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a new way of looking at... writings >> ron reece >> folf |
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The cicadas rattled in the trees as the Thunderbird came to a stop in the gravel parking lot of Roper City Park. The subwoofers in the trunk fired violently the beats of Nine Inch Nails’ The Downward Spiral. A shift and a clunk as Park was selected and the motor shut off. The four young men inside slowly put themselves together and gathered up the accessories. The tinted windows made brighter the red lights in the interior that flashed with the bass and cast weird shadows on the occupants. Roy’s sneaker is the first to find the dusty rocky car park. A cloud of fine dust puffed from the impact, and caught a beam of sunlight molded by the pine trees along the paved road. "Whatever, man, that’s fuckin’ bullshit," Paul, the cock-eyed scrawny boy in blue rattled off with dexterity as he climbed out the car. "Pfft, yea and how many times have you been out this summer, what, two? I’ve been in two tournaments and have been out every day since April," The rounded bespectacled Kedric said. His potbelly slightly stretched his black t-shirt. "I don’t care, I know I can underscore you! I can do it in my sleep," Paul said. He was taking a few warm-up motions that verged on pantomime with his disk, eyes squinting, focused. "It’s all in the wrist. Besides, I’ve got THE disk fucker. I can’t loose." "That’s the ONLY disk you have," Kedric said "I only need one." "Bullshit," Kedric said. "Bullshit." Paul said. "Bullshit!" Jay said. "Bullshit!" Rob said, grinning. "I will bet you 50 bucks I finish under you," Paul said. "Only ‘coz you’re stretched out and Kedric will be giving you the reach around," Jay said, still grinning. He tucked his long black hair behind his ear, and then took a drag of his Marlboro Light. Everyone laughed but Paul. "Dude, whatever. I got fifty," Kedric said. "O.K. kids, play nice. No pushing, no shoving," Jay said. "Shit! Hey Kedric can I borrow one of your disks? I left mine in my car," said Rob. "I was wondering when you were going to say something. You weren’t carrying anything," he said. "Forget your discs Rob-o?" said Jay. "Yea," said Rob. "Dumbass," Jay said with a grin. The four competitors walked down the hill to the first tee box after tossing a few practice putts in the practice basket. "It’s a little gusty today," said Rob. "Yea, I know. The back nine is going to be interesting. Once we get out of the trees that wind is gonna fuck with us," Jay said. "Pussies," said Kedric "All right then, let’s see what you got Big Shooter," said Jay. "Your mom tell you to call me that?" said Kedric. "Just fuckin’ throw," said Rob. Kedric wound up and cut the Frisbee loose. The disk sailed, floating left, then a pronounced left hook and settled two thirds of the way to the basket. "Yeaaaaa," he said. "Nice," Jay said. "Beat that, Pauly-Boy." Paul stepped up to the tee box, a few quick steps and let the maroon Polaris 149 fly. The plastic disk landed parallel to Kedric’s disc. "Well," said Rob. Jay threw, almost as well, and Rob actually threw sideways. "What the fuck was that?" Jay said. "That was me trying to be cool," Rob said. "I guess!" Jay said. A few more throws by each and the basket chains jingled as they received the putts. The boys walked to the next hole. "So Paul, Amber took her hooks out of you long enough to come out with us, huh?" Rob said. "She’s has this church thing she has to go to, then she wants me to help her paint her room later tonight." "Didn’t she just redecorate her room last year?" Rob said. "She’s doing it again. Now it’s gonna be like some kind of fucking meadow. The ceiling is going to be blue with clouds, the walls are going to be yellow, and the floor she’s putting green carpet down," Paul said. "Where’s she getting all the money for all this?" Rob said. "Her parents," Paul said. "Jeez. Must be nice." "Yea, they just bought her a new Hyundai for graduation, too." "O.k. you’re up Kedric," Jay said. "Yea, I know," he said. Kedric rummaged through his shoulder bag full of disks. "Here’s my Gazelle 153. Geoff borrowed it like two months ago and I finally got it back from him. Behold!" "Sweet. Throw it," Paul said. Kedric threw the Frisbee and it sailed flat, dipped to the right, hit the ground and rolled to the green. "Damn," Jay and Rob said, almost it unison. Paul lit a cigarette and straightened the brim of his Independent Skateboards hat down over his eyes. He threw and the disk shot from him, ricocheted off a tree, sending