How to save a life

"My name is Bobby Wade Nash and this is the story of how I became a firefighter.

"Oh, watch out, here comes the little ballerina!" I turned around but Hank already got my back: "shut up, Fred, Bobby can deadlift more than you" I sighed: "It's fine Hank, really." Since word spread that I not only play for the 'blue eagles', but also iceskate for the 'stardancers', Fred just wouldn't shut up about it. I shook my head and put my books in the locker. "Anyway, do you already know what your college essay will be about?" I asked Hank. "Nah, but I'm sure I'll have an idea in time, as always", Hank grined. I smirked and waged my head about him. "You know the day will come when this doesn't work anymore, don't you?" - "Yeah, but this day hasn't come yet, my friend", Hank laughed and walked towards the cafeteria. Smirkng, I followed him.

Later that day, I sat on my desk, trying to think about a beginning for my essay. Finally I wrote down 'a dream on ice' as a headline. My Mother knocked at the door. When I called her in, she entered and put down a basket of laundry on my bed and looked over my shoulder. When she saw the title of my essay, she sighed. "you know your dad won't like this... Are you sure about that?" My  sholders sank in a little and as did my hope. "yes, I am. I am sure about that since I first stood on ice. It's my passion, mum. But I still hope that dad will become reasonable eventually" - "well, he is hoping for the same thing". With these words she left my room and me in thought.

Later I came down the stairs for dinner. My dad and grandpa were already at the table, and I still wasn't used to my brother missing. "Do you still chase that ice dance daydream?" asked dad. He didn't even look up, not noticing my smile fading  as I sat down. "Ice dancer? Robert, I thought you already knocked that nonsense out of the boy" growled grandpa while putting some Salat next to his steak. "I'm not paying for the training. The boy will cop on in time", dad defended himself. My hands formed fists under the table when he added laughing "or should I say firefighter on". My mum seemed to be the only one noticing how important that was to me. But as always, she decided to stay neutral. My jaw tensed, and without a word i stood up and left. I just couldn't hear it anymore. Right before I reached the door I grabed my Walkman and my headphones. My parents yelled "hey, where do you think you're going, young man?!", but I didn't hear them anymore.

My feet carryed me towards the farm were my friend Hank lived. I didn't even notice, until something alarmed me. Confused, I put down my headphones, and what I heard and smelled frightened me more than anything befor: fire. I sprinted the last hundred meters, only to see the barn and the farmhouse on fire. Against the raging flames I saw three shadows outlined, standing in front of it. Three... but the Darsons were four... I paced up even more. When I reached the guises, my heart sank even deeper. Hank wasn't there. It was all I could think about. I grabbed Mr. Darsons at the collar, yelled out "Where is Hank?" he looked at me, startled, tears in his eyes. Tears. He never cried. "Bobby? Hank, he... He was upstairs, and the fire was at the stairs, and we couldn't, I couldn't..." The blood froze in my veins. I wanted to run into the building, but Hanks father held me back. I screamed and fought, but he was stronger. "I can't let you in, I can't" he kept repeating like a mantra.

After this, I always keep thinking, if I would've been a firefighter, like everyone told me too, maybe I could've saved him. So that's what I did. I became a firefighter. To save all those people won't bring him back, I know that, but that's my way of honoring him. To Hank.". Bobby raised his Glas of water, and so did the other ones at the meeting. After he was done, he sat down in a chair in the last row. He didn't really want to be here, but he knew he had to do this if he wanted to be a firefighter again. The only thing that was left for him now, without Marcy, without his kids. One Man that spoke earlier made his way to me. He sat down on the chair next to him. "I have been were you are now."