Theo's Arc

Chapter 2 of 2

Theo went home with the money still in his fist. He had skates or pads, but not both, and no grown-up to take him to the rink. So he carried his branch outside to practice shooting. The cat and the dog followed and lay down in the grass to watch. He set a bottle cap in the dirt for a puck. He gripped the branch and swung hard. The bark bit into his palms. Splinters poked his skin. Rough knots dug at his fingers. He dropped the branch and shook his hands. "Ow," he said. He looked at the red marks on his palms. He picked the branch up again and tried once more. This time it hurt worse. He could not hold on long enough to shoot straight. The cap barely moved. His dad came around the corner then, carrying a garbage bag in one hand. His black hair stuck out under his backwards cap. His camo crocs slapped the ground. He stopped and watched Theo shake his stinging hands. "That branch is beating you up," Dad said. He crouched and turned the wood over. He ran his thumb along the rough spots. "Too many splinters. We can fix that. But first I could use your help." He held up the garbage bag. "Yard's a mess. You help me pick it up, I'll pay you. Enough for the gear you're still missing." Theo's eyes went wide. Pay meant more money. More money meant pads and skates both. "I'll help," he said. They worked together through the whole yard. Theo grabbed cans and wrappers and dropped them in the bag. His dad lifted the heavy stuff. The dog trotted beside them. The cat watched from a fence post. Theo's back got tired, but he did not stop. When the yard was clean, Dad reached in his pocket and pulled out a few crumpled bills. He pressed them into Theo's sore hand. "You earned that," he said. Then Dad went to the shed and came back with sandpaper. He sat on the step and rubbed it along the branch. Back and forth, over every knot and splinter. The rough wood turned smooth. He handed it back. "Try now," Dad said. Theo gripped the branch. It felt smooth in his palms. No splinters. No sharp bark. He swung, and the branch did not hurt at all. The bottle cap shot across the grass and hit the fence. "Yes!" Theo shouted. The dog barked. The cat's tail flicked. Theo looked at the money in his hand and the smooth stick in the other. His stick was fixed. He had more money now. But he still had no grown-up who could rent him ice time at the rink. A smooth stick and full pockets meant nothing if he could never get on the ice.