When I was younger my parents and I tended to move a lot, mainly because my Mom despised staying in one place for too long. As she often said " There are simply too many things to do and see, so why settle?"
I was seven when we she got a job offer in Springfield Missouri at the primary school, of course she jumped on the opportunity and we said goodbye to Lebanon packed up our few belongings and were off. She had found a nice apartment for us it was two story 3bd 2bath and cozy yet spacious, with lots of children for me to play with and only five minutes from the school she would be teaching at.
Within a week we were settled and Mom was pushing me outside to socialize. I was always a socially awkward child, mainly because I was shy, making it really hard for me to relate with other kids none the less communicate. I hopped on my bike and started riding the sidewalks watching for someone close to my age to play with.
Oddly enough for a sunny Saturday there wasn't a lot of people out and about, so I headed towards a small playground that was between the two apartment buildings. It had a large tire swing and a slide attached to what looked like a clubhouse, so I parked my bike and started swinging I had just gotten lost in my thoughts and cloud watching when I heard a female voice from behind me.
"Hey,mind if I swing with you?" I turned startled toppling of the tire swing into the sand. A tall thin girl with long wavy brown hair wearing a button down yellow sleeveless shirt and white capris was staring at me trying not to laugh. "You alright there jumpy?" She chuckled, extending a hand towards me.Yeah, you just startled me I said brushing the sand off my back, what's your name?
"Rebecca,but you can call me Becca and you?" Allianna, you still want to swing? She smiled and climbed on the tire swing waiting for me to join her. " So are you new here, I don't think I've seen you around." Yeah we just settled in not long ago, how long have you lived here?
"A pretty long time, I guess." I looked at her puzzled, how could she not know? I shrugged it off and changed the subject, We talked for the longest time about anything and everything that came to mind for the first time in a long while I had finally found someone that I had something in common with.
Maybe I have actually made a friend, I thought to myself smiling as I watched a little boy and his mom heading toward the playground. You want to come to my apartment and get a drink,it's kind of hot and you can meet my mom, I said stopping the swing.
No sooner had I finished my sentence the little boy's mom walked up and placed a hand on my shoulder,"Sweetie,who are you talking to?" I turned around and Becca was gone. I looked around to see what direction she had ran but she was no where insight. I was talking to Becca, she's the girl that was swinging with me did you see which way she went? The woman studied me and shook her head," She's Loco mama",laughed the little boy.
I thanked her blushing with embarrassment and got on my bike to look for Becca but I never saw her again nor did I ever mention her until now. I'm not sure why she approached me or why she was lingering around the Apartment complex. But I never will forget my disappearing friend.
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That's true, though I really hope that's not the case as well. I know Missouri has a broad range of historical events under its belt so honestly there is no telling why Becca was still there. I just find it ironic that the very day my mother was all but pushing me out the door to go make friends Becca decided to make herself known to me. 😊 Maybe she wanted a friend just as badly as my mother was determined for me to make some or maybe we are similar souls and that's why. Too late to know now, I've never heard of the book but I will look it up and see if it's something I would be interested in. Thankyou for referring it to me.
Allicat