Fantastic Memory
A canopy of quilted fabric hangs majestically above us as we daydream together on a prickly grass floor below our grandmother's wash lines. We battle over the joyous title of superhero and the disappointment of sidekick for a few moments before realizing that we can both fight crime. There are no boundaries to the imagination of a 6 year old. Scattered chips and apple cores in our cloth home makes every step an opportunity for snack time. The cool verdant grass below embraces our summer-tanned legs and stains our knees. We are tattooed with the colors of the plants below us as we run and trip and roll down the hills as best friends. One minute we fight crime, the next we are fun loving canine creatures. We cannot be held to the standard of normal kindergarteners - we are different, we break the mold, we have powers! I'm a shapeshifter, and she can read minds! 'Let's pretend I'm a dog who can fly!' 'Let's pretend I'm the bad guy!' 'Wait, now pretend we're in a fashion show, I'll go get the dress up clothes!' No schedule limits our time and careless freedom. The best ideas I have ever had are born from my childhood, unlimited by the restraints and worries of maturity. We don't care if the boy next door thinks it's lame, it's a fucking fashion show! He's just jealous he can't partake in our beautiful entrepreneurial creation. there was never a greater moment in time for me than lying beside you in the grass below our grandmother's wash lines. Grow up, move away, get a boyfriend, lose a parent to divorce, watch a family drift apart, and we will still be connected.
- for Natalia
- for Natalia