Broken Memories

six: swings and sunsets

A low rustle began to fade into audible noise, rising from the nothingness like a soft, slow wave. Leaves. It sounded like wind tugging at the loose branches of trees. Birds chirping in the distance, and a groan of metal that creaked in an even beat. Back and forth, rhythmic and slow.

There were other people around, though not close enough for me to be involved in conversation. I could pick up the occasional word or laugh.

The sun shone as if a light has been switched on. It was almost as bright and young as I felt. The sky was blue, with full, fluffy clouds inching across with ease. The leaves I heard in the breeze were vibrant and green, along with the bright yellows and purples of the wild flowers dotting the grass.

There was a playground, one that was fairly big. Full of uneven stairs and tunnels, twisting slides and ones that dipped straight down, monkey bars, rope bridges, seesaws, and complete with a rock wall that seemed monserously  tall.

Just outside of the playground was the swings, sat far enough away to be alone. Which, currently, was only occupied me. The tips of my shoes barely scrapped the ground as I swayed back and forth. The metal hinges singing out with each swing.

Creeek, craaack. Creeek, craaack.

I began to feel the cool metal under my curled fingers. The chains of the swing slightly scraping my palm with each rise and fall. The sun beamed down pleasantly, not too hot nor cold, especially with the warm breeze that shifted through my clothes and hair.

It must be spring, I can taste the sweetness that follows the time of year. Everything was bright, shining, beautiful.

Yet, I was merely content. I wasn't happy, not sad either, just there. Alone, watching kids chase each other in the playground yards away. My shorts were stained in dirt, as we're my shoes, yet nobody was chasing me?

Why am I alone?

As I watch the little bundles of energy dash around, I glance up the rock wall, finding a single figure sitting at the top.

I squinted to get a better look. It was a girl with two little balls of hair on top of her head. She was wearing a purple tank top and white jean shorts.  She lifted her hand in a gentle  wave. I wave back.

She smiles and beckons me over, patting the top of the rock wall. I shake my head no, my pulse jumping at just the thought of going up there.

She tried again and I shake my head more vigorously. She sits there for a moment, I couldn't see her face too well, but I could tell she rolled her eyes at me.

She swings her legs over the edge and flips herself to face the Rockwall. Hooking her hands and placing her feet, she desends the wall like a spider. Fast, skilled and determined. I was in awe. I'd never seen someone move so fast on the thing. She should win a medal or something!

Once she'd made it half way down, she popped off and landed in a cloud of dry dirt on her feet. Swiveling towards me she jogged over and sat in the swing next to me.

"What's you're name?" I ask, tilting my head.

"Ali," She smiled at me, a tooth missing in the top row.

"Hey, I just lost this tooth last night! Now I have two missing!" I say, sticking my tounge through where my two front teeth should be.

She giggles in high-pitched bursts. "Oh cool! I can wiggle this one a lot!" She uses her finger to gently bend a bottom tooth. "What did the tooth fairy give you?" She asked, kicking her legs to get the swing moving.

"Three dollars!" I said with pride, and her smile only grew. She pulled out a bundle of crumpled ones from her pockets.

"Well, I got five!" She bragged in a singsong voice.

I stuck out my bottom lip, "awe lucky! I never got five before."

She sat there quitely for a moment, her feet dangling off the swing a good couple inches off the ground.

"Here," She stuck her hand out, a crumpled bill in her fist. "Take that and we will both have four."

I looked at her with wide eyes. "Really?" I gasped and she nodded with a 'mmhmm' and shook her hand in my face.

"You sure?" I asked in disbelief,eyeing the money.

"Just take it already!" She rolled her eyes and I grabbed the money with a loud, happy, "Thaaaank yooou, Aliiii!"

We ran around and laughed and just had fun untill the sky turned pink and orange like the clips in Ali's hair.

We collapsed under the slide, hidden from the view of the whole world, it seemed. Ali turned to me, breathing heavily.

"This can be our cave!" I exclaim, crawling deeper under the playground untill we could barley sit upright.

Ali nodded in agreement and made me promise to keep this out secret place.

"You never told me your name." She said, leaning against the yellow plastic of the slide.

"Dakota," I said, "but my dad calls me Kota."

"I'll call you D," She said with a little smirk and I laugh.

Untill I'm left with the echo of laughter and the darkness that follows.

......:::......