I step outside, soon realizing I have to take off my sweater because the heat from the sun is too much to handle under the warmth of the fleece. I make my way downtown and pass a park, so I take a seat on the nearest bench so I can manage to take off my sweater without all my books dropping everywhere. There’s a warm breeze, which sweeps my bangs out of my face, but the heat of the sun still pounds on my back. I can smell the thick scent of freshly cut grass right under my feet.
The small hum of cars nearby is quickly shut out by the loud laughter and constant giggles of the few children in the park. I look up to see but the glare of the sun shining off the bright blue plastic slide catches my eye so I adjust near the end of the bench closer to the shade. I notice the change of color in the leaves, which are now various shades of green, orange, brown and red. Summer is fading to fall.
There about ten kids in the park, all running after each other, laughing non-stop, and one yells, “Lilly’s it! Run!” They all take off, scrambling everywhere, up the big slide and rusty steps. “Haha, you can’t get me!”
They all seem to be having so much fun playing with each other, but I notice one little girl, all alone on a bench. She sits, bangs over her eyes, dirt on her chin and hair half up in a ponytail, singing and mumbling to herself. Her tiny brown fingers pick off individual leaves from a newly planted bush and as she collects them in her hands, she’s staring at them as if she has never seen such a thing. She pulls up her socks, which are bare to the dirt where she stands, climbs and jumps off the bench and moves along to another bush. She picks a flower and some more leaves and keeps singing, “la la la, little flower.” Her mouth never stops, and her eyes are wandering everywhere, having a complete conversation with mid air, until she notices the others holding hands, gathered around a tree, where she runs to join them.
There are many other kids in the park now, filling up all four swings, which rattle and squeak with every movement. Their chanting shows competition develops early, “I’m higher than you are!”
The imagination in kids never ceases to amaze me. One little boy climbs up the side of the bright yellow ladder, covered with sand, and as he approaches his friends on the top of the slide, all I can hear is “There’s a bad guy! Hurry up! Run,” soon followed by “Careful now, don’t fall!”
I look to find the owner of the unexpected older voice, who I see sitting in the corner of the sandbox. Another woman, who is also wearing a red t-shirt and jeans but wearing glasses too, accompanies her. Long brown hair sits to her chin and wrinkles around her eyes show me she’s experienced with life and must have had a few good laughs. The two sit chatting, watching the children, and soon get up and make their way to the end of the park.
“OK everybody, line-up,” one woman says in a soft but demanding voice. The kids slowly make their way over; covered in dirt and sand, jumping up and down with what little energy they have left. Waving goodbye to some other kids in the park they walk away, still laughing and giggling. “Goodbye Lilly, bye Paige!” One little boy yells, “Audios amigos!” The woman repeats him, laughing, “Audios Amigos.”
The kids leave the park empty, but still lively. A small yellow butterfly flutters around the now empty sandbox, soon accompanied by a couple wasps. The swings are still in full motion, rattling to full extent. I’m forced to squint as the sun is still shining bright as ever and as I turn to leave the kids’ laughter is gone and the only noise I can hear are the cars on the street and the crunching of the old fallen brown leaves under my feet.
No comments:
Post a Comment