23rd AND PARK
By Daniel Carr
The basement of United Cerebral Palsy NYC contains a far different atmosphere than the bustling outside world surrounding the center. Florescent light beams down the renovated corridor to the back of the hall to the entrance of the Slone Rehabilitation Center. I'm walking alongside Bruce, a 53-year-old client with cerebral palsy. An old black walker extends in front of him as he clanks down the hall of the gym. He scrubs the coffee sediment from his stubbly jovial face, and immediately gets to work.
The light shimmers off his partially bald head. Crispy wisps of hair dance over his skull and swim up and down as he works. His fingers twist around the worn brown wooden bars that he grasps with worlds of determination. With one concentrated step after the other, he moves his legs. His back is straight and his head sits high as he pushes the black mat of what looks like a hybrid treadmill.
With my arms up and legs bent, I spot him on the machine. His progress has been going well; since the center has opened they've seen a marked improvement in his muscle mass and coordination.
"You're doing great, how ya' feeling?" I say to encourage him.
"Sure, great!" he replies with an unforgettable smile as the smell of a days worth of coffee hits me.
Minutes go by and I hear the breath beginning to pass over his lips a little faster. His legs seem to be stumbling rather than walking; it's been enough for now.
"Okay Bruce, that's six minutes, let's take a rest."
He grips my arm with fantastic strength as I help him off the machine. We take a seat in two white chairs pressed against the back wall, and I ask him how his day is going. He says it's been pretty good so far. He tells me that the train stopped up at Yankee Stadium just at the right spot so he could see the game.
"Yeah, we were up two, but then the train moved again," he informed me. The trainer came over with the log, and Bruce became consumed by her conversation. Soon, without him noticing, I left the basement and went in search of another job to do. Every time I'm on the train near the stadium, an image of him pops into my head; I doubt I made such a lasting impression on him.
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Comments
I really enjoyed "23rd and Park." Liked the sounds of your words and the images they created. Definitely made a lastling impression on me.
- Fran Epstein
New York, NY
Thank you for your spreading the silky cobwebs inside all of us.....and entrusting the bullet-proof piercing of your words to the frail yet pliable beings that we try to be.
- Bob Phillips
Leesport, PA