Page 66 of Now and Forever

Just then, I remember what Marta told me.

“Return it? Why?”

No one says a word. I take the green skateboard out of the box and show it to Flyn.

“You don’t like it?”

For the first time since I’ve known him, the boy looks at me expectantly. The gift has impressed him. His eyes give him away, but I know he doesn’t want to say anything because of the hard look on Eric’s face. I’m ready to go to battle for him, but I set the skateboard aside and urge him to open the other gifts. After opening everything, he now has a helmet and kneepads and elbow pads. I pick up the skateboard.

“What’s wrong with the skateboard?”

“It’s dangerous,” says Eric, refusing to look at it. “Flyn doesn’t know how to ride it. Instead of having a good time, he’ll just get hurt.”

Norbert and Simona nod in agreement, but I can’t give in to this.

“I bought all the accessories necessary to minimize harm as the boy learns how to use it. Don’t get overwhelmed, Eric. You’ll see, he’ll master it in a matter of days.”

“Jude,” he says in a very tense voice, “Flyn is not going to ride that skateboard.”

I’m incredulous. “Come on, it’s a toy for him to use to have a good time. I can show him how to ride it.”

“No.”

“I taught Luz how to ride a skateboard, and you should see how well she does on hers.”

“I said no.”

“Listen, my love,” I say in spite of his negative reaction, “it’s not hard to learn. It’s a matter of getting the swing of it and keeping your balance. Flyn is a smart kid, and I’m sure he’ll learn quickly.”

Eric gets up and takes the skateboard from my hands. “I want this far from Flyn, understood?” he says firmly and clearly.

My God, when he gets like this, I just want to kill him! I get up too and take the skateboard from his hands.

“It’s my gift to Flyn. Don’t you think he should say whether he wants it or not?”

The boy doesn’t talk. He just looks at us. Finally, he speaks. “I don’t want it. It’s dangerous.”

With her eyes, Simona begs me to be quiet, to let it be. But no, I can’t. “Listen, Flyn—”

“Jude,” says Eric, cutting me off and taking the skateboard from me again, “he just told you he doesn’t want it. What more do you need to hear?”

Livid, I take the damned skateboard back from him.

“What I’ve heard is what you wanted to hear. Let him respond for himself.”

“I don’t want it,” insists the boy.

Holding the skateboard, I lean down to him.

“Flyn, if you want, I can teach you. I promise you won’t get hurt, because I won’t let it happen and ...”

“That’s it! I said no and it’s no!” screams Eric. “Simona, Norbert, take Flyn out of here; I have to talk to Judith.” When the two of us are finally alone, he continues. “Listen, Jude,” he hisses, “if you don’t want us to argue in front of the boy or the staff, then shut up! I said no to the skateboard. Why do you insist?”

“Because he’s a kid, goddamn it! Didn’t you see the look on his face when he took it out of the box? He liked it. Didn’t you see that?”

“No.”

“He can’t spend all day hooked up to the Wii or PlayStation or ... What kind of kid are you raising? Don’t you realize, this way he’ll grow up to be shy and fearful?”

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