What if
There is no better playground than the dark, barely lit,compartmentalized parking lot under the apartments above. It was a maze my siblings, cousins, friends, and I would often play
hide-and-seek in.
My father and uncles spent their lazy afternoons with the other petanque-crazed cohorts. The shiny silver lead balls were always rubbed down to its original luster after each rough play in the sand. The sandbox was theirs, and the maze was ours. While our fathers were outside in the heat, mapping out where to throw the petanque next to hit their goal, we mapped out where to hide from IT.
We giggled. Dou was IT. One, Two, Three....we dispersed into the corridors and weaved through the damp halls. The 8-year-old girl told her 7- and 6- year old cousins "hush." She looked around the enclosed walls that led to the outside. I sliver of the light from the sun
peeked through the cracks. Just as they were about to walk towards the exit, a shadow grew on the children.
"Stop" the voice boomed. "What are you doing here?" The bearish man demanded. We stood frozen in our tracks. We had been caught. The children were behind her and she told them in their language to stay. Her heart palpitated. Her pulse quickened. "Come here!" he asked. And
he held his hand out.
"Don't go," she said in their language. "When I tell you to run, you run as fast as you can towards the exit." And she faced him. "We are looking for their brother sir. He was here." She held onto her ground. Her little feet grounded to the cement. He pointed at her. "Come here." She took one step forward. Her heart pounding in her ears. And just as he reached for her, she yelled, "Run" in their language and the 6 little legs carried them as fast as the wind. One, two, three. The yellow shine of the outside world beckoned.
They stepped out into the light and the place was filled with noise again. The dogs barking in the alley. The petanque balls bumping into each other. My aunt was sitting on a bench and looked towards the kids in surprise. "Where have you been?" Dou sat silently playing with
rocks besides her. We shook our heads. "We want to go home."
hide-and-seek in.
My father and uncles spent their lazy afternoons with the other petanque-crazed cohorts. The shiny silver lead balls were always rubbed down to its original luster after each rough play in the sand. The sandbox was theirs, and the maze was ours. While our fathers were outside in the heat, mapping out where to throw the petanque next to hit their goal, we mapped out where to hide from IT.
We giggled. Dou was IT. One, Two, Three....we dispersed into the corridors and weaved through the damp halls. The 8-year-old girl told her 7- and 6- year old cousins "hush." She looked around the enclosed walls that led to the outside. I sliver of the light from the sun
peeked through the cracks. Just as they were about to walk towards the exit, a shadow grew on the children.
"Stop" the voice boomed. "What are you doing here?" The bearish man demanded. We stood frozen in our tracks. We had been caught. The children were behind her and she told them in their language to stay. Her heart palpitated. Her pulse quickened. "Come here!" he asked. And
he held his hand out.
"Don't go," she said in their language. "When I tell you to run, you run as fast as you can towards the exit." And she faced him. "We are looking for their brother sir. He was here." She held onto her ground. Her little feet grounded to the cement. He pointed at her. "Come here." She took one step forward. Her heart pounding in her ears. And just as he reached for her, she yelled, "Run" in their language and the 6 little legs carried them as fast as the wind. One, two, three. The yellow shine of the outside world beckoned.
They stepped out into the light and the place was filled with noise again. The dogs barking in the alley. The petanque balls bumping into each other. My aunt was sitting on a bench and looked towards the kids in surprise. "Where have you been?" Dou sat silently playing with
rocks besides her. We shook our heads. "We want to go home."
posted by Lishtar at
12:39 AM
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