He was beautiful. The way he glided over the ice so smoothly it was like he wasn't even touching the ground. He looked like he was flying. His skates scored slashes in the ice and threw up little shards of ice that glittered in the light, much like his costume. With his arms outstretched he looked like a bird, the white fabric of his costume shining like feathers and his skates moving with such control it was hard to believe he was only eleven. I couldn't take my eyes off him. His gracefulness, the way he moved like he was telling a story, like his body was the source of the music... It made me want to glide with him, like two swans on a lake, casting ripples as they disappear into the sunset. The boy raised his arm over his head as he finished his routine and I watched, astounded, as he flicked his chestnut hair out of his eyes and smiled at me. It wasn't a big smile. Just the type that my mother does when I draw her a picture, or when she reads me a story that makes me laugh. A smile that tugged up the corners of his mouth, so small that I was sure that it wasn't even there. I inhaled quickly, and diverted my gaze to my feet. I only looked up again when I felt my mother adjust her position from where she was sat next to me. The boy was gone, but his smile lingered. I gently tugged my mother's coat sleeve. She turned her head and looked at me. The words lingered on my tongue. They weren't big words. They weren't amazing, change-the-world, win-the-war type words. But they were enough to change my life.
"I want to be a figure skater."
I cried out as I slipped backwards and landed flat on my back, banging my head against the ice. For a moment I saw stars glittering in the corners of my vision and shook my head, my hair falling over my eyes. The ice was cold against my back and I fought back tears as I attempted to scramble up, but the heavy boots on my feet made me fall on my hands and knees. A tear escaped my eyelids, slid down my nose and dropped in between my hands. My nails dug into the scores in the ice and I tried to heave myself onto my feet again but my knees buckled and my legs slid outwards until I was almost in the splits. I gasped in pain and collapsed onto my stomach, tears running down my face and let a muffled sob escape my mouth. A shadow fell over my head. I snivelled, wiped my nose on my sleeve and looked up at the owner. It was the nice lady who'd helped me put my skates on. She smiled encouragingly at me and held out her hand, but I was in no mood to smile back. Taking her hand, she hauled me up onto my feet, where I skittered like a newborn foal before making a lunge for the side of the rink. My hands were numb with cold and I fumbled for a grip. Swallowing back more tears I whipped my head around when I heard the lady chuckle, almost dislodging my grip on the wall.
"You know, I've never seen any kid fall over within three seconds of getting on the ice!" she laughed. "You should be proud; that's quite an achievement!"
I glared at her. My glare always worked when my mother wanted me to wear a stupid hat, or when the boys in school were mean to me, but this lady didn't even flinch. "A figure skater can't fall over!"
"Woah, woah!" the lady said, holding her arms up. "You want to be a figure skater?"
I would have crossed my arms but I would have fallen over again if I'd let go of the wall. "Yes. I want to be able to do jumps where they spin, like, four times!"
The lady laughed again and shook her head. "There's more to figure skating than jumps. Don't you want to be like a hockey player or something?"
"No!" I cried out. "I want to be like-"
"Like who?" the lady asked, tilting her head.
"Like that boy."
"Which boy?"
I furrowed my brows and thought hard. "Like that boy with the brown hair who won a medal."
"A medal?"
"Yes!" I said.
"What do you mean, a medal?"
I almost shouted in frustration. I just wanted to be a figure skater just like that boy who glided across the ice like a bird.
"He was big and he was older than me. He was wearing a white costume." I said, trying to replay the day when I watched all the skaters trying to win a medal. I wanted to do that one day! I wanted to stand on the top of the big block thing and have a gold medal around my neck!
The lady raised her hand to her chin and she looked like she was thinking. "I'm not sure who you're talking about but I have all the faith in you that you can be as good as him. Skate to me." she ordered.
"What's 'faith'?" I asked.
The lady thought for a moment."It means I have complete belief in you. Now skate to me!"
"Why?" I asked, wiping my tear stained face.
"If you want to be a figure skater, you need to be able to skate." she said. "Come on then! Skate to me!"
I only tightened my grip on the wall. What if I fell over again? It hurt a lot the first time I fell over. But I wanted to be like the boy in the white costume! I couldn't be like him if I stayed by the wall all the time! Reluctantly, I let go, waiting for the ice to meet my face again. But it didn't happen. I stayed on my feet.
"Well done!" the lady cried encouragingly. "See, you can do it!"
I widened my eyes. "I'm standing up!"
The lady held her arms out. "Right, I now want you to skate to me."
I wasn't ready for that! She was really far away! What if I fell over again? I shook my head vigorously.
The lady raised an eyebrow. "You thought you couldn't stand up before, and you actually can. It's the same here! It's just like walking. Step and glide."
She showed the action to me. I shook my head again.
The lady sighed, but it didn't seem like a real sigh to me. "Watch me first."
She skated to the right, making the action very slow and obvious. The way she moved looked a lot like the boy with the brown hair I saw skate. I wanted to be like that boy! And if I needed to skate to the lady to be like him, then I would skate to the other side of the rink if I had to!
The lady returned to the place she was stood earlier. "Skate to me!"
I took a step forward, and the skate slipped on the ice. I squealed and put my other foot in front of me to stop me from falling and flailed my arms, but I didn't fall. Instead, I slowly slid forwards. I gasped and looked up at the lady, to see if I was doing it right.
The lady smiled, showing her teeth. "That's it! Take another step!"
I did. I took another step. And another. And I imagined that I was that boy with the costume that looked like a swan, gliding across the ice. As I was getting lost in my day dream my skate caught a bump in the ice and I lost my careful balance. My body jerked forwards and I put my hands in front of myself to break my fall, but the ground never came. Instead, the lady had caught me under my arms.
"How old are you, kid?" she asked me.
"I-I'm nine." I gasped, thanking the stars for not letting me fall over again.
The lady raised her eyebrow again. Did she think I was too young? I really wanted to be a figure skater!
"Nearly ten!" I cried out, determined to make her think I was up for it.
"You have a lot of potential, kid." she smiled. "I'm Luli. I'd be honoured if you'd consider me coaching you. I'll try my best to help you be like the person who inspired you.
My jaw dropped. My mother had often told me that it was rude but I couldn't help myself. It was like I had already won a medal.
"I'll let you decide that with your parents." Luli smiled, and skated in front of me, still with my mouth wide open, and put a small card in my hands. "That's my number. I look forward to seeing you soon!"
She began to skate towards the exit, but stiffened as if she'd forgotten something.
"Wait!" she said. "I didn't even catch your name!"
"Guang Hong." I said so softly I didn't even hear it myself. I was too busy staring at the blue card in my hand.
"Huh? Sorry, you're gonna have to say that again!"
I didn't say it again. I was too busy imagining what was yet to come.
Guang Hong Ji, China's best figure skater, competing in the Grand Prix Final in the hopes of bringing home a gold medal...
