Alfie, unsteady and swaying, stomps towards the edge of the rink, desperate to get on the ice, while Sarah yells for him to slow down and wait. He’s a hundred times more fearless than me, which is rather embarrassing. I need to get a grip here. Literally.
I finally hobble out on to the ice and immediately grab the side to steady myself. Under the twinkling canopy, ‘Dancing Queen’ blasts from the sound system, almost drowned out by the skaters who are having a whale of a time. I spot my first faller. Then another, and finally another who takes her mate down with her. They both sit on the ice, laughing too much to successfully get up.
Alfie has nabbed a penguin and is skating happily beside Matt, while Sarah props up the barrier beside me.
‘Matt’s really good, isn’t he?’ she remarks as he skates backwards, helping a rosy-faced Alfie along.
‘Yeah, he’s been skating for years,’ I reply as her eyes follow them around the rink. ‘Listen, don’t feel you have to stay here with me. Go and join them.’
She nods. ‘I will in a minute. Once my feet start moving in the same direction.’
I tentatively let go for a moment but regret it instantly. I start to laugh from frustration and/or paralysing fear.
‘GAH! This is ridiculous,’ I exclaim. ‘I abseiled down a fucking building at uni! Why is this so daunting?’
Sarah starts to laugh too. ‘I have no idea. It’s like, I know what falling feels like, I’ve done it before. . . there’s no big mystery here. . . look, that guy just tumbled and he’s about five years away from a nursing home. God, I’m such a wuss.’
Matt and Alfie disappear into the crowd, leaving us to battle our fears alone. Sarah is the first one to break.
‘Right. Let’s just go for it.’
I grimace. ‘What? Like just go? Skate? Out there?’
‘Yep. Balls to the wall. Arse to the floor. What’s the worst that can happen?’
‘People point and laugh at us and then we end up on YouTube where more people will point and—’
‘Jesus, you’re overthinking this way too much. We’re doing it.’
I hesitate but she holds out her gloved hand.
‘We’re going to look ridiculous; you realise that?’ I say, giving the rink one last cursory glance.
She nods. ‘Yep. . . but I will if you will?’
I take her hand and let go of the side, feeling an immediate burst of embarrassment as we try to glide as gracefully as possible. I put my left hand out to the side for balance, my arse clenching itself for dear life.
‘Left. . . right. . . left. . . right. . .’ I hear Sarah say quietly to herself, ignoring the more experienced skaters zipping around us. ‘Um, Nick, you actually have to move your legs, I can’t just drag you.’
‘You’re the only reason I’m upright, let’s not ruin the moment.’
Staying close to the side, we continue around the rink, giggling manically at every close call or surprise yelp which escapes from my mouth.
‘Mum! Look at me!’
Sarah removes her hand from mine as Alfie pulls up alongside us, showing off his penguin skills.
‘Wow, you’re doing it!’ Matt says, skating haphazardly beside me. ‘Good job, mate,face those fears. . .’
‘Get away from me, Jayne Torvill, you’re making me nervous.’
He playfully kisses Sarah before whizzing behind me. ‘Just bend your knees a bit more and no. . . you need to. . . Nick—’
I’m going down. Arms like windmills as I veer right and smack into the barrier, my legs desperately trying to regain traction on the ice, but failing miserably.
‘Timber!’ yells some douchebag in a striped scarf, while Matt tries to help me up.
‘One fall down,’ I say, brushing my jeans off, ‘sixty-five to go.’
