the sky. He looked around to see if anyone had seen it, and Alex and Sharon gave him the thumbs-up. It was a new beginning.

  CHAPTER 24

  Moving to the Beach?

  When they got home Chief wasn’t there. “Why would he go out now?” said Sharon. “He’d better not be at another boxing tournament.”

  A few minutes later he rushed in. “So you finally found him?” Chief said. “Where was he, in the watchhouse again?”

  “Please take this seriously, Jeff,” said Sharon. “Where’ve you been?”

  “I’ll tell you later.”

  They sat around eating breakfast while Alex spilled his guts. Sharon asked most of the questions and Chief listened closely.

  “So you’ve joined a gang?” said Sharon when Alex told them about SWA.

  “Well … sort of. But it’s not like we go around killing people.”

  “You just deface public property?”

  “What’s deface?”

  “Wreck.”

  “Well, sort of.”

  Alex lived up to his promise and told the truth. He told them how he’d lied to Letch and the police. He told them about his problems with Becky, and even about Kim (though he left out a few details). Afterwards he felt surprisingly good. Like he’d taken a shower on the inside.

  Chief said he had something to say to all of them. He yelled out to Sam, who popped up from behind the couch. “Just looking for s
omething,” she mumbled.

  Chief cleared his throat. “Last night when Alex went walkabout, it hit me that I haven’t been the best father or husband lately. You all know I love my job. Without boxing, and your mum here, of course, I would have turned out to be a bad apple, nothing surer. Training the boys is like helping kids who were just like me. I feel like they need me. But I love my family. And you need me, too. If you all think that living somewhere else will make us happier, then I’ve decided it’s okay with me.”

  There was silence for a few moments. “Can we move to the beach?” said Sam.

  “If that’s what we all agree,” said Chief.

  “When would we go?” said Sam.

  “Probably at the end of the year. That’d give us time to sell the house and for me to find a new job.”

  “What would you do?” asked Alex.

  “I’ve been thinking I could work in a gym, run one of those boxercise programs.”

  “You mean a rich gym, not a boxing gym?”

  Chief shrugged. “Well, what do you reckon about moving?”

  Sam spoke up. “I think it’d be cool. As long as I could finish Year 7 at Beeton. I vote we go to the Gold Coast.”

  “Alex?” asked Chief.

  He tried to weigh it up. St Joey’s was okay, though his only real friend was Jimmy. And Casey wouldn’t be hanging around Beeton much now that he had turned pro.

  “I don’t think you should change jobs,” Alex said to Chief.

  “Don’t worry about me. What do you want to do?”

  “I don’t care,” he said, finally. “I like it here but the coast would be okay, too, I s’pose. I could become a pro surfer.”

  “Well, we all know your mum has been saving money for us to move, so it looks like it’s settled. I’ll have to let them know down at the …”

  “Wait,” Sharon cut in. “I want to have my say. I think Alex is right.”

  I am?

  “Jeff, you said that you’ve been selfish but so have I. I got all high and mighty just because I lost some jewellery. I expected you to give up your job, leave the place you grew up in, just so we could live in a nicer street, maybe buy a better car.”

  “One that didn’t look so pov?” asked Sam hopefully.

  “But Alex said that you should keep your job at the Boxing Club and he’s right. You do great things for those boys. You give them a chance at a better life. And never once have you not been there for me or for the kids when we needed you. I would rather live with a happy husband in this place than with a miserable one in a mansion. There are more important things in life than money.”

  Chief reached into his pocket and pulled out a small case. He gave it to Sharon and she opened it. A tear ran down the edge of her cheek.

  She slipped on the white diamond bracelet. “How …?”

  “My boys went to every pawn shop in Logan City,” said Chief. “Ben found it in Kingston. I went there this morning and bought it for you.”

  “You bought it? But it’s mine!”

  “I needed it straightaway,” said Chief. “Plus, the guy gave me a pretty big discount.”

  For the first time in months Sharon took Chief ’s hand. He drew her to him and they kissed.

  “Gross!” said Sam.

  CHAPTER 25

  Skateboarding Presentation: the Sequel

  This time they were ready. They met on Sunday at Jimmy’s place, brainstormed ideas and put the key phrases onto PowerPoint. After practising in front of the mirror they called it quits and introduced John to backyard cricket. He showed potential as a bowler and even got Alex out when a snick behind hit the back fence on the full. House rules.

  Jimmy clean-bowled John off a ball which seamed viciously off a tuft of grass. “How-zaaaatttttt!!!!” he yelled.

  “How is what?” said John.

  The big day came and John got the presentation off to a more promising start than last time. He’d done his research and talked (rather than rapped) about how skateboarding was portrayed in Romania, and even had an article that (unfairly according to Alex and Jimmy) linked skateboarders to increased violence in Bucharest.

  Jimmy put on his usual polished performance, explaining how the mainstream media made unfair generalisations about skateboarders, often using words like “gang” and “drug problem” when writing about their lifestyle. He then played Casey’s video to show how skateboarders can be portrayed in a positive light. The class loved it, laughing at the part when Alex slammed, and cheering when Becky appeared.

