Sitting on the Sun Vally Park bench, breathing in the cool air slowly taking in everything around me. Looking around the park, catching attention is some squirrels jumping from tree to tree. Quickly catching my eye, two little girls who look to be about seven or eight years old with their hair pulled back into tight ponytails argue over who gets to push a doll on the swing first. As their, moms try to keep a bulldog from running towards the squirrels.
Looking around, the park’s almost empty. It is chilly with a light breeze, so not many people were out here. Listening to the rustling of jackets as the two girls race around the park, trying to beat the other to the stairs of the slide.
Every moment spent here makes memories slowly come back, thinking of the moments that little girl running around the park. Reality sinks in and realizing I’m a senior graduating in just a couple of months.
Sitting here watching, my attention is drawn to the baseball field by the park. There are two boys. They stare at their phones, exchanging a couple words here and there but nothing more.
Shortly after, the little girls rush over to a light blue car that has some dust collecting on it. They start to argue about who sits where while their mom looks exhausted, but she tries to get the dog that looked like some type of Pitbull mix in the front seat while also trying to get the girls to agree.
As sitting in silence, watching the trees as the leaves rustle from the cool wind. The sky is starting to darken. As it gets darker, the two boys walk away from the baseball field in silence,
looking at their phones, not exchanging any words as they go separate ways, like they were complete strangers.
Sitting on the bench for a little longer, hoping it will stay this quiet. As time passes, another family shows up. There is a little boy who looks about to be six climbs out of the truck and a baby who cannot be older than a year old get taken out of the red truck. The baby is crying, and the little boy is struggling to jump out of his seat, with a eager face ready to play. He finally gets free from his car seat and scrambles into the park, his feet sliding beneath him in the sand.
The little boy plays for what seemed like hours, but as the night becomes closer, the dad who looks to be middle aged says it is time to leave. As they pack up their things, starting to collect everything and walk away. The night swallows the playground in the distance.
