Waiting

Inspired by Green Day.

     I remember I really wanted to go to Six Flags as a kid. I loved Daffy Duck. I loved duck-based characters in general, like Donald and Uncle Scrooge, but Daffy was special. Daffy had problems talking. He couldn't pronounce his s’s properly. He would end up spitting all over everyone whenever he spoke. He was very animated, passionate; he wanted his time in the spotlight. I felt bad for him. Bugs Bunny would always steal his thunder with his cocky attitude and correct way of enunciating words.

     He was there. On the commercial. He was real. He wasn't just some cartoon character, he was a real person (duck?) that wanted his time in the spotlight. And even then, he was waving in the background, behind Bugs Bunny and Porky Pig. I waved back. I wanted him to know I saw him, and that I noticed what he did for me. That he inspired me to be the best person I could be. To ignore what my teachers and classmates said about the way I talked. That I had so much potential and how I should never give up just because I don’t talk normally, whatever that meant.

     I begged my parents to take me to Six Flags. I asked them every day if I could go meet Daffy Duck. They said he would be there in the summer, after school left out. They said maybe if I was good, I could go meet him. By “good,” I knew they meant if I practiced speaking well.

     For weeks I sat in my room, reading aloud to myself. I tackled each word one at a time. Thoothie. No. Soothie. No. Susie. Yes. Susie played on the thee thaw.See thaw. See saw. Susie played on the see saw. Thee. She.She had tho. She had so. She had so much fun.

     My parents heard me reading to myself one night. They said they were so impressed how often I was practicing. They said they would even take me to Six Flags on the first day of summer. I jumped up and down, unable to believe it was really going to happen. I was finally going to meet Daffy Duck!

     A sign with Yosemite Sam greeted us as we followed a line of cars into the park. I could see roller coasters towering in the sky and the screams of people whirling around them. I’d been waiting a long time for this moment to come. I was finally going to meet my hero. I was destined for anything at all.

     We walked up to the ticket booth and entered the park. My parents told me to slow down, but I couldn’t hear them. Amid all the people walking into the park, I dashed between them all, searching for him.

     There he was! By the fountain, taking a picture with another family. I rushed over, almost tripping over my own feet. I stood in the line of people waiting to meet him. He was literally 10 feet away from me. I was so much closer than I have ever known I could be.

     It was my turn. I looked up to my idol. “Hi, Daffy!” I yelled.

     Daffy waved at me, face unchanging.

     “I can’t believe I’m finally meeting you! You’re my hero!”

     Daffy pulled me closer. The photographer peered through his camera and asked us to smile. I put on the biggest smile I could and let him take the photo.

     “I think you’re tho cool! You’re tho much better the Bugth!” I spat out.

     He nodded. I kept complimenting him, but he was gradually nudging me away so the next family could come up.

     “Daffy, why aren’t you thaying anything?” I watched as he posed with the next family. “You… you’re my inthpiration. We were going to have a TV thow together.”

     I stood there, watching him pose with family after family. Maybe he was busy. Maybe he would come back to talk with me after he was done taking pictures. When my parents found me, I told them I wanted to talk with Daffy when he wasn’t busy. They hesitated, but let me. I waited for an hour.

     He eventually stopped and walked my way. I perked up, and waited for him to say something.

     He waved, and continued walking.

     I stood there, dumbstruck.