KID MOUNTAIN

All of Kid Mountain and Bernie would form a line, hold hands (never letting go), and then roller skate, never stopping, and gaining a bigger and bigger line of skaters and new friends as we head across towns, counties, states, and finally the country. Eventually, as we cross into Texas, we spot another group of skaters skating towards us with the biggest Jansport backpacks you’ve ever seen. Everyone notices as Bernie, who’s leading the pack, turns towards us with a gigantic grin on his face and points with his one free hand towards the oncoming group of skaters. Finally, we all realize the reason for Bernie’s delight: Freddie Mercury – with the rest of Queen following closely behind – unzips his backpack, and proceeds to pull out giant pixie sticks of all flavors and varieties. Queen then begins to hand out the powdery treat to everyone in our line, making a point to wink at every single person they encounter. Queen was never seen again. Re-vitalized and jittery, our line continues on, growing steadily with every turn of our wheels. Have you ever heard the sound of hundreds of thousands of roller skates on pavement? The deafening roar could be heard from miles away. Suddenly, Bernie stopped, and others followed suit. He unlinked hands and stood before us. We all stared at him, sweaty and anxious with anticipation. “I’m pretty tired,” he said. “I think I’ll go home now.” He then started skating in the opposite direction, winking as he passed. We all blew kisses at him and we all missed him already. That day, our legs, stomachs, and minds all felt the bern. — Jean J.