When It All Ends
When Kyle was twelve, he slipped and fell while crossing a river. It was during one of his hiking trips with his father by the river of Mount Jeron. The rocks were slippery and Kyle was overly excited to catch a fish that slipped away the moment he caught it. They thought it was a simple fall, but when Kyle felt a constant excruciating pain each time he stepped on the ground, his father realized that Kyle might have a fracture.
His father quickly packed up, piggybacked him and rushed through an hour hike down to where he had parked the car. It was a good thing they had not gone very far from where they started. On the way, they encountered a partial roadblock when a tree fell across the road, but the cars were able to zip merge fortunately, giving way to one another.
By the time they arrived at the hospital three hours later, Kyle was ushered into the triage room where the attending doctor examined his condition. An X-ray soon confirmed a clear dark line across part of his ankle. The doctor informed them that Kyle would need to wear a cast for 100 days and was not allowed any physical activity. Kyle was struck dumb, what would he do for 100 days?!
Kyle was also a star athlete and was supposed to compete in the National School Championships the following week. He had been eyeing the champion's trophy for his favourite 400-metre sprint event, especially since it was his final year in junior high.
Now, that dream had come crashing down.
Every day after the accident, Kyle kept mostly to himself. He blamed himself for slipping during what was supposed to be a happy trip and spent most of his time feeling gloomy.
Kyle was half native. His father came from a small tribe in Southeast Asia. They believed that every person possessed an animal spirit and an insect spirit that represented their inner and outer strengths. These spirits would appear when a child was ready to embrace them, usually during their happiest moments or their lowest, and often when they least expected it.
It was then, at his lowest moment, that Kyle's spirits appeared.
One evening, while sitting alone on the porch with his leg in a cast stretched out before him, Kyle noticed a large elephant with a single tusk standing at the edge of the forest. A green grasshopper sat on the railing beside him.
Neither seemed afraid.
They simply watched him.
Somehow, Kyle knew they were meant for him.
Not every child's spirits would reveal themselves. It took a certain level of maturity for that to happen. When Kyle encountered his spirits, he reached a level of understanding that allowed him to accept what had happened as part of his journey in life.
During the camping trip with Ray when Kyle found the old coin by the river, he noticed the faded carvings on its surface. One side resembled an elephant. The other looked remarkably like an insect with long hind legs.
Kyle understood the connection immediately after what his father had told him about animal and insect spirits, and he kept the coin safe inside the carved wooden box. He never told Ray about it. Some things, Kyle believed, had to be discovered on one's own.
Ray's animal spirit appeared at the farm. It was the fierce yet tamed ram that gently licked his palm.
Kyle had explained it to her then, when she feared for Ray's safety and almost pulled him away from the ram's sharp horns.
"But what does an animal or an insect spirit do?" Jessy had asked, confused.
Kyle told her that animal and insect spirits were meant to guide a child into adulthood, giving them the strengths they needed to overcome obstacles and hardships along the way.
Looking back, Jessy somehow understood why the ram had behaved so differently around Ray. But Jessy didn't know yet that a silverfish had visited Ray, which was his insect spirit.
Jessy also remembered one more thing Kyle had once said.
"If Ray ever finds an old coin, don't stop him from keeping it."
At the time, she thought it was a strange thing to say. Now, she didn't think it was anymore.
Jessy remembered Kyle's words as she waited for Ray's favourite soft double chocolate chip cookies to finish baking in the oven.
"Ding!" the oven cried out.
Jessy carefully opened the oven door, pulled the tray halfway out and gently tapped on each cookie to check its softness. When she was satisfied, she stretched her arms to flex her muscles before lifting the tray out.
The aroma quickly filled the kitchen.
Once the cookies had cooled down, Jessy placed a few on a plate and brought them to Ray and Albert, who were both glued to the television with Biscuit all curled up on Ray's lap.
For a brief moment, as she watched them from the doorway, Jessy thought she saw a little of the old light return to the house.
Photo by Eugen Brazhnikov on Unsplash
Inktober #25: Fracture
Inktober #26: Zip
Inktober #27: Dumb
Inktober #28: Trophy
Inktober #29: Tusk
Inktober #30: Cookie
Inktober #31: Flex
Ray - Previous chapter: Lounge, Hero, Beacon, Dapper, Bake
