ROMAN SQUINTED HIS right eye once it came upon contact with the mild rays of the sun as he dug a deep hole in the sand with his two friends. The boys would claim the sandbox as their territory from then on. He took the Barbie doll that lay by the hole then analyzed it. He gave the neatness of her brown hair and custom-made white dress a derisive grin before he looked to his friends.
"Throw it in an' bury it!" One of his friends, Micheal, said with an encouraging but flimsy fist in the air. The other friend gave an agreeing nod in a quick motion which made Roman's grin grow wider while lifting the doll in the air.
"Put Naomi down!" A light voice called from the near distance which made the boys turn to view an angry Yasmin who stormed to them with a pink face and unforgiving swirl in the sea of her eyes. Her black dress shoe made a clack on the border as she stood and held her hand out for her doll to be given to her. The boys gave a blank stare.
"I said-"
"No!" Roman said before throwing doll in the hole and burying it immediately. Yasmin watched with horror at her doll that she now considered buried alive. She took a step back with her hands at her sides before screaming as loud as she could.
The boys shut their ears with their hands while giving a face of agony at their crying schoolmate's tormenting scream. They hadn't realized their teacher had arrived until she stood at the corner of the sandbox with her hands in front of her with concern-and a bit of pain-in her expression.
"Yasmin, honey. What's wrong now?" She asked with a raised voice through the crying screams of the four-year-old. Yasmin looked forward then shut her mouth and pointed to the badly-covered burial of her doll. The teacher gave a firm look to the boys.
"What did you do?" The boys shut their mouths and looked away from the teacher in fear.
"Boys?"
"They bury my doll!!!" Yasmin cried. She put her face to her hands and sobbed. The teacher rushed to Yasmin then gave her a hug of comfort.
"It's buried, sweetie. I'm so sorry," she turned to the boys with a glare, making them bow their heads in shame. She watched as the teacher got up to tell them something almost inaudible. She heard her mutter something about not going outside for two recesses. She suppressed a grin when the boys gave grunts and exclamations of displeasure while she crossed her arms face a firm look. The boys immediately rushed to unbury the doll while continually turning to their heads to the teacher to see if it would change her mind. She looked to Yasmin, who immediately mimicked a disheartened and displeased expression before turning to the boys and shaking her head. She stood up then put her hand out for Yasmin, who ran to it and held it then walked away with her teacher while the boys watched them in defeat.
Yasmin looked up at the teacher's face while she hummed a sweet tune after telling her don't worry honey, I'll get you a new dolly. Yasmin couldn't suppress the grin that spread on her face as she looked forward then nodded. She felt surprised that the boys believed that was her beloved and expensive Naomi rather than a mock-up doll from the dollar store. She anticipated the new doll that was due to be added to her collection.
