Visitors
I bet I can go higher!
It was a peculiarly nice fall day at Lincoln Elementary. The mid-October chill still permitted children to jackets, scarves and hats, but the sun was bright enough that many pairs of gloves stayed in the classrooms during recess.
Melissa walked with the rest of the kindergartners of Mrs. Smith's class in a single file line. When the line reached the wood chips of the playground, kids ran off in all directions some to the teeter-totters, most to the jungle gyms, others to the cement tunnel. Melissa, though, headed straight for the monkey bars.
She had been trying since the beginning of the month to do all ten bars of the challenging monkey bars, but so far the most she's reached is 3. She watches the other kids glide with ease from one metal bar to the next, but she just hangs there, trying to find the strength to lift herself to the next bar, only to get to the third bar and drop like rain.
Melissa headed over in the direction of those dastardly monkey bars, but stopped when she saw a girl sitting in a somber posture all alone on the swings. She walked over and sat in the empty swing next to the girl she'd never seen before.
"Hello!" Melissa said to her in a cheery voice.
The girl looked up and Melissa's eyes widened. The girl had scars covering almost all of her face. The scars were red and blistery. It reminded Melissa of the time she burned herself on the stove when she was playing chef. The girls clothes were covered in soot, some places they were even burned, leaving the fabric black.
" What happened to you?" Melissa asked before it dawned on her that this question could be insulting. The girl didn't seem to mind.
"I was burned in a fire." She told Melissa, then looked down at her feet once more.
"When? Shouldn't you tell a teacher?" Melissa asked, concerned.
"No, the fire was in 1965. It burned down this school almost to the ground, but they rebuilt it again."
"Oh," Melissa thought about what the girl had said for a moment.
"Who's class are you in?" Melissa asked finally. The burned girl laughed.
"No, silly. I don't go to school anymore. I'm dead."
This didn't scare Melissa like it would any other kid - heck! - any other adult for that matter. It made her sad.
"You died in the fire that happened at this school?" Melissa's tone was sad. The girl could hear this.
"Yea, but hey! Don't be sad, I get to play out here all day long!" She smiled and threw her arms up towards the sky. Melissa looked around and smiled. She wished she could play on the playground all day too.
"What's your name?" asked the now happy Melissa.
The burned girl replied, "Angie, what's yours?"
"Melissa."
At this, Angie smiled. "Lets swing." She suggested, "I bet I can go way higher than you!"
Melissa stuck her tongue out at her new friend. They both started laughing and swinging together in the mid-October chill.
Anyone looking at the swing set would see a very odd thing: Melissa, a toe-headed kindergartner laughing and having a good time swinging on the squeaky old swing-set as the empty swing next to her swung back and forth, just as high.
Melissa walked with the rest of the kindergartners of Mrs. Smith's class in a single file line. When the line reached the wood chips of the playground, kids ran off in all directions some to the teeter-totters, most to the jungle gyms, others to the cement tunnel. Melissa, though, headed straight for the monkey bars.
She had been trying since the beginning of the month to do all ten bars of the challenging monkey bars, but so far the most she's reached is 3. She watches the other kids glide with ease from one metal bar to the next, but she just hangs there, trying to find the strength to lift herself to the next bar, only to get to the third bar and drop like rain.
Melissa headed over in the direction of those dastardly monkey bars, but stopped when she saw a girl sitting in a somber posture all alone on the swings. She walked over and sat in the empty swing next to the girl she'd never seen before.
"Hello!" Melissa said to her in a cheery voice.
The girl looked up and Melissa's eyes widened. The girl had scars covering almost all of her face. The scars were red and blistery. It reminded Melissa of the time she burned herself on the stove when she was playing chef. The girls clothes were covered in soot, some places they were even burned, leaving the fabric black.
" What happened to you?" Melissa asked before it dawned on her that this question could be insulting. The girl didn't seem to mind.
"I was burned in a fire." She told Melissa, then looked down at her feet once more.
"When? Shouldn't you tell a teacher?" Melissa asked, concerned.
"No, the fire was in 1965. It burned down this school almost to the ground, but they rebuilt it again."
"Oh," Melissa thought about what the girl had said for a moment.
"Who's class are you in?" Melissa asked finally. The burned girl laughed.
"No, silly. I don't go to school anymore. I'm dead."
This didn't scare Melissa like it would any other kid - heck! - any other adult for that matter. It made her sad.
"You died in the fire that happened at this school?" Melissa's tone was sad. The girl could hear this.
"Yea, but hey! Don't be sad, I get to play out here all day long!" She smiled and threw her arms up towards the sky. Melissa looked around and smiled. She wished she could play on the playground all day too.
"What's your name?" asked the now happy Melissa.
The burned girl replied, "Angie, what's yours?"
"Melissa."
At this, Angie smiled. "Lets swing." She suggested, "I bet I can go way higher than you!"
Melissa stuck her tongue out at her new friend. They both started laughing and swinging together in the mid-October chill.
Anyone looking at the swing set would see a very odd thing: Melissa, a toe-headed kindergartner laughing and having a good time swinging on the squeaky old swing-set as the empty swing next to her swung back and forth, just as high.
♠ ♠ ♠
What do you think? Truth is, I really want to know. >8D