Around the World

Jesse watched the taillights of his parents’ SUV as they left the college parking lot and merged into traffic to start their five-hour drive back home. He raised his hand to wave one last time before heading back to the dorm building. Earlier that day, he and his parents had unloaded the contents of their vehicle into his room. Unpacking and organizing now awaited him.

Jesse had turned eighteen last month and this was his first time living away from home. So, in addition to bringing along the essentials, he had also packed a few comfort items: his baseball mitt and ball, his yo-yo, and photos of his friends and family. 

As Jesse placed these treasures on a shelf in his dorm room, he reminisced about the yo-yo craze that had overtaken his middle school a few years back. Almost every student had carried around a yo-yo. On the field, in the hallways, and sometimes even in the classrooms, people would be learning new moves or trying to outdo their friends with tricks.

Jesse ran his fingers over his yo-yo and cast his eyes to the photos that he had tacked to the bulletin board. One photo caught his eye. He and his best friend back then, Samuel, were standing side by side, yo-yos in hand, baseball caps on their heads, and matching shirts designed by Samuel, with the slogan, “Yo-yo Around the World.” They had just won a tournament hosted by the Student Council at their middle school. Samuel and Jesse had captivated the spectators with their many tricks and their ability to perform them accurately every single time. So much so that the judges, also students, had found it impossible to declare just one winner. The Student Council had given them each a yo-yo, sprayed with gold paint as their first-place prizes. Remembering this proud moment, Jesse rubbed at the yo-yo where the paint was chipped in places. The memories were far from faded. Jesse could almost hear his friend's triumphant voice yelling, “World, here we come!”

Now, Jesse whispered to himself, “Samuel, Samuel! It’s Samuel! Don’t call me Sam! So long ago. Where did you go? What do people call you now, and what’s your real name anyhow?” It was a personal chant that he had often muttered over the last few years.

A student photographer had taken the photo on the day of the tournament, at the end of eighth grade. That September, they would have started high school together, but over the summer, Samuel and his family moved away. More precisely, they simply disappeared! Abruptly gone overnight! There was no mention of the move beforehand and no contact afterward.

Jesse had been upset that his friend had left from his life without a hint of goodbye. He had known Samuel since the age of four when they had met at the sand table at pre-school. In the ten years after that, they had become inseparable, sharing play dates, sleepovers, campouts, sports events, and neighbourhood adventures. 

While trying to console their son over Samuel’s mysterious departure, Jesse’s parents had reached out to the authorities. They had discovered that the family was involved in some kind of protection program, the kind that had seemed to exist only in the movies until it became part of their reality. Fourteen-year-old Jesse had found little consolation in knowing his friend was safe. Samuel was lost to him, ripped from his life!

In high school, Jesse had immersed himself in his studies and in his sports. He had always got along well with a variety of people, and he had no problem developing and keeping friendships. But none of his other friends were quite like Samuel. It was impossible to replace the special connection that came from a decade of shared memories. Memories made with a best friend over the years from early childhood through to adolescence. Memories shared with a person who was like a brother. In fact, sometimes people thought they were brothers with their dirty blonde hair and their brown eyes.

Although the yo-yo craze had ended after middle school, Jesse had still enjoyed practicing his tricks over the years. He had kept his golden yo-yo on a shelf and carried different ones in his pocket or backpack. It was a fun way to pass time, and occasionally he was able to awe a few by-standers at the bus stop or on the school grounds. However, he missed the friendly competition of trying new routines with Samuel. More importantly, he missed his friend and the bond they had shared. Time had passed, things had changed for Jesse, but the sense of loss remained.

Now, in his new surroundings at college, Jesse felt the pull of the past. He picked up his golden yo-yo and started to practice his favourite tricks, being careful not to hit the walls or the furniture in his dorm room. The familiar tug of the string felt good in this strange environment. There was something comforting about performing these moves that he had learned years ago: The Gravity Pull, the first basic trick that everybody learns; Around the World, one of Samuel’s favourites. Samuel used to joke about how this trick could take care of any enemies. He also said it was his trademark move, because one day he would travel around the world, if not by land, sea, and air, then by space, orbiting the Earth as an astronaut. Around the World was difficult to perform in the dorm room, and so Jesse switched to various moves that did not need as much space, all of them requiring the right balance between a push and a pull. It all came down to physics. His middle school science teacher had used the yo-yo as a teaching tool. The key to mastering the yo-yo was knowing when to push, when to pull, and when to let gravity take over.

Jesse liked how this golden yo-yo felt in his hand. He liked how it twirled, and he liked how it reflected the late evening sunlight coming in through his window. He had not played with this yo-yo in four years. That summer, after they had won the tournament, Samuel and Jesse had played with the golden yo-yos endlessly. At first, Jesse had wanted to put his on a shelf, but Samuel had said what was the point of a yo yo that was never used and why not show off their prizes. So, Jesse and Samuel spent most of the summer flashing their yo-yos in the sun. Hence, the paint had taken a few dings because learning new tricks meant clashes with the ground from time to time. But, after Samuel had gone, Jesse had placed his golden yo-yo on a shelf and switched to using his green and purple plastic one. It was much more practical for taking apart and replacing the string when necessary. It was also more resilient when it came to daily knocks. 

