Ben dreamed of speed.
His skates glided over the translucent sheet of ice at his feet. Above him, a deep blue sky—not one he had ever seen himself, but the one his parents had described to him—spread from horizon to horizon as he sped. The yellow sun warmed him. Though he flew like the wind, he was not the least winded.
Ahead, he saw the pack of racers contending. Pumping his legs, trunk, and arms in long, fluid strides, Ben passed them like a meteor arcing through the vacuum of space.
Then heavy clouds rolled in and a bitter wind opposed him. The world turned its accustomed gray. The racers behind came back into view.
“Ben,” a gentle voice called.
Ben tried to skate faster, but made even less progress. His legs grew heavy, stumps which would hardly move. Over his shoulder, the mass of skaters bore down on him, shouting angry curses. His legs felt paralyzed.
“Ben?” The feminine voice repeated.
The skaters became a huge wave of curling ice that broke upon him, engulfing him in the freezing brine. Without a board, without his wettie, he sank like a stone.
“Ben? Wake up.” Ben felt his mother’s hand upon his head.
Ben stirred. It was only a dream.
His bed was toasty warm.
There was something about today, he couldn’t remember what. Ben half opened one eye, feigning sleep. Maybe he could stay here. He abhorred school.
His mother stood over him in her overcoat, scarf and gloves. She sighed and he saw her breath condense in the cold air. Then, he remembered this was the day he’d been awaiting for months. He sat up. Today was the Day of Lumen! New Year’s Day!
“Mom! Gotta get ready!” Ben sprang out of bed and rushed past his mother, out into the hall, down toward the bathroom, hardly noticing the cold tiles in his stocking feet.
“Hey! My kiss?” Luci complained, following him.
Ben skidded to a halt, barreled back to give her a peck on the cheek, then hustled back toward the bathroom.
“Don’t run in the house!” Luci called for the millionth time.
“Sorry, Mom!” he replied for the millionth time. Nothing could ruin his good mood: today was going to be different.
In the bathroom, Ben splashed cold water on his face and brushed his teeth.
A few minutes later, having thrown on his clothes, Ben delayed opening the door to the kitchen, the one warm room in the house. Instead, he took a knee and quickly tied one boot, then the other. He knew his mother would be at the stove, stirring his breakfast porridge. His father would be at the table, sipping hot tea from his mug and listening to the radio set on low.
“Any news?” he heard Luci ask.
“Nothing surprising,” Steel replied. “Three arrests.”
“Anyone we know?” Luci asked. Ben wondered how anyone they knew could be arrested.
“Travel’s restricted till evening,” Ben’s father added.
“Will we be able to get to the bay?” Luci asked. “We promised Ben we’d try.”
“We’ll take the side streets,” Steel replied.
Ben’s stomach groaned as he burst into the kitchen.
“Close that door!” Steel ordered good-humouredly.
Ben slammed it closed. “Sorry, Dad!”
“Let’s see you,” Luci said.
“I tied my boots,” Ben offered in his defense.
Ben stood as his mother inspected his uniform. She slipped the tongue of the black belt into its buckle and then hitched up his quilted khaki pants. She turned down the back collar of his flannel white shirt and straightened the clip-on blue tie. She turned outside-in the pocket of his checked school blazer with the image of Lumen and the number 20,153 embroidered below it. She frowned at the scuffed black steel-toed boots and pulled up his pant leg to see his thick wool socks.
“I hope these are clean.”
Ben thought it best not to answer.
“Alright, eat.”
Ben gave his father his good-morning kiss and then sat down at table.
“How’d you sleep last night, son?” Ben’s father asked.
His mother plunked a bowl of steaming hot cereal before him.
Ben answered fine and began to wolf down the bland gruel.
In between slurps, Ben heard an almost inaudible, but upbeat voice. “Dad, can you turn it up, please? I think it’s about today.”
“Sure, son.” Steel bent over the set and slid the volume bar. Ben was right: it was the happy voice of Mr. Splendiferousness.
“Today is Month One, Day One, the Day of Lumen, of the year Two Thousand One Hundred and Twenty One. Thank Lumen that the West Coast can expect a partly sunny day with temperatures reaching well above zero. All offices are closed and children are to report to their schools for transport to the gaming areas. The parade begins at nine. Expect some surprises, kids! Saying so-long for now, this is Mr. Splendifer—Splendifer—Splendifer—Achoo!” he sneezed.
Ben laughed as his spoon clattered in his empty bowl.
“Gotta go!” Ben sprang from his seat, threw on his heavy black overcoat that reached to his ankles, and swung his backpack over his shoulder. It was lighter than usual as it held not books but his wettie—a springy, foam wetsuit. His ice skates, helmet, ice axe, and crampons were strapped on the back. He may not have cared much about his uniform but he always made sure his gear was securely stowed.
Luci and Steel walked him to the front room. “Good luck, son,” his father said.
Ben opened the front door. As he hurried away, Luci called behind him, “Do you have your inhaler?”
Ben felt a pocket of his pack.
“You know you can’t—”
“I know, Mom,” Ben called behind him.
“Keep it in your pocket where you can get at it.”
- K.A., Benjamin and the Paradise Project – Young Adult Fiction
Reader:
Not exactly what we at Tuscany expect to find when we open a manuscript for reading. There has to be a lesson in this one: At the very least, Lumen is something bizarre. I’m sure that the Publisher, who is harried these late days of September as we get ready to close the submissions for the 2012 Tuscany Prize for Catholic Fiction on the 30th, will be surprised by this novel. However, I for one am commenting on it because I love speed skating – a most beautiful sport – and because I anticipate that the author knows how to bring this one out all right at the end.
