The Sandbox

Swish! Forward and up! Backward and down! This is my favorite playground. This is my favorite swing. No one can sit on it but me.

It’s 1pm. There’s no more school today. I’m in nursery school therefore it ends early.

So here I am on my swing centered at the heart of the sand box. As long as I sit on it, I own it. As I swing back and forth, I examine what’s around me.

To my very left is the slide. A hybrid one. With ropes, bridges and ladders connecting to it. There are a lot of other kids playing there. Some of them jump from the top. I guess it doesn’t hurt. Besides, they land on the sand. This sandbox has one of the softest sands in the whole entire universe.

My eyes check to the left corner. There’s something bothering me there. Over there. At the corner. It's empty except for the sand and one lonely little girl who is wearing a very pleasant green dress. It looks good on her with her long brown hair. But the sparkle is bothering me. I guess it’s the reflection of the sun on the golden sand.

To the right of me is the merry-go-round. I stare at it briefly. Just the sight of it spinning makes me spin as well.

In front of me is a long line of kids with their arms folded waiting for me to get off. I never knew kids have patience. I’ve been on this swing since the beginning of time. I always make sure to get here first so I get to sit on the swing right away and don’t leave until all the kids go home. This is my swing. I own it. No one can sit here but me. Everyday it’s the same old story.

The kids stare at me. I look away. To the left corner. For some reason, my eyes have been looking that way spontaneously every now and then.

There goes that sparkle again. Stupid sun reflecting on the sand!

Wait a second. It’s not the sand. That sparkle. My eyes. That sparkle. It’s coming from that girl’s amazingly pretty brown eyes. I’m wrong then. It’s not a sparkle. It’s a twinkle.

...

Whoa! What happened?

All of a sudden, I am standing right in front of the twinkle.

I look back. The kids race to the abandoned swing. I look forward again to the girl. I mean the twinkle. My eyes are acting weird towards it I tell you.

The twinkle speaks. I mean the girl speaks. “I’ve been playing here all noon. You were holding tight to that swing. Why did you get off of it?”

The twinkle doesn’t bother me anymore. I stare right back. And I answer, “I wanted to say ‘hello.’”


END of Chapter 1.