  Alex took a deep breath and stepped up to say his piece. “I can’t tell you what skateboarding means to other people, but I can say what it means to me.”

  On the screen above him the word FREEDOM flew out.

  “On a skateboard I am free. I can visit a mate, fly down a hill, or drop in from the vert. If I want to relax I can ride my board to the park and chill. If I want excitement I can ollie down a big set of stairs, though it’s good to do this when the police aren’t chasing you. To me freedom isn’t about always doing what you want, it’s …”

  He paused as Jimmy pushed a button and the words flashed up on the screen, one by one:

  LETTING GO OF FEAR

  “Someone I know said that skateboarding is about kicking fear in the guts. I reckon fear is the worst. When I’m skating well I feel like I can fly and I’m not scared of falling off. A lot of adults hate skateboarders because they are scared of them defacing public property. Some skateboarders hate the police because they are scared they’ll bust them. I reckon that if everyone stopped being scared and tried to understand each other we’d all get along better. Without fear we’d be free.”

  The third and final point flew out letter by letter, as if shot by a gun:

  LEARNING FROM YOUR MISTAKES.

  “You all saw me fall off my board on the video. My friend Casey says that when you stack it you can either throw your board away or get back on and try again. I’ve done some pretty dumb things in my life, especially this year. Skateboarding teaches me that I should learn from my mistakes and get straight back on the board after a fall.

  “So you see, skateboarding means a lot to me. It’s not about being cool or disrespecting authority, it’s about freedom, letting go of fear and learning from your mistakes.”

  The class gave a loud clap, then Mr Graham spoke. “Well, it looks like you listened to your own advice and learnt from your mistakes, boys, because that was a much better presentation. Well done.”

  * * *

  At lunch Alex went to see SWA. They compared stories and Kim told the others how this Friday night Steve and Alex were going back to boardslide the courthouse stairs.

  “That’s fine by me,” said Steve, “as long as Goof isn’t the lookout.”

  The spray-painted message on the Block 4 wall had been scrubbed but was still visible, and a boy walking past gave SWA a clenched-fist salute.

  “I can’t go,” said Alex. “I’m gonna stick to the skatepark for a while.”

  He knew it would come from one of them, most likely Steve, but he didn’t expect it to be her. “Come on, grommet,” Kim said. “Stop worrying about Mummy and Daddy and skate with us.”

  He shook his head.

  “If you don’t, you can’t be in our gang.”

  Alex didn’t answer.

  The knife was in and she started to twist it. “You’re scared of the rail, aren’t you, grommet? Steve’ll do it but you won’t even try. You think you’re a great skateboarder but you’re not. You’re a wuss.”

  Why are you doing this? First she pushed him away just as they were getting close, and now she was trying to hurt him as well. “We’re all scared of something,” he said. “It’s just that some of us are too scared to admit it.”

  * * *

  During lunch on Friday, Billy and Zane entertained the Year 9s. They pulled their pants up so high they gave themselves wedgies, and they began mimicking John — turning when he turned, scratching when he scratched. John pushed Zane t
o make him stop and he got pushed back twice as hard. Jimmy stepped in to support his mate.

  “Give it a rest, losers,” he said.

  “John’s bumchum is getting jealous,” Billy said loudly.

  A few kids giggled.

  Jimmy didn’t back down. “At least my bum doesn’t have a giant A-hole sitting on top of it.”

  Kids laughed and then became quiet, anticipating some action.

  Billy stepped towards Jimmy but someone stood in front of him. “Why don’t you pick on something your own intelligence?” said Sarah Sceney. “Like an ant.”

  Billy went to grab her but stopped. It wouldn’t do his reputation much good if he beat up a girl. “You weren’t worried about my brain at Emma Barney’s party,” he said. “You had bigger things on your mind.”

  “Ooohhhh!’’ went a few boys.

  “The only big thing you own is your ego,” said Sarah. “At least Jimmy can kiss properly. You slobber like a dog.”

  “Oooohhh!” went the girls.

  Both the boys and the girls then let out a loud cheer. Billy was dacked from behind by Claire Carney.

  Jimmy gave Sarah a smile. There was something different but familiar about the way she looked.

  Only later he realised she was wearing her glasses.

  CHAPTER 26

  Phone Call

  Alex spent Friday night at home. Which was just as well or he would have missed Sam bringing her first ever boy home for afternoon tea. For once Alex had the chance to embarrass her rather than the other way around.

  “I heard you’re a sick skateboarder,” said Zac when Sam introduced them.

  Maybe I’ll go easy.

  “Zac skateboards, too,” said Sam. “He’s real good.”

  “Not as good as Alex,” said Zac, turning slightly red. “I heard you boardslided the courthouse stairs.”

  “Yeah, well don’t believe everything you hear,” said Alex, grinning.

  Later that night Alex asked Sam if Zac was her boyfriend.

  She smiled. “He’s just a friend.”

  “He’s a boy, isn’t he?”

  “Yes.”

  “And he’s your friend?”

  “Yeah.”