The Stones and Sticks of Being 5 and 6

It was 1:23am on a Sunday morning.

Running and Playing Pretend

As my feet dashed through the mud of the private property near my house.. I could hear laughing. Why did it sound so familiar? The hidden chuckles propelled me forward.

I jolted by angry rodents and pestered bugs and I saw nothing but the blur that surrounded me. I was running extremely fast, so fast that I don't think my body was ready for the amount of wind surging past my face and rushing through my ears. The stinging in my eyes couldn't take it and immediately started to tear. Not being able to see my surroundings I stumbled, then crashed into the mud that was all over my favorite tennis shoes (It now covered my face and jeans, as also did some minor cuts and bruises. Through the field I had made it into the wood and realized I was probably close enough to see who it was that kept laughing. I was. The joyful laughter stood not 15 feet away, had chopped blond hair and was almost as muddy as me. I recognized him the second I laid my eyes on him.

Seeing the face that I hadn't for two years (days), I sprinted with all might- then well, knocked him over.

This was my best friend! And when he spoke he said the most lovely thing I had heard in ages, "Jane, you're crushing my spine..."
ahem... cough cough... Okay, maybe NOT the LOVELIEST thing I'd ever heard, but it was still him and still his voice.

"I missed you Oskar!" I nearly screamed.
"I missed you too, and I have one question."
"Anything!"
"Why are you still on top of me?"
"Oh yeah... I still am aren't I? Hahaha, well, I can change that." Getting up, feeling disappointed I asked him how he knew I'd be running at this time in the morning. His sarcastic remark made me egg on the importance of playing pretend (Not being shown for profanity).

"Fine.. But, this is the last time Jane, we're getting too old for this..." As he trailed off into the thought of his lines I stared at him patiently, "Um..oh, right. I. Don't. Know. Janet. I. Needed.... Some time to think."

Pretending Over

"Okay Osc, now that our 'hello' is finished what do you want to play? Cops and Robbers? Monsters? Marathon?" I waited expectantly.

"I actually wanted to talk.. My mommy said you were moving today, how come you didn't tell me it was today?"

To tell you the truth I didn't know i was moving that day.. I thought it would be sometime- on a different week, but of course that is what I kept saying to myself every week.

"I didn't know Osk.. I didn't know." My eyes welled up with tears.
"Ah Jane! Are you crying? Really? Come on it's okay! We'll see each other all the time! West Valley isn't that far away from Murray! I can ride my new bike!"

He looked to the ground as if he were trying to figure out how to stop Mt. St. Helens from exploding. Then the most magical thing happened. He kissed my cheek.
"Everything will be okay. Let's play marathon!" and he started running.

Standing shocked I hit myself in the face then started running.

I might've had to leave in 5 hours, but at least I'd always be with Oskar.