Post by indi on Jul 12, 2019 7:57:11 GMT -5
The old boots hung on the back of the hotel room door, they had seen better days when they were ‘new’ and after almost twenty years in the ring the old leather had begun to flake away from the base. Thin rubber strips peeled away from the sole of the boots. Old frayed laces tied in a know held them close to the coat hook on the back of the door,
Usually, she didn’t use hotel rooms. But with so far to go and with two travel companions along for the ride; tonight Indi was sleeping in luxury. If at least her version of luxury, and there wasn’t much sleeping going on for her either.
Those old boots told her father’s whole life story. She and her pops had travelled the country, hitch hiked and ride shared and heck, they’d even walked to a few shows when times were really tough. Over the years, a lot of things have changed, but the one true constant was those old boots.
Sliding off the edge of the bed, Indi gently ran her fingers along the wonky stitching. Everything about these boots reminded her of him. His gruff voice that made for perfect fairytales, the way his eyes crinkled when he laughed. The strength of his arms when he would scoop her up and carry her off to safety, or bed, or just because she was annoying the other guys backstage. Unhooking the boots she held them close to her, padding back across the floor to her hotel bed.
“I’m really doing it pops.” The boots held close to her face she almost stage whispered, there was no one in the room to hear. But she knew he was listening. “Nobody thought I could, they’ve been rolling their eyes and laughing at me this whole time. I know what you’d say, let em lil mouse. They don’t know shit.”
She rolled her eyes at the thought of him cussing at her, more than once a ‘concerned’ worker had questioned his potty mouth around her. And more than once she’d watched him cuss them into minding their own business. Her daddy taught her a lot about life, but not nearly enough about wrestling. Truth was every time she saw her name across from someone’s she started to feel like she was drowning. As much as the ring felt like home, everything surrounding the sport now was foreign to her.
She just wanted to show up and do her job and be left to her own little world, but as the wins started to stack up, it was like she wasn’t allowed to do that anymore. She had never wanted to be famous, wasn’t one of those kids who practiced a concert or a speech in front of a mirror, but the one thing she had always wanted to do…
Was fly.
Back when her father had been at the peak of his career, the only fliers you got were luchadores, she would watch them for hours. Catching flies, he would say. People didn’t mix their craft back then, you were this or you were that. Women were barely wrestlers and the idea of being a flier anywhere but a cheerleading team would have drawn laughter from the old hats in the locker room.
But even when she was knee high to a grasshopper, she knew she wanted to fly. And this weekend, she would fly. And every weekend after that, this was about more than the future of a legacy. Truth was she had already met so many wonderful people. Made friends like Ethan and Levi who had helped her in ways she would never be able to explain, the boys who travelled with her this weekend… They had given life to an old dream. She was whispering about all of this to those old boots when a knock at the door drew her attention.
She could tell just from his breathing pattern that Taneli was on the other side. So she wasn’t surprised when she swung the door open and he was standing there, all smiles and excited energy. But she was surprised by what he held out to her. It was purple and gold, it was perfect.
A magic feather.
She was ready to fly.
Usually, she didn’t use hotel rooms. But with so far to go and with two travel companions along for the ride; tonight Indi was sleeping in luxury. If at least her version of luxury, and there wasn’t much sleeping going on for her either.
Those old boots told her father’s whole life story. She and her pops had travelled the country, hitch hiked and ride shared and heck, they’d even walked to a few shows when times were really tough. Over the years, a lot of things have changed, but the one true constant was those old boots.
Sliding off the edge of the bed, Indi gently ran her fingers along the wonky stitching. Everything about these boots reminded her of him. His gruff voice that made for perfect fairytales, the way his eyes crinkled when he laughed. The strength of his arms when he would scoop her up and carry her off to safety, or bed, or just because she was annoying the other guys backstage. Unhooking the boots she held them close to her, padding back across the floor to her hotel bed.
“I’m really doing it pops.” The boots held close to her face she almost stage whispered, there was no one in the room to hear. But she knew he was listening. “Nobody thought I could, they’ve been rolling their eyes and laughing at me this whole time. I know what you’d say, let em lil mouse. They don’t know shit.”
She rolled her eyes at the thought of him cussing at her, more than once a ‘concerned’ worker had questioned his potty mouth around her. And more than once she’d watched him cuss them into minding their own business. Her daddy taught her a lot about life, but not nearly enough about wrestling. Truth was every time she saw her name across from someone’s she started to feel like she was drowning. As much as the ring felt like home, everything surrounding the sport now was foreign to her.
She just wanted to show up and do her job and be left to her own little world, but as the wins started to stack up, it was like she wasn’t allowed to do that anymore. She had never wanted to be famous, wasn’t one of those kids who practiced a concert or a speech in front of a mirror, but the one thing she had always wanted to do…
Was fly.
Back when her father had been at the peak of his career, the only fliers you got were luchadores, she would watch them for hours. Catching flies, he would say. People didn’t mix their craft back then, you were this or you were that. Women were barely wrestlers and the idea of being a flier anywhere but a cheerleading team would have drawn laughter from the old hats in the locker room.
But even when she was knee high to a grasshopper, she knew she wanted to fly. And this weekend, she would fly. And every weekend after that, this was about more than the future of a legacy. Truth was she had already met so many wonderful people. Made friends like Ethan and Levi who had helped her in ways she would never be able to explain, the boys who travelled with her this weekend… They had given life to an old dream. She was whispering about all of this to those old boots when a knock at the door drew her attention.
She could tell just from his breathing pattern that Taneli was on the other side. So she wasn’t surprised when she swung the door open and he was standing there, all smiles and excited energy. But she was surprised by what he held out to her. It was purple and gold, it was perfect.
A magic feather.
She was ready to fly.