Micah Jennings

1.27.05 Thursday [parkour]

I didn’t want to wake up this morning. Frankly, I never wanted to wake up, open my eyes to the painful world that is slowly swallowing me. But my legs eventually jolted out of under the sheets and I sat up, wondering what hurt another day could bring. Then there was a knock. I didn’t bother answering, since I knew what would inevitably occur. Sure enough, in a few seconds Aaron let himself in.

“Good morning, Micah,” he said, somehow feeling happy under all those facial bruises.
“Hey, Aaron,” I replied. “What’s up?”
“Well, Ben and I found out that our morning classes got cancelled. We have the morning off, and were wondering if maybe, I mean, if you’re feeling up to it, but if not, that’s ok, but we were thinking—“
“You want me to take you to those spots I told you about?”
“Yeah!”
I really DIDN’T feel like going out. I didn’t want to have to get bundled up, traipse across the city, and jump around. But Aaron looked totally pitiful, and after all, I had nothing better to do.
“Alright. Let me get some breakfast first,” I said, climbing out of bed.
“Ben!” Aaron called suddenly over his shoulder. A few moments later Ben came trotting in, holding a plate of eggs and toast and a glass of OJ. I knew there was a reason I moved in with these guys.

When I finished eating we got our gear together and piled out onto the sidewalk.
“Ok, guys, you have two choices,” I instructed, pointing West. “There’s a back alley in that direction that is crammed with fences, railings, and stairwells. Go that way and you’ll find an abandoned factory. It’s fairly safe, but sometimes gangs like to sell…”
I noticed their faces blanched in fear.
“Ok, West it is,” I decided.

It was amusing to see the look on their faces as we entered the alley. Their heads pivoted slowly to examine the arrangement of walls and rails.
“Wow…this place is perfect!” Aaron awed. “Ben, look, you could do an angled cat there! And those rails—they looks sturdy—we gotta try precisions there!”
“This is fantastic…” Said Ben to no one in particular.
“Then what is everyone waiting for?” I asked.

With that taunt I ran up to the narrower section of the alley and performed a move they’d apparently never seen. I kicked off the wall and bounced to the opposite side, pushing off a second time as I hit that wall. In this way I managed to tic tac three times to reach a dangling fire ladder.

“HOLY CRAP!” Aaron yelled. Feeling motivated, he hurdled a railing, spun a half rotation in the air, and wove his body back through the bars. Not to be outdone, Ben chucked his bag and ran straight up a wall. At eight or so feet he pushed away from it and latched onto the metal rod of a sign. He swung from it gracefully and landed precisely on a handrail several feet away. As he dismounted he grabbed the next rail and vaulted it with perfect continuity, maintaining his speed and spin. This rotation brought him to the third rail backwards, and blindly he grasped at it and launched himself over, falling a few feet and rolling.

I watched them dance with the obstacles for awhile from my aerial perch, noticing the passion which consumed their conscious thought. It was clear that they were not THINKING, but merely MOVING. And it was beautiful.

But the morning didn’t last forever, and soon we were back in the apartment, faces flushed from the cold air outside. As Aaron headed for the shower, I returned to my room and plopped back into my bed, falling asleep before the water had been turned off. I woke only a few minutes ago, feeling completely refreshed and energized, if a little sore. Unfortunately, it means I missed visiting Reginald, but I’ll see him tomorrow.

-M.J.

posted by Mr. Linty @ 10:58 PM