BOREAS

III

Grey sludge melted beneath my feet as I carried myself towards the arena. Mum came to "wake me" at the exact time she said she would and I was out the door not long after clad in my large coat and snow boots. The walk to the arena was a long one but it was one of my favourite times of the day. The wind whipped around me as I stayed snug in my coat and my nose turned pink from the snowy air. No one bothered me or said a thing as I lived in my music and thought about the feeling that skating would bring me at the end of my walk. 

Elderly men and women were few in this town as the temperatures were not fit for the weakened yet those that remained either looked at me with hidden disgust or smiled at me as I nodded my head their way. Mrs Jameson was one of the nice ones who didn't let her outdated upbringing taint her view of me and my unspoken sexuality. As I walked past her porch she waved me over.

"My boy, you shouldn't be walking in this cold, you'll lose your toes!"

"Oh thank you for worrying Mrs Jameson but shouldn't we be worrying about your toes? Sitting on the porch in nothing but a sleeping gown is gonna kill you one day."

"Oh no need for those worries. I've already lost a toe or two. What's a few more?" She winked. 

"Well we agree then. The cold is for enjoyment not fret. Now you have a good day now Mrs Jameson." I said as I pretended to dip my imaginary hat. 

"You too Oliver darling." She giggled as she motioned me onward with my day. It was an unexplained joke between us that we would speak with each other like I was a young 1940s gentleman. 

Mrs Jameson used to be a star in not only this town but the ice skating cult of the world. She came first in the olympics for figure skating when she was in her 20s and then lived her days in lights and fame as an actress when someone scouted her for a life off of the ice. She married a high class man that gave her a kid or two and then when he dropped off the face of the earth with half her money, she handed in her skates and her chance at an Oscar and retreated to her hometown where it all began. I'd watched a few of her movies but never truly understood why she gave up skating for it. I guess skating could only take you to a certain point. Winning the olympics was the high point. There was nothing but a life of coaching future Olympians after that as you had to retire in your twenties. If you didn't want a life of teaching on a low wage salary, what would you do?

What would I do?

One thing is for sure. I wouldn't be living out my days like my mother and father and most people past 20 in this town. Pushing their children and living through them until they too became too old for the world of ice. 

Pushing open the glass arena doors I waved at Winston and headed to the locker rooms. It was empty and I was used to it. The boys room was always empty before the solo figure skating session. Not even the partner skaters were in here as their session was earlier in the day and by now they would be doing their homework before the night session where everyone joined the ice. 

Quickly wriggling into my tights and lacing my skates I put on my skate guards and sauntered to the ice where I knew Viv would be waiting for me. 

"Olly!" She squealed as she ran from the bleachers to encase my body. She tried to anyway. She was a tiny little thing and I was quite tall. 

"Vivian." I replied with a twinkle behind my eye. I did love this girl. Platonically of course. 

"Ugh it's been too long. Why weren't you at school yesterday?"

"Viv." I raised an eyebrow, "You were the one not at school yesterday." 

"Shh. No one needs to know."