Of Mudpies and Stars

11 years ago

He was climbing up the slide in the playground before he caught a sight of a blonde head behind a tree. He climbed down the slide to approach her, earning a few protests from the boys who are already lining up behind him.

"Hi," he tried. He put on his brightest smile that shows all of his pearly white teeth. Big smile, like mommy had taught him.

The blonde head looked up, and boy he was mesmerized. She had the most enchanting blue eyes in the world, even bluer than her sister's porcelain doll's. Her hair, falling onto her back, perfectly straight and almost too blonde to be a color. Her face is odd, unlike him, her cheeks aren't as rounded as his and her nose is far more sharper. He had never seen her before.

"I'm Tommy," he told her, quietly remembering that mommy had told him not to talk to strangers. But she didn't mention about a beautiful stranger.

That girl looked up to Tommy from her squatting position. Tommy quickly noticed her dirty hands.

"Why are your hands dirty?"

The girl just looked at him blankly.

Tommy repeated his question, "Why are your hands dirty?"

The girl remained silent. Then she came back to playing with the mud.

Tommy looked a little taken aback. "You know, it's rude to ignore people when they're talking to you," Tommy said, using the tone that his older sister would use whenever she knows something that Tommy doesn't know.

The squatting girl looked at him again, with the same blank expression. Tommy began to wonder about many things, so he squatted down in front of her.

"Can you hear me?" he pointed at her then to his ear and himself.

The girl nodded. So, she can hear, Tommy thought. "Can you speak?" he gestured at her then to his mouth.

She nodded again, "Я говорю русского"

This surprised Tommy. Not only she has an odd face, she speaks oddly too!

"What are you talking about?"

"Мое имя Aarya. Я как раз двинул от Россия."

"Whoa. I really don't understand you. Why are you so odd?" asked Tommy. He started to think so hard, he wanted to understand this girl so bad. "Tommy," he thrusted his hand at her.

Surprisingly, she shook it, "Aarya,"

Tommy smiled widely. Finally, he thought.

His gaze fell to the things she held in hands, "Are you making mudpie?"

"Hm?"

Tommy took one of the mudpies and pretended to eat it. Aarya seemed to understand and smiled,

"Mudpie," said Tommy.

"Mai-pai?"

"Mudpie."

"Oh," and then they begun to make more mudpies and pretended to eat them together. He couldn't wait for mommy to pick him up from the playground because he couldn't wait to introduce his pretty new friend.