it into tall grass out of bounds. "Fuck me running with a chainsaw!" he screamed. A family out for an evening bike ride rode by on the bike path. Paul walked off into the bushes to look for his disk. It was Roy’s turn to drive. He closed his eyes and stood still, his eyes closed. He opened them, took three small steps and threw. The disk flew up at a 45-degree angle and into a tree, where it stayed. "Rob. Pull the disk flat across your chest, nice and flat. Snap the wrist on the release," Jay said. He slowly demonstrated the motion that had been the most productive for him. "It makes sense when I see you do it, but I don’t know what the correct way feels like," Rob said. "Well when you do get it right, remember that and do it again," Jay said. Rob was now up in the tree, trying to shake down his borrowed Polaris 158 long, straight driver. Kedric and Paul had finished the hole; Paul was at par and Kedric one under. They maintained a friendly distance from each other as they walked to the next hole. Rob gave the tree one last good shake and out came the disk. "Aren’t you gonna finish the hole?" Jay asked. "Na, those two are already done, and you’ll finish before I will. I don’t want to hold up everyone else. It’s fucking pointless," he said, wiping his hands on his jeans. "How do you expect to get any better?" he asked. "I’ll work on it on the next holes. Besides, I’d have to come out here by myself every day for me to get better, and what fun is that?" Rob said. He pushed his glasses farther back on his sweaty nose. He lagged behind Jay and watched as he made his two throws to the basket. "You throwing or what?" Paul shouted. Paul and Rob were walking up to them. "What you say, bitch?" Jay said. "Hurry the fuck up." "What’s your big hurry? We still have to let that group up there play through," Rob said. A group of four was taking their time in the next fairway. One of them wore a ‘Nebraska Cornhuskers’ sweatshirt, the sleeves were cut off and the bottom was cut off to the mid abdomen. He wore a red bandanna tied across his forehead, and gray high cut sweat shorts. "Aren’t they just adorable?" Jay said in a flamboyant lisp. "Jeez, what is this, Rainbow Coalition Day at the park?" Paul shouted. The Husker fan threw his disk towards the basket. The chains clinked together as the Frisbee cleanly received the throw. "Looks like he’s throwing better than you," Rob said. "Yea well at least I don’t look like a FUCKIN’ FAGGOT!" Paul shouted. The man turned around and looked at them. "What did you say?" he said. Rob, Kedric and Jay looked to Paul. "I said, at least I don’t look like a FUCKIN’ FAGGOT!" The man in gray walked toward them. The others in his group held back, but faced the boys. "You have a big fuckin’ mouth, don’t you?" the man in gray said. "You don’t need to be taking’ your sweet ass time when there’s people waiting to throw," Paul said. "Even so, you don’t yell that shit at people. You’re gonna get your ass kicked," he said. Paul walked up to his confronter. "What, you’re gonna kick my ass? I’m a fuckin’ minor. You touch me you’re going to jail." Kedric, Jay and Rob looked at each other. Paul’s bar crawl was eight months ago. Sweatshirt man’s body tensed for a second, and then said "You WILL show me respect on this course." He turned and walked back to his group. "Just keep moving and everything will be fine," Paul said. Paul, Kedric, Roy and Jay moved closer together. "What the hell was that?" Roy said. "I don’t know, but that was ridiculous," Paul said. "Who’s got a cigarette for me?" Jay threw him one. Paul lit it. "So are we gonna finish this game?" Kedric said. "Na, forget it. Let’s go," Paul said. "If we’re leaving you’re buying the beer tonight," Kedric said. "Fine," Paul said. Kedric and Paul started for the car. Jay and Roy held back. "Can you believe that?" Roy said to Jay. "Paul’s my boy and all, but sometimes he thinks he needs to swing his ball sack around," Jay chuckled. "I would have let Mr. Bandanna pop him a couple of times in the head before I would have broken it up. Might have knocked some sense into him." The boys made their way through the park and back to the car. "Shotgun!" Roy and Paul said in unison. "Bitch, you get in the back," Kedric said. "You’re talking to him, right?" Paul said. "I almost had to kick some ass because of you. Get in the back," Kedric said. "Allow me," Rob said as he opened the car door and Paul climbed in. Roy advanced the CD to the song ‘Big Man With a Gun" Everyone laughed but Paul. The Thunderbird spit gravel and squealed into the street, away from the park. |