Tenacity

Again

Reki laid there. Staring up at the red graffiti star that felt so entirely far away at the position he was resting from. 

"...Damn. How did Langa do it so easily? What's wrong with me...?" Reki asked himself out loud. 

He picked himself up, stacking each limb on top of one another slowly,  from forearm to hand to knee until he lifted his bade up and rose to his feet again. Reki walked over to the branch and grabbed it to mark another slash into the ground amongst the array of X's upon the dusty ground as he kept count of his trials thus far. Not once had he been able to reach the same height that his noob skateboarding friend had effortlessly achieved earlier that day. 

Reki trudged up the pavement to find the best area to get enough momentum just as Langa had done when he nailed the stunt. Rays of orange and yellow beamed onto Reki's lowered head as he arrived at the same starting spot for about the 30th time that evening. 

Again.    Again.    Again.

"Come on...please.." Reki mumbled to himself with a lump in his throat just before dropping his board and jumping onto it's body. The wind hit his face and threw his hair from side to side upon the speed. With each aggressive from his foot as it made impact with the pavement, Reki pierced negative words into his own mind. 

Be Better. Why Can't You Do It? It's Right There. Stop Being A Failure. 

His eyes locked onto the same small star just overhead as he reached his entire being towards where it marked. But once again, he had barely missed it. Reki fell onto the cold, hard ground and it pierced his previously bruised body parts. All he could manage was to wince and groan at the pain. Reki was curled up on the ground for a few minutes just wallowing in the emptiness of his thoughts that the pain distracted him with. He uncoiled himself but kept strewn about on the chilling concrete. His chest tight and his throat felt dry. Reki's hand found its way stretched out overhead again towards the star that seemed even further than his previous attempt. 

Reki was tired. He was fed up with his hopeless, tireless efforts to be even with his friends. With Langa. What could Reki do now that he fell so short of their skills? His head stirred with envy, devastation, and defeat. 

He arduously lifted his limp body up once more. 

Again and Again and Again and Again. Do it again. Reki sneered at inwardly and kept trying. 

***

He was spent. Flat on the ground in his cold coffin on a spot which he kept managing to land in. He'd also gone flying to the metal railing a few times and gotten the wind knocked out of himself a few times, but this spot left him staring at his unobtainable goal above. 

"I can't do this anymore. I'll never be as good as those pro skaters Joe and Cherry... Or even Langa." 

A drop of rain found its way to hit Reki's cheek just beneath his eye.

"What's the point... I'm cooked" Reki sighed and tears began flowing along with the pickup of raindrops.