This post is part of a series of short stories.
Day Sixteen
‘’Can I
borrow your shovel?’’ asked the tall skinny boy in the sandbox. ‘’Sure!’’ said
the curly-headed blonde. ‘’I’m gonna build a whoooole city,’’ said the boy.
‘’Can I help?’’ ‘’Yes, but only what I tell you to build.’’ ‘’Ok.’’ ‘’Here, you
make a row of houses using this little cup.’’ ‘’Ok.’’ ‘’I’m gonna build the
store and the park and the mountains and the school.’’ ‘’What about a post
office?’’ asked the little girl. ‘’We don’t really need a post office.’’ ‘’But
my mama works in the post office.’’ ‘’Ok, I guess I can build one…here, you go
get some sticks and leaves and we’ll make trees and a river.’’ ‘’Ok.’’ The girl
jumped out of the sandbox and ran over to a tree and started collecting her
treasures. ‘’Carolina, don’t pull the leaves off the tree,’’ called her
grandma. ‘’But I need them for our city!’’ ‘’Just use things you find on the
ground.’’ ‘’Ohhkayyy,’’ she groaned. ‘’And come and take a drink of water.’’
She ran to her grandma and guzzled half a bottle, it was so hot out. ‘’And
let’s put your cap back on.’’ ‘’Nooooo,’’ she groaned again. ‘’It’ll protect
your head.’’ ‘’Ohkayyy.’’ She ran back to the sandbox and unloaded her leaves.
‘’We need more sticks,’’ the boy directed. ‘’But I can’t take them off the
tree.’’ ‘’Why not?’’ ‘’Grandmaaaa! Why can’t I take the sticks off the tree?’’
‘’Because it hurts it,’’ she called. ‘’Because it hurts it,’’ she told the
little boy. ‘’How old are you?’’ he asked. ‘’This many,’’ she held up three
pudgy fingers. ‘’Three?! I’m already four.’’ The girl just watched him. ‘’This
sand is too dry, do you have any water?’’ ‘’Grandmaaa, can we use my water?’’
‘’Noooo,’’ she chuckled, we need that for drinkin’. Dig a little deeper.’’ The
boy looked up at her. ‘’Do you wanna teeter-totter?’’ Carolina asked hopefully.
‘’Nope. Got work to do.’’ ‘’Awww, but the sand’s too dryyy.’’ He just wrinkled
up his nose. She saw a big girl come into the park and ran over to her. ‘’Wanna
teeter-totter?’’ The girl was probably four times her weight. She just shook
her head. She ran and jumped on a swing. ‘’Look what I can do,’’ Carolina
called to the girl. ‘’Uh huh.’’ ‘’What’s your name?’’ ‘’Annie.’’ ‘’I’m Carolina
and I’m this many,’’ she declared, holding up her three fingers again. ‘’Uh
huh.’’ Annie surveyed the scene. ‘’Is that your grandma?’’ ‘’Yes,’’ Carolina
said without looking up. ‘’Is that your brother?’’ ‘’No. That’s just a boy.’’
Annie walked over to the sandbox and stood above him. He squinted up at her,
‘’do you have any water?’’ ‘’No.’’ ‘’Shoooot. I need some waaater to build my
cityyy,’’ he whined. Annie looked over at Carolina’s grandma. ‘’Maybe you could
pee on it,’’ she said quietly. ‘’Ewww,’’ the boy said loudly. He looked at Carolina’s
grandma. ‘’What?’’ she called. ‘’What are you all looking at?’’ ‘’Annie said
that he should…’’ Annie covered Carolina’s mouth. ‘’No-o-o-othing,’’ she
called. She went and started climbing the jungle gym. Carolina followed her.
‘’You’re too little for this,’’ she shooed her away. ‘’No I’m not, I’m this
many.’’ ‘’I KNOW, I KNOW,’’ Annie said, exasperated. Why don’t you go play with
that boy? What’s his name?’’ ‘’I don’t know, I didn’t ask him. But I want to
play with you. Where’s your mama?’’ ‘’At work,’’ she said as she picked up a
stick. ‘’And your daddy?’’ ‘’At work too.’’ ‘’So who’s taking care of you?’’
‘’I take care of myself,’’ the girl boasted. ‘’Reeeally?’’ Carolina asked,
wide-eyed. ‘’Aaaannie!’’ an older man called from down the sidewalk. ‘’Who’s
that?’’ ‘’That’s my grandpa,’’ she admitted. ‘’Let’s go!’’ he called. ‘’I’ve
gotta go.’’ ‘’Awww,’’ Carolina pursed
her lips. Annie dropped the stick and ran away. She watched her all the way
down the sidewalk and then turned back to the sandbox. ‘’What’s YER name?’’ she
asked the boy. ‘’Ben.’’ ‘’Are you done with your city?’’ ‘’Nope.’’ ‘’Do you
wanna teeter-totter now?’’
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