Skateboard Story
Leah Valdman '20
“It’s okay, it’s just a couple of scratches,” my mom said. But to me it was more than a couple scratches. I was still shaking; I was scared. As soon as I started to cry, my mom, thinking I was in pain, kept trying to soothe me. Although I was in pain, it wasn’t too bad.
“Can you tell me what happened?” My mom was insistent, although I knew she was just scared, too. I couldn’t imagine what was going through her mind right now. Maybe she thought I just tripped, or maybe she thought I was being bullied, but it was none of those.
I took a deep breath, “Okay, I’ll tell you,” I replied, still shaking.
It was an unusually hot day in my hometown of Columbus, Ohio. The sun was beating down against the window. I was glad my mom didn’t make me wear my fall coat that day, even though she had been insistent. Although I rarely sweat, this day was just one of those where the weather permitted me to do so. It was very humid; the air was cooking like in an oven.
Although the weather was simply brutal outside, my friend and my seven-year-old self were nicely cooled as we sat in her house and played with dolls. I looked out the window, and I saw her neighbors, Claire and Aperna, climbing on a skateboard. However, something was different. Claire climbed onto the skateboard on her stomach instead of her feet. I watched her as she pushed off and rolled down the street. I held my breath. Why was she doing that? Why would anybody do something that dangerous and terrifying?
“Leah?” My friend Anna looked exasperated.
“Oh yeah, sorry,” I replied as I realized my attention hadn’t been toward her. She suddenly ran to the window and took a look outside, keen to see what I was so mesmerized by.
“Oh, you want to join them?” I gave her a steady gaze, my eyes wide and my eyebrows perked up. Suddenly her exhilaration lessened. “If you don’t want to, we don’t have to,” she said with disappointment in her voice.
“N-n-no it’s o-ok,” I stuttered as I realized what I was saying.
“Great!” she jumped up. I knew I had to do this, since I was too shy to say no.
We ran out the door, and before I knew it, I had climbed on the skateboard. Making sure my stomach was in a comfortable position, I gently wiped the sweat off my forehead. I knew I could just tell them I wasn’t feeling well, or maybe just the truth. It was too late now; they would be mad if I told them I couldn’t do it. What could happen? I thought trying to calm myself down. It’s not too bad; it’ll be over before you know it.
“All clear!” I heard my friend shout out. I took a deep breath and pushed off.
The wind rushed to my face. I gained speed, faster and faster. It felt unreal for me! Suddenly I felt a bump, as I landed on the driveway. To my surprise, I was completely untouched, unscratched, and unhurt. I wanted to go again; the tingling of excitement inside me shook me to the core.
After five minutes of tedious waiting, I wanted to go again. Finally once Anna finished her turn, I climbed on the skateboard.
“All clear!” I heard someone yell again. My face was filled with excitement as I pushed off into the road. It was only a second of happiness, a second of time in which I had not a care in the world. Then I saw it.
A black van that had just turned the corner suddenly sped in my direction. Time seemed to slow down, as if I was waiting to get hit. My eyes squeezed shut, and my heart skipped a beat. I slammed my arms and hands onto the concrete road, my feet dragging behind. The car did not slow, nor did my speed. I was about to burst into tears. Here I was, bloody cuts digging into my arms and legs, hanging on to the road for dear life.
Suddenly the darkness towered over me as I felt a gust of air. The sunlight filled my half-closed eyes as I lay motionless on the driveway. My arms and legs were bloody with bright red cuts. However more than hurt, I was simply angry. How could that car just drive away like that, after almost hitting a child? It was unimaginable, just disgraceful. Anna ran up to me looking alarmed.
“Are you okay?” she asked. I wanted to tell her yes, but I was in too much pain. “Let’s go inside, my mom will take care of those cuts.”
“And then her mom gave me ice, and we played board games inside,” I recounted all of these details to my mom. I then looked at her face, and she completely understood.
I felt relieved that I could share this with her. “It’s okay, these things happen,” my mom started to explain to me. “But the most important thing is that you learned your lesson, and you know the kinds of people out there who exist.”
