Fiction - The Backstories of the Trampoline Academy Book 1: The Drawing Board Chp.1 (Future Project Target Release Date — January 2024 )

Chapter 1

“Ummm, excuse me…umm excuse me sir!…” A young lady in the middle of the group waved her hand. She shouted to be heard over the traffic that rode down the neighboring inner city street. “…I don’t mean no harm, what did you say your name was?… Mr. Washington?! Mr. Washington, what exactly is the Trampoline Academy?…” she pondered aloud “… will we be going to a trampoline park? Are y’all gonna teach us how to do flips? What is the Trampoline Academy?!” she squinted as she used her shoulders to emphasize her points.

“Young lady, that is a great question,…” responded the man holding the clipboard in front of the group of concerned parents and aspiring seventh graders. The ninety-five degree heat beat down on their yellow construction hard hats. “… I haven’t gotten to the attendance roll yet. What’s your name, ma’am?” the forty-something-year-old Washington asked the middle schooler.

“I’m LaQuandria Johnson, but everyone just calls me Quan.”

“Ok, well, I’ll call you Ms. Johnson. The Trampoline Academy is a metaphor. Can any of you young people tell me, what is a metaphor?” he said as he surveyed the group for responses.

“Ooo! I think I know what a metaphor is.” A young man in the group with a yellow shirt, khaki slacks and a pair of old but maintained penny loafers raised his hand. “…So, back in the day, during olden times there was this basketball player who changed his name from Ron Artest to Meta World Peace. I don’t know this for sure, but Imma guess that his fourth shoes on the market were called ‘Meta Fours’ he said, as he crossed his arms over his chest with a look of accomplishment.

A young man, who stood next to him with almost the exact same face, froze upon hearing his brother’s response. While he looked like the other kid that answered, he wore a simple white shirt and blue jeans. Prior to his twin talking, he had been glued to the video game that he was playing on his cell phone. Looking up from his mobile device with a raised eyebrow and a look of awe and embarrassment, he shook his head. He belted loud enough for his twin to hear him but not to draw attention from the group, “Boy, if you don’t hush!”

Mr. Washington gave a brief hmmm and said “That’s not quite what we are looking for…but good try sir. And your name is?…” He said as he looked down at his clipboard in an effort to match the speaker with the name on his roster.

“I’m Jamere Banks and this is my twin brother Jamal..” he said as he gestured towards his brother. Jamal looked up from his smartphone to quickly wave his hand and abruptly return to the machine. “…yeah Mr. Washington, everybody here just calls us Twin. I’m ‘Art Twin’ and this ‘Tech Twin’”

“Ok thanks, Jamere and Jamal got it…” he said as he checked the names off his clipboard. “Would anyone else like to try? What is a metaphor? Ha, I feel like I’m teaching again.” he stated as he checked for hands again. “…ok yes the young lady in the front.”

“Yes, by the way my name is Sophia Lee. I am present and just for the record I was the first person here. I mean, I know that doesn’t matter but just for the record. My mother says that success starts with setting your alarm clock one hour earlier. But yes a metaphor I believe is what I saw at the Mae Jemison Museum of Nature and Science. My mother and her husband, So Chan took me there and we saw many exhibits. If I can recall, one exhibit that we saw focused on the planets and stars. A metaphor, Mr. Washington, is a streak of light that flashes across the sky”

“Another good try. However, I am sorry, but that it is actually a meteor. I want to know what is a metaphor?”

The young lady gritted her teeth with a look of displeasure when she was corrected.

“..no need to be embarrassed. I would rather that you tried to get the answer and fail than not try at all. Just don’t quit. That is something that you will see over and over again here at the Trampoline Academy…” the leader reassured Sophia. “…alright guys what is a metaphor??… ah yes Ms. Johnson your hand is raised again. What is a metaphor?”

“Mr. Washington, I know what a metaphor is. We had that in my English Class last year. A simile is a way to compare two things while using ‘like’ or ‘as.’ But a metaphor compares two things without using ‘like’ or ‘as.’ I know English. Now Math that’s a different story!” she said with a chuckle.

