By: fractalman.near
MarmaJ loved a lot of things, but the one thing that surprised people was her love for skateboarding. Every year, she went over to the next town to watch the skateboarding championships. She was one of the people who proposed that the championships should be open to everyone who would love to apply, including those from different cities.
Skateboard aficionados from different towns loved the idea and it was given thought. This year was the first inter-community Skateboarding championships. This year in particular was exciting for MarmaJ as she wanted to give Michael a chance to showcase his talents.
Michael was the kid who lived opposite her block. The kid was a gifted skateboarder but was always so shy and scared. Whenever he was alone, or lost in his music, he tended to be creative and do crazy stunts. She would watch him train away from the other kids at the skate park; he didn’t like to be the center of attention.
MarmaJ was aware he was a good skateboarder and knew he would excel in a competition. She’d seen him so many flips and turns from her window. He could do stunts with ease and MarmaJ thought he deserved to be seen by the world. She encouraged him to participate in the competition, and he was reluctant, but eventually agreed. MarmaJ spoke with his parents and offered to give him a ride to the competition. They agreed as they’d both be working that day and they trusted MarmaJ.
On that fateful day, they arrived at the skateboarding street. There was loud music playing in the background and various people were showcasing their skating skills before the start of the event. Michael wanted to join a few friends who were fooling around, but MarmaJ advised him to reserve his energy for the competition, so he wouldn’t get exhausted. They waited patiently for the competition sponsors and the judges to arrive. Michael was given a paper number to safety pin to his shirt, and they waited for his age group to be called up.
The competition had started. There were prizes for the top in all age groups, and Michael was calm and cool and easily took the top place. The top contestant from each age group advanced to a final competition with many rounds involved. All contestants had showcased amazing stunts in the event’s first two rounds. But according to the points awarded to the contestants, Michael was second to the last. He appeared to be shy and nervous. He fidgeted with his board. MarmaJ saw that he looked distracted. Eight more rounds to go…
“Way to go, Mike!”pPeople screamed as they watched him do his flips. On hearing that he was being praised, he fretted and fell. MarmaJ rushed to help him and noticed he had a scratch on his knee. She got her first aid kit and patched him up. She apologized for distracting him from his stunt.
“You have the skills, Michael, Why are you worried?” MarmaJ asked politely
“I freak out anytime I feel many eyes on me,” he replied with eyes downcast. MarmaJ smiled and said, “Shut out the noise, and listen to me. You got this! It’s just you and the board and the pavement.”
Michael smiled and got back into the competition. Michael had already missed two rounds but that wasn’t a barrier. He came from behind in the remaining rounds to be the first runner-up. He knew he had a very high chance of taking the first place if he didn’t fall again. Michael seemed to be truly enjoying himself.
MarmaJ glanced at him and saw the smile on his face. Michael had earned self-respect. MarmaJ couldn’t have felt happier. He’d come in as a runner-up, and they were thrilled with the result. They drove home contentedly while eating popcorn.