Real People

Gooey ice cascaded over Sam’s hand faster than she could lick it. The taste of childhood burst into her mouth and for a second, she held it before her, admiring the bright, innocent joy in the sunset colours of the rocket lolly. Back when she had dreamed of being an astronaut, a diver, anything she wanted.

An icy drop splashed against her skin, shaking her out of the daze and returning her to Ali’s back garden, across from the friends she hadn’t seen in years.

‘What will you write about?’ Courtney was asking, tucking her thick curls behind her ears.

‘Maybe I’ll just do it about us.’ Ali leaned back and closed her eyes, breathing in the heavy air. ‘A perfect day with my best friends.’

‘Why? Where’s the story? We’re just ordinary. We’re boring.’

‘Everyone is ordinary, Courtney. We’re all born the same: just people. But that’s exactly what makes each of us so spectacular!’ Ali’s excitement grew along with her profound message.

Courtney’s eyebrows furrowed.

‘Are you sure about this?’

‘Come on! It’ll be meta!’ Ali giggled.

‘I just don’t think-‘

Ali sighed in exasperation.

‘Okay, fine, I’ll keep thinking about it.’

‘Sorry…’

‘Nah it’s fine, it was dumb anyway. I’m just out of ideas.’

Sam passed the lollipop to the other hand so that she could lick the escaping drops from her fingers, but the uncomfortable stickiness remained.

‘What have you guys been doing anyway?’ Ali pressed. A few quizzical glances were exchanged.

‘Nothing, really.’ Sam mumbled finally. ‘There’s not much to do stuck in the house. Can’t move without bumping into my dumb brother or my annoying step dad. It’s better for everyone to just stay out of each others way to be honest…’

‘Sucks. Brothers are the worst.’ Ali commiserated.

‘Sam, have you been cooking recently?’ Courtney interjected brightly. ‘I used to beg you to to let me come over and make you cook me for me!’

‘Actually, I can’t.’ They stared at her expectantly. She glanced up to find them waiting and glanced away quickly. ‘Our oven broke last month.’

‘Oh, so you’ll get back to it soon then?’ Courtney assumed without missing a beat.

‘Well… Jerry is starting school this year, he needs a uniform. And mum needs to buy a laptop for work and…’ Sam trailed of and glanced around the garden, avoiding their eyes as she fidgeted with her nails.

‘So, Ali!’ She burst out hurriedly, desperate to divert the conversation. ‘Are you gonna keep writing, like, as a career?’

‘Yeah, I’ve always loved it and if I can use it to make one person happier, I think it’s worth it. I wanna use it, you know?’ She continued thoughtfully. ‘I want to show people things they could never experience, and help people with it.’

Courtney nodded understandingly. ‘You can make the world better. One person at a time.’ Ali smiled softly.

‘Yeah, like that:  I want it to mean something. But I think I just get way too caught up in all that sometimes. And I forget to just write.’ She shook her head. ‘What about you guys? You know what you want to do?’

Another Mexican wave of shrugs and avoided glances passed between them.

‘I guess I’ll just have to try and get any job I can. I don’t really care what.’ Sam replied.

‘I can recommend you at the care home if you want. I have to quit soon.’ Courtney suggested her tone low for the first time.

‘You still work there?’ Ali cried. ‘How are old Patrick and Lizzie? Still threatening each other with divorce? What about Cyril?’

Courtney laughed.

‘Honestly, nothing’s changed. They’re still constantly at war. And Cyril asks about you guys every day. I don’t know if he forgets or he’s just hoping I’ll change my answer one day and tell him you’ll visit.’ Her eyes gleamed as she recalled tales of all the people who relied on her every day. She beamed subconsciously.

‘Tell him of course we’ll visit!’ Sam grinned at the thought of returning to the care home after so long.

‘So don’t you want to stay? You always wanted to work there!’ Ali asked. Courtney’s smiled snapped back to a frown, like elastic pinging back into place.

‘Yeah, I wish I could. But mum and dad don’t like it. They say it’s a poor job. They want me to do something proper, you know, like a lawyer or a doctor. Does anyone want to do that, seriously…’ She burst spitefully.

Sam swallowed the last of the icy rocket, the sweet, reminiscent flavour making her suck in her cheeks.

‘I do.’ Sam’s voice was an echo. ‘I want to be a doctor. Be able to save people.’  She continued, louder.

‘That’s cool! You were always the clever one. I bet you could do it, easy.’ Courtney cheered. Sam shook her head, twiddling the ice pop stick between her thumbs.

‘Can’t.

‘Why not?’ Courtney asked, bewildered.

‘Medical school.’ Sam replied resolutely. ‘It’s expensive.’

‘Oh.’ Courtney opened her mouth but found she didn’t know what to say. There weren’t any words that would change the situation.

‘Wish we could just swap places…’ Sam murmured, her face blank.

‘You know what, we could. My parents probably wouldn’t even notice.’ Courtney sighed.

‘Let’s do it,’ Sam joked but there was a hint of longing in her eyes. Ali listened with growing interest.

‘Stop planning your next book, Ali!’ Courtney jibed. Ali stuck out her tongue.

‘Characters are all entirely fictional’ She quoted in retort.

Their laughter was halted by a shrill ringtone.

‘Sorry,’ Sam grimaced before picking up the phone. ‘Okay. I’ll leave right now. I’ll be right there. Bye.’ She was already standing even before the call ended.

‘You mum?’ Ali asked. Sam nodded.

‘I better go too then.’ Courtney added sadly.

‘We gotta meet up sooner this time! Before we all move away!’ Ali smiled.

‘Yes! It’s been way too long!’ Courtney chimed in.

Sam smiled and nodded. ‘Definitely. See you then.’ But it was exactly what they had said last time they met. She tossed the wooden lolly stick in the bin and rushed out the gate, back to her responsibilities.

‘Good luck with that story…’ Courtney added as Sam disappeared down the road.

It could actually work, I think.’ Ali marvelled.

‘What are you talking about?’

‘Everything, just today, here, everything we said! That is the story!’

‘Who on earth would want to read that? Nothing even happened! It’ll be pointless.’

‘It’s not about what happened, Courtney. It’s about people! Real people. Individuals. It’s not about one lazy afternoon. It’s about our whole lives, intersecting at this minuscule moment in time, it’s about our future!’

‘Honestly, Ali, this idea isn’t going anywhere. What’s so interesting about our future?’

‘Trust me.’ Ali grinned. ‘There’s potential.’