The Sandbox CHAPTER 6

I keep my head down. I know what’s next. She doesn’t even have to tell me. As the few spots of rain begin to drop, I can sense Alexi begin her retreat home.

“I’m sorry, Jacob. I have to go now.”

“I know,” I tell her with a very disappointed tone. “Do what you have to do. Stay safe, Alexi.”

She stands still for a moment. She wants to say something but doesn’t know what. She gives what probably is the best reaction she can give for this. Silence.

It pains me to see her walk away. So I don’t. But I hear her footsteps dragging away towards home. As the rain pours down a little harder, her footsteps go faster.

Soon, I hear nothing but rain and see nothing but an empty sandbox. A perfect metaphor for my heart right now.

I sit down on my favorite seat. But soon I’m restless and stand right back up. I look to the sky. To the rain. I never let the rain defeat me. Except for now.

Instant loneliness has gotten the best of me. I can’t even dance around in the rain. It means nothing now. I’ve been playing in this sandbox since I could walk, but it’s only now that I realize the true meaning of happiness in this sandbox.

It’s not what there is to play with or where you’re playing, it’s who you’re playing with. Years of swinging alone on the swing, my most fun ever was at the corner of the sandbox.

I stare at the sand. I see the fins from the mermaid I formed earlier. I give it a swift kick. She’s been gone for five minutes and I can’t stop thinking of her.

I feel bad. I wish I could do it over again. I wish I could have at least looked at her and said goodbye the right way.

Actually, if I had a wish, I would wish I didn’t have to say goodbye. I wish she was here. I wish we were still playing. I wish I didn’t have to upset her. I wish…

Tap Tap Tap.

Someone’s tapping my shoulder. I turn my head.

I could faint. It’s Alexi. Each time I see her, I could swear that I’m looking at the most beautiful thing in the world. But she outdoes herself every time. Even though she’s doing absolutely nothing. Each time I see her, it feels like Christmas.

But she’s here. Ever so beautiful than a few minutes ago. Maybe it’s because it’s the first time I’ve seen her in the rain. Her hair wet and falling over her face. It’s like a waterfall from heaven covering her eyes.

Her eyes. So beautiful. They have God saying, “Wow! I did that? I’m awesome!”

Her eyes. Staring at me so boldly and has me mesmerized once again.

She smiles. “Tag! You’re it, Jacob!” She begins to run. She runs in no direction but still has the demeanor of knowing exactly what she’s doing.

I’m supposed to run after her. But I can’t. I am frozen in awe of such a beautiful sight. Alexi was meant to be running in the rain. She turns her head to face me and her hair sways through the air in uniform with the water flowing down on her.

“Come on, Jacob, you slow poke! Chase me! Didn’t you just tell me a while ago that I was your dream come true? Is this how you chase your dreams, Jacob?”

I smile. It’s not arrogance. It’s the plain truth. I begin to run after her. Whoever said that you chase your dreams away? They aren’t meant to be chased away. Dreams actually go by and disappear if you don’t chase it. I’m not letting this dream get away.

Alexi is now running in circles. She swings her arms up and down, and everywhere. She is spilling out all her joy. Her laughter overshadows the sound of the rain. She laughs continuously as if she’s being tickled by the rain.

“You’re absolutely right, Jacob! This is so much fun! I’ve never been happier in my life!”

“I’m so happy for you,” I tell her. What I just said is an understatement.

“Seeing you happy like this, Alexi, you just made my day!” telling her correctly how great I really felt.

Alexi pauses a foot away from me. “Jacob… you just made all of my days!”

I stand still just looking at her. I’ve been chasing her, yet I do not feel any shortness in my breathing.

We spend a few moments just smiling at each other.

I take one big breath. Then I pick her up off her feet and I spin both of us around. She doesn’t realize that I just pulled a fast one on her. That I just gave her the biggest hug in the world.

Or maybe she does realize it. Because as I spin her around, she grabs me between her arms and gives me a hug that this time certainly shortens my breath.

As I put her down, I grab her hands. We now form a human merry-go-round and keep spinning. We spin until we’re both dizzy and fall to the ground.

Our backs are to the sand and we are laying down flat staring at the sky. Now, we're both laughing like we’re being tickled by the rain.

Alexi exhales to stop her laughter as she turns to face me. “Now this is the right way to say goodbye, Jacob.”

End Chapter 6.

Photo by Sheila Asuncion

The Sandbox CHAPTER 5

“You know why I like playing in the sandbox a lot,” Alexi asks me. We’ve been playing in the sandbox for three straight days now.

We talk and we play. Even through meals. Our lunch would be the half melted butterfinger I have in my pocket.

The sun’s been kind as well. Maybe it’s because I gave God a wink. Or maybe it’s because Alexi’s been smiling the whole time.

Have you ever looked up in the sky and notice that the sun seems like it’s dancing around? That’s what the sun does when Alexi smiles. It’s as if the sun is dodging the clouds, wanting what everyone else sees, or at least what everyone else needs to see… peek at the most beautiful smile in the world.

“Why is it,” I reply.

“Because this is as close to the beach as I’ll ever get.” Alexi looks at the sand as if it’s grains of gold.

“You’ve never been to the beach?” I ask with a shock.

“Not even a pool,” she tells me. “My mom thinks it’s dirty there.”

“No offense, Alexi, but you’re playing in a public sandbox,” I tell her sarcastically.

“Tell that to the judge, aka, mother,” Alexi sighs out. “Now I can never be what I want to be when I grow up.”

“A lifeguard,” I ask.

“No. A mermaid,” she answers.

I smile. It’s only because I’m trying to hold in my laughter. But Alexi starts giggling, and I burst into giggles as well.

“You don’t have to be a grown up to be a mermaid,” I tell Alexi. “Here, Alexi, lie down on this hygienic sandbox.” She continues giggling.

“Alexi, close your eyes. Don’t open them until I say so.”

“No way, Jacob!”

“Why not? Alexi, do you still consider me as a stranger?”

Alexi pauses for a moment staring at me. She looks into my eyes as if it’s a mystery. I try to give the purest of stares right back.

Slowly, Alexi covers her eyes with her hands. “You better still be there when I uncover my eyes, Jacob.”

I hold her hand. “I’ll never leave your side, Alexi. You can keep me for as long as you wish.”

“Maybe I will, Jacob. How long can I keep wishing?”

I smile. The biggest smile in the world. I dance a little too. She can’t see me. Her eyes are covered.

“What in the world are you doing, Jacob.”

I stop suddenly. As if I’ve woken up from a dream. Except it wasn’t.

“Ok. Here we go, Alexi,” I begin to cover her with sand from the waist down. When it begins to get heavy on her, I stop. I look for a small stick. I start drawing curves on the sand above her.

“Ok. You can look now.”

Alexi looks down at the sand covering her. The curves I drew on the sand were scales. Her waist and legs were covered with it. Her feet had turned into fins.

“Wow! I’m a mermaid now! Cool!” Alexi starts giggling again.

“Let’s make it more realistic, Alexi. I don’t want you to look like you were washed up to shore.”

I pick up her pail and fill it with water from the drinking fountain. I rush back to Alexi. “Let’s pour some water on you.”

“Hold on, Jacob. DON’T!”

“Come on,” I tell her, “It’ll be so much fun!”

Quickly, Alexi kicks away the sand covering her and stands up. “Don’t you dare!”

“I thought you liked this, Alexi? I thought this was the one thing you always wanted to do?”

“Yes, Jacob. But I just can’t. Please! I trusted you! I covered my eyes for you!”

Her giggles from a while ago, turned into a raised voice, turned into a frustrated voice.

I begin to be a little unsettled as well. I didn’t mean to. I just wanted her to have lots of fun. But she doesn’t.

“Alexi, do you want to grow up remembering that when you were a child you stopped yourself from having fun. That you held yourself back from being happy?”

“Jacob…”

“Alexi! Don’t you want to do everything you can to make your dreams come true?”

She looks down at me with her frown starting to grow. “Jacob, that’s a ridiculous question. Who doesn’t want their dreams to come true? You play in the sandbox everyday. What are you doing to make your dreams come true?”

I lower my head so my eyes catch level with hers. “My dreams ARE coming true, Alexi... right here in the sandbox.”

This time, as I look into her eyes, I see a hundred million emotions from her staring back at me.

All of a sudden, the sandbox seems darker than it has been for the past few days. I look up. The sun has disappeared. It makes sense. Alexi’s smile has disappeared as well…



End Chapter 5.

Photo by Sheila Asuncion

The Sandbox CHAPTER 4

I couldn’t sleep last night. My last moment with Alexi was her running away and a vision of her faintly staring through the window.

Now, she’s still running through my mind.

Hopefully waiting for her to come back to the sandbox, I stare up to the sky. My hope slowly rescinds as the clouds continue to block the sun.

I’ve always hated the clouds, but never as much as right now.

She has to come! She has to!

I keep praying as I wipe the sand off my hands on my pants.

What a waste if she doesn’t come. But I really wish she does!

What if I just go to her house and ask her if she can come out to play? Will her parents get mad? Her mom seems strict based on what Alexi keeps saying.

Is it worth it? I don’t want her mom thinking I’m a bad kid. But, I have to. She has to! She has to come! God, please! Give me a sign on what to do!!

I look up as to look at God. The clouds part and the sun comes out. I take it as a “yes” from God.

Ok. Now I can’t move. I’m shaking. I’m chickening out. But I won’t. I have to do this.

I take my first step.

Suddenly, there’s a tap on my shoulder.

I look back.

It’s Alexi.

Her smile today seems unbelievably more mesmerizing than yesterday. Again I can’t move.

“Hi Jacob! Do you want to play?”

“Yes please,” I reply. How smooth. What a dork am I.

“Since you’re in my sandbox,” says Alexi, “let’s build something right here.”

“Sure!” I exclaim. “Perfect.” I thought.

Alexi begins to dig at the corner. I wonder what she wants to do. It doesn’t matter. I let her dig.

Suddenly, she gasps as she is surprised by something in the sand. She covers her mouth like she’s trying to silence a yell.

“Is this you, Jacob?”

I grin.

She pulls out the surprise from the sand and puts it up to her nose to smell it.

“It’s very lovely, Jacob. I love tulips!”

“I hoped so,” I tell her.

“Thank you, Jacob!”

And again, I stand still, mesmerized by an even greater smile.



End Chapter 4.

Photo by Sheila Asuncion