Fragile | ✓

1.2 | Rycray

12 | Rycray

→ "You love me? You have a tough way of showing it" 

→ I love love playgrounds 

━━━

"PUSH ME, PUSH ME!" My sandals slap against the tanbarked floor of the park as I run towards the tall big girl swings. Holding onto the chains on the side, I pull myself up by swinging one leg over and jumping onto the seat. My feet dangle off the side of the swing and I shake my feet back and forth, trying to make the squeaky swing move.

"Hold on tight, angel!" Daddy stands behind me, holding onto the rusty chains of the swing set. He pulls back, taking a few steps back, and lets go, pushing me forward.

I squeal in delight and watch my feet fly further and further away from the ground. I hold onto the chains tight and look up at the warm blue sky. A few scattered clouds float with distance from each other, whisky white waves coming out from all sides. When the swing comes back down, daddy pushes on my back again and the swings rusty chains squeak as I fly into the air once again.

"Higher, higher!" I felt so close to the sky that moment. If I could just let go of one hand from the chain I was gripping ever so tightly and stretch a hand into the air... I could visualize myself touching the sky. I would touch the fluffy cloud, betting they would feel as soft as a unicorn and sleep on the crescent shaped moon. Maybe see the cow jumping over the moon too.

A jet flew in a straight line across the sky, leaving a line of puff in its path. It created a divider line in the middle of the blank canvas sky. The blank canvas of a sky that I wished so badly to splatter some paint onto.

"Daddy, I wanna touch the clouds!" I declare, trying to edge my feet further away on my way up. I let one hand go off the chain and reach up but when I looked at it at this angle, my chubby hand was just a tiny part of the huge sky beyond.

I looked down to see that another young boy had walked near the pole of the swing, waiting for his turn in line to touch the beautiful sky. Daddy pulls on the chains to pull the swing to a stop and I pout.

"Come on angel, let's give everyone a turn, okay?" I nod, happy to pass on the joy and jump off the swing. Daddy was always like that; helping people whenever he got the chance and making sure every single thing, from swings to work, was fair to everyone.

"Race you to the sides, dadda!" I call, taking my usual head start in a rush. I sprint towards the play structure on the other side of the playground and turn to see daddy following close behind me. "Catch me if you can!" I holler, giggling.

"Oh I will, Ms. Gingerbread woman!" Daddy reaches his hand out and pretends to grab onto my shoulder. I run a little faster, seeing the slides in view and daddy misses.

"No you won't!" I say panting and almost run into the blue curly slides. I grip onto the slide to catch my breath as daddy comes to a stop right besides me. "See! I win," I make clear, making daddy laugh.

"But I let you win on purpose," he says teasingly.

"Nope, I won fair and square," I emphasize crossing my arms on my chest before running to the stairs of the play structure. The tiny holes on the steps are covered by my mickey mouse sandals. I reach the top where a spinny wheel, like the one on daddy's car, is attached to the barred structure. I hold on and spin it once in a complete circle and lean on the railing to see daddy watching me with a smile grazing his face. He puts a hand on his forehead to see me against the bright sun and waves once he notices me looking. I wave back enthusiastically, running to the next part of the structure.