'1979' by Shahema Tafader

‘No way, you can actually carry that thing in your pocket?’

‘Oh yeah,’ Tiger said, smirking. 

He was in the school playground surrounded by eight boys - three from his own year, the rest from the year above.

‘Check this …’ he said as he pushed his finger down on the button with the symbol of two arrows pointing backwards. The twin circles visible through the Walkman whirred as they spun. 

‘What’s it doing,’ said a boy Tiger didn’t know. 

‘Rewinding - it’s gna play the track again.’

‘Woa,’ the boys said together. 

‘Now listen,’ Tiger said as he handed the headphone over to his friend. 

His friend placed the large ear cups over his ears. His eyes widened and froze there for a few seconds before he smiled. Bobbing his head, he snapped his fingers to the beat in his ears. 

‘Yo, lemme listen,’ another boy said. 

Tiger handed him the headphone and watched as amusement crossed his face too. Like that, each boy took a pass, before the bell rang, calling them back to class.

As the boys headed back indoors, Tiger looked around, checking for any teachers. Then, he climbed over the gate and landed in the park next door. He put his headphones on and walked away, bobbing his head to the sound of Michael Jackson’s, Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough.