An Innocent Mistake (#Wattys2016)

Chapter 4

The bus drops us at the corner of the street and we head down the way to our homes. I look at Julia, she appears happy to be out at such a gorgeous day. When I ask her to take me to the same park that we went yesterday. She says yes.

The golden afternoon, with soft, honey like hues of sunlight reflect the suitable mood to the environment. Walking a slightly a long way doesn't hurt our feet, but instead it makes me want to twirl on my heels, arms floating around me, picking the flowers and breathing in the sweet smell. If it was possible that I could one day stay out of the house and return home when it's dark, I would rather choose to do that. The natural view, fresh air, and fluttering happiness flapping its wings like a bird, is more beautiful than a dream.

We loiter down the few blocks.

"Aren't you afraid that your mom is gonna yell at you?" I ask.

"We will leave earlier this time," she says.

"For how long will we stay there?"

"I don't know. But before it starts to get dark. My mom doesn't like me going out too much. She says it's not safe."

Later, we reach the park and cross in through the gates. I start to become familiar to this place already. This time we straightly go by the lake where I decide to sketch the scene, a landscape that is alive in front of eyes. Not only I can see it but can truly feel it.

I quickly pull out the sketch pad and the wooden granite pencil from the school bag. Then flip to the blank page and start scribbling with the pencil on the paper. We sit in a distance from the lake, where the fresh green grass covers the land and the oscillating willow tree stands behind our back, giving us something vigorous to lean ourselves at.

Julia slips closer to me and child likely looks at the blank paper. She seems to expect something fascinating on the paper, still unaware of what I am going to sketch.

"What are you going to draw?" she asks.

"You guess. I am going to keep drawing." I tell her briefly.

I catch the greenery first, beyond, forming a border. The densely packed trees on the other end of the lake, isn't difficult to draw, because I don't have to specifically draw each tree. Everything appears one, dark green color.

As my hand continues moving and flowing across the paper, Julia narrowly stares at my paper and leave some guesses. But only one of them almost make her guess the most closest to the answer.

"I want to guess more, " Julia says, with interest. "That looks like ocean."

I giggle. I would never want to call her dumb, because she is already smarter than me. But I also expect her to guess the answer already that I am drawing a lake scene. I have been keep looking up to the scene and jotting down.

"I am not drawing ocean. It's that lake. Doesn't it look like it?" I finally reveal.

I see Julia almost knocking her common sense out. She reaches her eyes to the scene laying in the front and matches it with my drawing. Then she adds, "How can I be that stupid. It was all over there and I was looking for the answer in a different world."

At that I feel a laugh breaking to my mouth. Seeing her bite her stupidness, kicks me also, that how sometimes I would be like her. I feel myself at her spot and witnessing someone laughing at me.

"It's okay," I calm her. "It also happens with me too and I go like wow."

As I reckon it is not satisfying her, I give a pat on her thigh, her legs bend under her.

Later, we remember that we are suppose to return home before dark. I wrap my belongings and together we rise from our very spot. I fix my crinkle shirt and tuck the strands of hair behind my ear.