She's Not a Fan

Chapter 3

Sarah sighed with relief when she saw that the seat reserved for the team doctor was close to the rink doors and protected by glass.  She sank down gratefully and tried to focus on the fans.

The inside of the arena was as impressive as the entrance.  It was state of the art with four jumbo screens flashing 3D images.  Comfortable navy seats filled three levels of seating.  Each seat had a programmable drink and snack service with orders delivered directly to the seats.  Seats in the second and third decks had mini screens and audio jacks so fans could tune in to watch and listen to the game as it was broadcast.   And the temperature felt like a balmy autumn day.  Sarah expected it to be colder inside than it was outside because of the ice surface, but this was warm and comfortable.  Fans peeled off their coats to show off ‘Quake team jerseys in a sea of navy and white. 

There was a buzz of excitement in the air as people of all ages filled the arena.   A group of five young men seated in the first row with huge grins on their faces, were talking and laughing excitedly, as they took in the arena.  A pair of older women sat off to the left.  They proudly sported crocheted blue and white ‘Quake hats, more like oversized baseball caps, and matching ‘Quake team crocheted vests.  Every once in a while they blew into kazoos and cheered.  A young couple held a little boy, no older than a year of age, who was all decked out in the tiniest hockey jersey.  He was waving a miniature blue banner and stopping to clap and flash his toothless grin at his parents when they smiled at him. 

That was the trigger.  Sarah was slammed back to the arena so many years ago with her dad. 

Sarah was so excited she could hardly sit still.  She was eight years old and it was the first time her dad had taken her to a game.  He had always taken her brothers, but this time she got to go.  She watched games on television, but this was real.  It was so much brighter and bigger, the players, the fans, the music, the noise.  She got to sit beside her dad, eat hot dogs and popcorn, and stay up late.  Her dad knew everything about hockey.  She peppered him with questions.

She remembered looking up at her dad, so happy to be there, when it happened.  

A look of horror came over her dad’s face, and he pushed her down.  Just grabbed the side of her head and literally threw her off the seat.  She was stunned as she hit the back of the seat in front of them. 

A slap shot caught a stick the wrong way, the newspaper said the next day.  It flew into the crowd and caught the little boy behind them in the head.  It was a like a lightning strike.  The little boy started screaming and people were shouting.  It was a big scramble with everyone on their feet.  The parents were frantic. 

But what she remembered most was the silence when the little boy stopped screaming and the looks of horror and anger.  The silence was worse, so much worse. 

The boy was carried out on a stretcher.   The newspaper said it was a brain hemorrhage.  He didn’t stand a chance. 

It was so sad.  And it should have been her.  The puck was meant for her.  If her dad hadn’t reacted, if she hadn’t moved, it would have been her.  Instead it was the little boy.  And his parents didn’t react because they didn’t expect her to move out of the way.  She felt sick about it. 

They didn’t stay after that.  She sat with tears running down her face and finally her dad took her home. 

She heard her parents whisper about it the next day, she asked about the little boy, but they never discussed it with her.  It wasn’t until she saw the newspaper article that she knew.  She hadn’t been back to a rink since and she never watched another game of hockey.

A loud buzzer brought her back to the game.  Shaken, Sarah blinked away tears and tried to focus.  She did not need this to spiral into a panic attack.  She took three deep breaths and tried to ignore the pressure in her chest.  She focused on the ‘Quake mascots as they came out and sent the already buzzed crowd into a frenzy.  Fans cheered at the two ‘Tectonic Plates’ as they ran at each other and collided.    The crowd responded by stamping their feet and rumbling until they erupted into a Clarington ‘Quake cheer.  One group of enthusiastic fans on the opposite side of the rink, all wearing identical blue and white T-shirts, started the ‘wave’.  They were up out of their seats as they threw their hands in the air.  It took three tries, but soon the crowd adjacent caught on and sent the wave around the arena with all three levels in synchrony.  It made its way around the rink and Sarah watched as the row around her rose to their feet and threw their hands in the air.