Page 54 of The Wish
Their moment is broken by the pilot pointing out a lone dolphin frolicking in the sea. They take the balloon down for a closer look. The dolphin leaps in the air, delighting Jesse.
They pass over a large container ship. Jesse waves enthusiastically to the crew, too excited to care that they don’t respond. Alex watches with a satisfied smile on his face as Jesse takes off her beanie and throws it away, laughing. The two of them lean over the basket and watch it fall.
Looking ahead, Jesse laughs and points. ‘Alex, that athletic track, I’ve been there so many times.’
‘Tell me about it.’
‘This is where the regional finals are held each year. I made the finals there every year I competed.’
‘How many was that?’
‘Well, I started when I was five and stopped two years ago when I got sick. What’s that? Eight or nine years.’
‘Did you have a favourite event?’
‘Definitely middle distance running and cross country in the winter. For three years I won the 400 and 800 metres at State and went to Nationals.’
‘Wow, your parents must have been very proud.’
‘Yeah, they were. Especially Dad. He was an athlete, would probably still be if it wasn’t for work and of course what’s going on with me.’
‘Did he compete?’
‘Oh yeah, he’s got boxes of medals and trophies.’
‘So, he encouraged you?’
‘Big time. He was involved at the club, training when he could and most Saturdays he came and helped out, either timing the races, or measuring at the jumps. He was never one to sit and watch; he had to be involved. I loved it. Made me feel special that my dad was actively involved with me and the club. Not that I ever told him.’
‘Oh, I think he knows. It must be something else, having your parents involved and supporting you like that.’
‘It is. It was. For the last two years I competed, he trained and qualified to be a starter at State level. I can still see the look on his face the first time I lined up on the track. He was wearing the official shirt indicating he was part of the event, he was given his own starting pistol, in a custom-made box with room for the caps. It had a red handle, and I stood in my lane watching him lining up the caps to ensure he gave us a clean start then he flicked the pistol closed, looked over at me and winked. He was ready, he hoped I was ready too. He called us up to our mark, I got down and placed my hands right on the line, not a millimetre behind. Usually, I kept my head down and focused on the track in front of me waiting, anticipating the word “set”, knowing I needed to count to three and the gun would go off. This time I raised my head and looked over at my dad. I heard him call out “set” and raise the gun above his head. I counted to three, the gun went off and so did I. I ran a PB that day.’
‘Sorry, what’s a PB?’
‘Personal best, the best time I’d ever run the 400 metres. I felt him running up behind me, then beside me then he was in front of me calling me on.’
‘That’s amazing. Thank you. Thank you for telling me that story, so many things about your dad and your relationship with him are becoming clearer to me.’
‘He’s my dad. I love him. I know he loves me so much and our love for athletics has made our relationship something special.’
‘What about Sam?’
‘No, he tried it, but he’s more like Mum, you know, creative.’
They fall silent, watching the world below them gently pass by. Jesse feels a pang. ‘Mum hates heights. The last thing she’d want to do is come up here with me. She’d panic.’ She pauses. ‘Dad, though . . .’
‘This is more his kind of thing?’
She nods. Leaning against the edge of the basket, looking down at the coastline below her sparkling in the morning sun, she says, ‘I’m not going to be able to tell him about this, am I?’
‘Maybe later,’ Alex answers.
‘Later . . . I’m not sure how much of a later I have . . .’ Jesse replies. She hopes there will be a later, that soon there will be a time where she doesn’t feel like she has to go behind his back. She wants to talk to her mum about it, ask her advice. But the sun is shining on the waves below, the wind is a gentle breeze, ruffling her tufts of hair, the whole of the world is down there, in all its beauty and hope. From this distance, everything looks at peace; from this distance, everything looks like it will work out.
‘Thank you, Alex.’
Her voice is filled with emotion: joy and excitement and gratitude. Alex meets her eye, then looks back down below them. Jesse nudges him playfully in the ribs and leans into him. Together they watch the scenery changing slowly below them as they float back down the coast, the sun now fully overhead in the sky.
