a very short story. more like a thought
when my little brother was in high school, he was on the wrestling team. He had a girl on his team and i don’t think she did very well. i think she was on the team to be "that girl", than to actually want ot wrestle. maybe I’m wrong. i went to one of the tournaments at Boise high. if you’ve never been into the gym, its built with bleachers up top and down below. the bleachers on the floor were retracted to make room for all the mats that were going to be in use. so all the spectators were up top looking down on the wrestlers like watching gladiators of old. the day was wearing on a little by the time they were wrapping up the last of the preliminary rounds. this girl was on her second match to see if she was going move on. the young man she had to wrestle was in the same boat. loser left. by the time the first period was over there were only a couple of matches still going. needless to say, most eyes were on this particular match. the boy was a real bobby hill. lumpy. squishy. not out of his baby fat stage. the girl was lean, but a little uncoordinated still. so it kind of evened out. the match started into the third period and now Everyone was watching. left over wrestlers and coaches had made there way to the mat to watch. it was intense. he has the lead she has the lead reversal he has her NO! REVERSAL! OH! …OH!…..OH!…. collectively we held our breath as she rolled him on to his back to sink in the reverse half nelson. more like a bear hug.she got onto her toes. he bridged. she sunk it in tighter. (breath still holding)… then the slap on the mat was followed by a moment of eternal silence. which was quickly replaced by the roar. the kind of roar you are a part of only a small hand full of times; where your voice is totally unheard by anyone because no one can hear themselves yelling over all the noise. it was insane. the brick walls flexed out. the air became thin…a dog howled off in the distance… the girl stood, realizing that the ruckus was for her. and her alone. the screaming, the frothing of mouths, the mad stopping on the bleachers, everyone trying to tear off the roof with there will and enthusiasm. in the girls wake, we saw the boy. she pinned him and we destroyed him with our enthusiasm. everyone for 5 schools were there to witness this boy being scraped off the mat by his coach and hauled off to some quite, dark corner so he could learn to bottle his shame and defeat, in the hopes that it would make him stronger. harder. a Man.