“I can relate. I was the same way in school and yes Ms. Johnson that is the correct way to use the term metaphor…”

“I knew that! I just got the terms confused.” interjected Sophia

Mr. Washington continued “…The ‘trampoline’ in the title Trampoline Academy is a metaphor. The trampoline is being compared to a support system. As a real trampoline has a support system of springs that continues to catch you and relaunch you into the air, I want this program to catch and relaunch you as you seek to pursue your dreams in life.”

“Um, dad” raised the hand of the twelve year old that looked like a miniature version of Mr. Washington.

“Yes son…some of yall know that this is my boy!” he said as he looked in his son’s direction.

“Well Dad, I just want to say you got it wrong.”

“Whuh?! Boy what are you talking about? How did I get my own idea wrong”

“No, not the idea. You said that it’s a metaphor. It’s actually a simile. When you said ‘As a real trampoline has a support system of springs,’ that is a simile not a metaphor. You got it wrong?”

“Ok, Will J, you got me. The Trampoline Academy is a simile,..” Willie Washington Sr. said as he laughed and offered a reluctant double wave of surrender.

He turned to the right and looked at the direction of the only other person that wore the same yellow Trampoline Academy T-shirt. The T-shirt had blue lettering and logo outline. The logo displayed a sneaker about to step on a trampoline. The letters on the T-shirt read The Trampoline Academy. Under the logo read the words “We put a spring in the step of dreamwalkers”.

“Babe. Can you believe this?!… my own flesh and blood”

She leaned her head to the right, pursed her lips together, and said “Well he is right… And babe you gotta little ash there,” she said as she pointed to his knuckles. She reached in her pockets and splashed his cupped hands with a squirt of cocoa butter.

Mr. Washington playfully opened his mouth and said, “You too…Wow, I see how y’all do.” he said as he casually rubbed his knuckles and wrist with the lotion from his wife “…Ok so in either case we want to provide you guys with a support system as you get ready to go into your high school years. This group of ten students will be our first, or inaugural class. Behind me is the building that we hope will be completed this time next year. This is what…Memorial Day weekend? So not this Juneteenth but next Juneteenth we should be able to hold our ribbon cutting ceremony on this multi-million dollar community center which is being built right behind me by contractors from this very community,” he said as he pointed in the direction of the construction.

One of the hands of the adults lifted up in response to Mr. Washington’s words.

“Ah, yes ma’am,” he acknowledged.

“Yes, my name is Tamika Jackson and I’m the legal guardian of Harriet…” she said as he looked to the young lady that stood right in front of her. The young lady held her head down and scrunched her shoulders as her mother figure spoke. “…say hello Harriett…” she prodded “…say hello!”

“Huellleomph” Harriet mumbled.

“As you can see she’s a little shy. But yes I am a grant writer, let me see how I can say this without sounding…” she paused to collect her thoughts. “…So, I’ve written grants throughout Urbano, Texas from right here in the majestic Norain…” she opened her hand to emphasize her underdeveloped surroundings. “… All throughout Suburbia…in Los Cristol…in Uptown right now I’m doing some work in the Pushouts. Multi-million dollar grants you name it. I’m just curious, this Trampoline Academy sounds like a great idea but how will yall get the money to finance this ‘Support System Simile’ as you call it?” She questioned as her eyebrows furrowed and her shoulders leaned in for his response.

Before Mr. Washington could respond, a loud black yet clean Cadilac Escalade darted in the direction of the people. The driver appeared to identify the group and proceeded to drive off road onto the sidewalk and into the grass towards the gathering.

As the body of the truck bopped up and down the speakers blared “Boooom Booooom Boom!!! Boooom Booooom Boom!!!”. The Sports Utility Vehicle slowed down and came to a stop on the street near the group. The passenger side door was closest to the onlookers. Out of the back of the vehicle jumped a young man that seemed like he could be a classmate of the students in attendance. He wore a Chicago Bulls hoodie and his disposition matched that of the team logo on his clothing. The front passenger door did not open. However, the window rolled down slightly to reveal the partial profile of a woman with sunglasses who remained in the car. The driver’s side door opened and the large vehicle bounced up and down when the man driving got out.

Mr. Washington looked back in the direction of Tamika Jackson and said “Funny you should ask, Our funding source has just arrived…”