I thought about my day and realized that it didn’t matter I was scared, it only mattered I was safe. I realized that it’s ok to speak up if you’re not comfortable doing something. I also knew this experience would now affect me for years to come as a driver, a parent, and just an overall person.
“Can you tell me what happened?” My mom was insistent, although I knew she was just scared, too. I couldn’t imagine what was going through her mind right now. Maybe she thought I just tripped, or maybe she thought I was being bullied, but it was none of those.
I took a deep breath, “Okay, I’ll tell you,” I replied, still shaking.
It was an unusually hot day in my hometown of Columbus, Ohio. The sun was beating down against the window. I was glad my mom didn’t make me wear my fall coat that day, even though she had been insistent. Although I rarely sweat, this day was just one of those where the weather permitted me to do so. It was very humid; the air was cooking like in an oven.
Although the weather was simply brutal outside, my friend and my seven-year-old self were nicely cooled as we sat in her house and played with dolls. I looked out the window, and I saw her neighbors, Claire and Aperna, climbing on a skateboard. However, something was different. Claire climbed onto the skateboard on her stomach instead of her feet. I watched her as she pushed off and rolled down the street. I held my breath. Why was she doing that? Why would anybody do something that dangerous and terrifying?
“Leah?” My friend Anna looked exasperated.
“Oh yeah, sorry,” I replied as I realized my attention hadn’t been toward her. She suddenly ran to the window and took a look outside, keen to see what I was so mesmerized by.
“Oh, you want to join them?” I gave her a steady gaze, my eyes wide and my eyebrows perked up. Suddenly her exhilaration lessened. “If you don’t want to, we don’t have to,” she said with disappointment in her voice.
“N-n-no it’s o-ok,” I stuttered as I realized what I was saying.
“Great!” she jumped up. I knew I had to do this, since I was too shy to say no.
We ran out the door, and before I knew it, I had climbed on the skateboard. Making sure my stomach was in a comfortable position, I gently wiped the sweat off my forehead. I knew I could just tell them I wasn’t feeling well, or maybe just the truth. It was too late now; they would be mad if I told them I couldn’t do it. What could happen? I thought trying to calm myself down. It’s not too bad; it’ll be over before you know it.
“All clear!” I heard my friend shout out. I took a deep breath and pushed off.
The wind rushed to my face. I gained speed, faster and faster. It felt unreal for me! Suddenly I felt a bump, as I landed on the driveway. To my surprise, I was completely untouched, unscratched, and unhurt. I wanted to go again; the tingling of excitement inside me shook me to the core.
After five minutes of tedious waiting, I wanted to go again. Finally once Anna finished her turn, I climbed on the skateboard.
“All clear!” I heard someone yell again. My face was filled with excitement as I pushed off into the road. It was only a second of happiness, a second of time in which I had not a care in the world. Then I saw it.
A black van that had just turned the corner suddenly sped in my direction. Time seemed to slow down, as if I was waiting to get hit. My eyes squeezed shut, and my heart skipped a beat. I slammed my arms and hands onto the concrete road, my feet dragging behind. The car did not slow, nor did my speed. I was about to burst into tears. Here I was, bloody cuts digging into my arms and legs, hanging on to the road for dear life.
Suddenly the darkness towered over me as I felt a gust of air. The sunlight filled my half-closed eyes as I lay motionless on the driveway. My arms and legs were bloody with bright red cuts. However more than hurt, I was simply angry. How could that car just drive away like that, after almost hitting a child? It was unimaginable, just disgraceful. Anna ran up to me looking alarmed.
“Are you okay?” she asked. I wanted to tell her yes, but I was in too much pain. “Let’s go inside, my mom will take care of those cuts.”
“And then her mom gave me ice, and we played board games inside,” I recounted all of these details to my mom. I then looked at her face, and she completely understood.
I felt relieved that I could share this with her. “It’s okay, these things happen,” my mom started to explain to me. “But the most important thing is that you learned your lesson, and you know the kinds of people out there who exist.”
I thought about my day and realized that it didn’t matter I was scared, it only mattered I was safe. I realized that it’s ok to speak up if you’re not comfortable doing something. I also knew this experience would now affect me for years to come as a driver, a parent, and just an overall person.