As Jesse stood there in his dorm room manoeuvring his golden yo-yo again, he felt overwhelmed by the memories and a sense of loneliness. Here he was, miles from home, his family, and all his friends. He laughed softly as he remembered how his friends back home had joked that he could earn some money busking on the city streets with his yo-yo if the expenses of college got too demanding. With the cost of living nowadays, he might well find himself doing just that. 

Daylight was dwindling now, but Jesse knew that some exercise would help improve his mood. He could only allow the pull of the past so much energy before bouncing back into the present. So, after a brief run around campus, a shower, and a snack, Jesse was feeling optimistic again. The campus and dorms were quiet because Jesse had moved in a day early. After finishing his unpacking, he fell into bed tired and hopeful. He was excited to start this new chapter in life, one that would allow him to pursue his interest in physics and engineering, and one day become a mechanical engineer. That was something else that he and Samuel had shared: they each had an interest in physics and how things worked. Before turning off the light, he wondered if Samuel was still pursuing his dreams of becoming an astronaut, or if and how those dreams might have changed.

The next day, the campus became a hive of activity. Hundreds of college students were arriving and moving into the dorms. As parents departed, Jesse was able to mix and mingle with many other young people who had come to pursue their studies. And, before the weekend was over, he felt like he already had at least fifty new friends. He doubted he would have much free time, but, if he found himself looking for things to do, he could play frisbee or catch in the grassy field known as the commons, play chess in the lounge, or just hang out with anyone else who also wanted to hang out. And, if he still had extra time on his hands he could look up and practice some new yo-yo tricks and routines. 

Jesse soon learned that his yo-yo was a worthy icebreaker when meeting new people. During weekend gatherings, he would pull it out and entertain others with his manoeuvres. Some people reminisced that the yo-yo craze had also reached their schools a few years back. Many wanted to give it a go, for old times sake, but none of them came close to the skill level of Jesse. 

Then one Friday night, at a gathering in the lounge on the floor below, Jesse was entertaining some new people who had come to the party but did not live on campus. As the tricks became more impressive, someone called out, “Hey, my roommate could give you a run for your money with that yo-yo!” Jesse laughed but thought nothing more of it as the night progressed in its typical manner: with his yo-yo put away and the music pulsing, the students partied into the night, eventually moving off campus to other venues when campus security came along. At that point, Jesse usually called it a night. He was dedicated to his studies, and although he enjoyed socializing, he did not like late nights. He believed in balance. It was the key to his academic success, and it had been, still was, the key to preventing and dealing with stress.

As the weeks passed and winter crept closer, Jesse played with his yo-yo less often in public. Most of his new friends had seen the tricks and nobody seemed interested in taking it up as an actual hobby. So, he found that he mostly practiced in solitude in his dorm room, increasingly often with his golden yo-yo. He took some comfort in the familiarity of old tricks while challenging himself to master new ones. 

On his treks to and from classes across the campus, Jesse would often cross paths with various friends met through weekend sports and gatherings. At least once a week, he saw Andrew, the guy with the yo-yo skilled roommate. Then, one sunny day, Jesse saw Andrew walking with another guy. Jesse stopped in his tracks to do a double take. This other guy, the way he walked and the way he wore his baseball hat, seemed so familiar.

“Hey, Jesse, this is my roommate Daniel! Both of you have the magic touch with the yo-yos!”

Jesse felt like his world was spinning, like he was being pulled into another time and place, where he had been before. It took some effort for him to remain composed. Looking directly at the brown eyes before him, Jesse said, “Hi! Have we met before?”

A moment of unblinking silence passed before this stranger who seemed so familiar replied, “No, I don’t think so.” 

Jesse did not know what to say. This was awkward. When Andrew and this guy were approaching, he could have sworn this was Samuel. In the way he walked, in the way he wore his hat, and in the intensity of his brown eyes, he was Samuel. His hair was darker, and he was both taller and leaner than Samuel, but four years could bring those changes. Jesse, flooded with emotion, wanted to say something. A decade of childhood memories and a million questions seemed to flash through his mind. He longed for some answers, but he had no words. 

The awkward moment ended when Daniel said, “Well, I’m going to head to class. I have a physics exam starting soon. I’ll catch you at home, Andrew. Nice to see …, to meet you, Jesse.”

As Daniel walked away, Jesse asked Andrew, “Where’s Dan from?”

Andrew replied, with a laugh, “He hasn’t really said where he’s from, but he has said where he’s going and that’s around the world someday. Oh, and, his name is Daniel, not Dan. He tells people, ‘Call me Daniel, don’t call me Dan.’”

Jesse turned to look at Daniel disappearing down the path. Almost out of sight, Daniel took something out of his coat pocket and let it go with the flick of his wrist. Dancing and flashing in the sunlight was a glint of gold.