A Moment of Flight Without Wings

By: Osiris

 

          He watched silently, the sheen on his glasses obscuring his eyes.

          Mid-afternoon settled in the small high school like a comfortable blanket. Outside it was steaming hot and inside was no different. The bleachers were warm to the touch. The air in and around was thick and laced with humidity. Breathing in the loaded air made him feel high. He let out a soft sigh as water condensed on his lenses again.

          Wiping them absentmindedly with a shirt tail, he continued watching through his foggy vision. Blue and black against a deep reddish brown with white stripes. The sound of rubber shoes against polished floor, clawing at his hearing. Slowly, he put his glasses back on.

          Dark black and blue with a white ‘17’.

          Feint, turn, step, dribble… jump.                  

          Hang time of impossibility. A moment of flight without wings.

          Slam dunk.

          The ball fell on the gym floor but he held on to the hoop. His sole observer held on to his own breath. He let go and landed loudly. The sound echoed with his labored breathing. The sound of his sweat dripping to the floor caught his attention and he walked to the benches where a towel waited.

          He dried his face, his brow furrowed. He looked up and saw that he was being watched. His face brightened and he nodded towards his sole audience, a small smile tugging at his lips.

          The sheen still obscured his eyes, but he smiled, a smile expecting nothing in return.

The end