Cities Built On Sand
A Childhood Memory
Sandboxes, play-dates, scrapped knees, and crying fits were all key elements to a little girls childhood. But looking back on her life, none of those aspects where present until Kari Crosby became a parent herself. She was brought up as an Army Brat. Jet setting around the world, nannies, big houses, expensive toys, and few friends were the key elements of her childhood.
Whenever Kari moved into a new home, she knew never to get too attached to classmates because soon enough, her family would be up and moving once again. However, when she moved to Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia things changed in the young girls life.
“What do you mean staying here?” Kari asked, looking up at her current nanny.
“We stay for good. Done moving.” The older woman tried to explain to the then twelve year old Kari Bray.
Loving the ability to travel all the time and not need to actually get to know any of her classmates was one of Kari's favorite things and now it was all being taken away from her. She pouted her lips and stormed into the kitchen to find her father sitting at the table with a newspaper in his hands. Natalie, the nanny, began cooking breakfast for Kari before driving her to her first day of school.
Kari wasn't necessarily the smartest in her age, but she had common sense. She knew that her permanent living situation had to do with her father's job so she knew that avoiding him was the best way to go. She quickly scarfed down her breakfast and stormed out of the large house. Her backpack and lunch box were already in the backseat of Natalie's mini van waiting for her.
As Natalie drove towards the school, all Kari did was pout and complain. If there was one thing she did well, it was whine. She knew that a little whining would go a far way. Her father hated to see his little princess get upset so everything she could possibly wish for was always at her fingertips. Natalie walked Kari to her classroom and fixed her hair making sure the fifth grader looked presentable.
Kari stomped into the room and found her name tag taped to a desk. Taking her seat, she looked at the desk adjacent to hers, Sidney Crosby. Wondering who this 'Sidney Crosby' character was, Kari began scanning the room of all the girls. The bell sounded and the seat beside her was still empty.
“Sorry Miss Conner.” A boy said walking into the classroom with a rugged looking backpack hanging off his shoulder.
The teacher smiled and without question and pointed to the empty desk beside Kari. She scrunched up her nose and grimaced, “You're not a girl.” She pointed out rudely.
The boy shook his head, “Nope, I'm a boy.” he said proudly.
Kari nodded and before getting out another word, their teacher began going over classroom rules for he upcoming year. “So let's get to know our neighbor well because I don't like to have to change seats throughout the year.” She explained. A unanimous groan was heard in the room. Kari looked over at Sidney and rolled her eyes.
“So Kari-” The boy began.
Kari held up her finger and stopped him right there, “It's Kari as in Car-ee. Not Keri.”
Sidney apologized, “Right, right of course. I'm really sorry..”
“I'm used to it, it's fine.” She snapped, still upset about the news Natalie had given her earlier in the morning.
“Oh,” he said, “Do you move a lot?”
She nodded her head, “You bet. I was born in North Dakota, moved to Australia until I was two, Europe until I was seven, then throughout the states until now. My dad's job makes us move a lot. It's hard on my nanny, but she's always with me.”
His eyes widened at the list of locations and the amount of times she had moved, “That's awesome.”
“I guess.. I never really get to make a lot of friends though that way.” Kari bit her lip, unsure of why she was able to speak so openly about herself in front of someone she barely knew.
Sidney gave Kari a big smile, “I'll be your friend.”
“Promise?” She asked, mocking his smiling genuinely.
He nodded, “Pinky promise.”
They crossed their pinkies and Kari let out a giggle, “I'm staying here for good now, so I might as well start making friends.”
The two chatted throughout the rest of the day, often passing notes and giggling about something. They learned a lot about each other in such a short period of time. At the end of the day, the two said good-bye and walked off to their respective cars. Kari climbed into Natalie's big mini van and headed off to her new large home while Sidney went to his mother, Trina's cars and headed off to practice.
From that day on, the course of Sidney Crosby and Kari Bray's lives had changed and there was no looking back.
Whenever Kari moved into a new home, she knew never to get too attached to classmates because soon enough, her family would be up and moving once again. However, when she moved to Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia things changed in the young girls life.
“What do you mean staying here?” Kari asked, looking up at her current nanny.
“We stay for good. Done moving.” The older woman tried to explain to the then twelve year old Kari Bray.
Loving the ability to travel all the time and not need to actually get to know any of her classmates was one of Kari's favorite things and now it was all being taken away from her. She pouted her lips and stormed into the kitchen to find her father sitting at the table with a newspaper in his hands. Natalie, the nanny, began cooking breakfast for Kari before driving her to her first day of school.
Kari wasn't necessarily the smartest in her age, but she had common sense. She knew that her permanent living situation had to do with her father's job so she knew that avoiding him was the best way to go. She quickly scarfed down her breakfast and stormed out of the large house. Her backpack and lunch box were already in the backseat of Natalie's mini van waiting for her.
As Natalie drove towards the school, all Kari did was pout and complain. If there was one thing she did well, it was whine. She knew that a little whining would go a far way. Her father hated to see his little princess get upset so everything she could possibly wish for was always at her fingertips. Natalie walked Kari to her classroom and fixed her hair making sure the fifth grader looked presentable.
Kari stomped into the room and found her name tag taped to a desk. Taking her seat, she looked at the desk adjacent to hers, Sidney Crosby. Wondering who this 'Sidney Crosby' character was, Kari began scanning the room of all the girls. The bell sounded and the seat beside her was still empty.
“Sorry Miss Conner.” A boy said walking into the classroom with a rugged looking backpack hanging off his shoulder.
The teacher smiled and without question and pointed to the empty desk beside Kari. She scrunched up her nose and grimaced, “You're not a girl.” She pointed out rudely.
The boy shook his head, “Nope, I'm a boy.” he said proudly.
Kari nodded and before getting out another word, their teacher began going over classroom rules for he upcoming year. “So let's get to know our neighbor well because I don't like to have to change seats throughout the year.” She explained. A unanimous groan was heard in the room. Kari looked over at Sidney and rolled her eyes.
“So Kari-” The boy began.
Kari held up her finger and stopped him right there, “It's Kari as in Car-ee. Not Keri.”
Sidney apologized, “Right, right of course. I'm really sorry..”
“I'm used to it, it's fine.” She snapped, still upset about the news Natalie had given her earlier in the morning.
“Oh,” he said, “Do you move a lot?”
She nodded her head, “You bet. I was born in North Dakota, moved to Australia until I was two, Europe until I was seven, then throughout the states until now. My dad's job makes us move a lot. It's hard on my nanny, but she's always with me.”
His eyes widened at the list of locations and the amount of times she had moved, “That's awesome.”
“I guess.. I never really get to make a lot of friends though that way.” Kari bit her lip, unsure of why she was able to speak so openly about herself in front of someone she barely knew.
Sidney gave Kari a big smile, “I'll be your friend.”
“Promise?” She asked, mocking his smiling genuinely.
He nodded, “Pinky promise.”
They crossed their pinkies and Kari let out a giggle, “I'm staying here for good now, so I might as well start making friends.”
The two chatted throughout the rest of the day, often passing notes and giggling about something. They learned a lot about each other in such a short period of time. At the end of the day, the two said good-bye and walked off to their respective cars. Kari climbed into Natalie's big mini van and headed off to her new large home while Sidney went to his mother, Trina's cars and headed off to practice.
From that day on, the course of Sidney Crosby and Kari Bray's lives had changed and there was no looking back.