This story was the description of an actual event that occurred while I was observing Kyle. The assignment was to write an observation piece, so here it is, I named myself Debbie--I was doing daycare at the time, so it worked as a role in the story.
He crouched, silently looking at the damp soil. It was early spring, and what might soon become a flower bed was yet covered with mashed leaves and scattered old bricks. The air was fresh, but the sun was warming.
He was young, not yet four. He was sturdily built, with cropped dark hair and round dark eyes. His face was already slightly browned and his cheeks rosy. He had a handsome face with even features, and round ears that protruded slightly. He wore grey sweat pants, a green and black checked flannel jacket and white sneakers.
His arms rested on his bent knees. His short chubby fingers, relaxed, fell between them. Other children played near by on swings and trikes, and dug in a near by sand pile. It seemed a day made for children. A day care attendant stood supervising the activity. The boy called to her, "Look Debbie, a worm!"
The attendant walked over to join the boy. "What have you got there, Kyle?" she asked.
He reached down and picked up a little red earthworm and dropped it into the palm of his hand where it wriggled into a circle.
A little girl with wispy, white-blonde hair, and a small fair boy with large, blue eyes, came over to join the woman. They gazed curiously at the worm.
"See. It's my worm. He likes me." Kyle spoke very seriously, very matter of fact. they all gazed silently at the worm for a moment. Then in the same grave tone, Kyle continued.
"He likes to live in the sand too."
He wrapped his fingers around the worm, concealing it from the curious eyes of the others and ran, in a sudden burst, to the nearby sand pile. Crouching again, he carefully set the worm down in the sand.
He watched momentarily as the worm wriggled; then he grasped a handful of sand and sprinkled it carefully over the worm.
"He likes to be in dirt," he said.
After covering the worm completely with several fists full of sand, Kyle began to poke carefully into the sand with his finger, looking for the now buried worm. He didn't find the worm that way, so very carefully he scooped away a layer of dirt. He looked, then scooped again, ever so carefully. Again, dark sober eyes searched the sand thoroughly for the small red worm. Putting his hands on his knees, he straightened slightly and looked up.
"I can't find my worm," he shouted.
At this he stood and brushed his hands together. Sand loosened and fell from them. He looked up. The spring sunshine fell full on his face. Suddenly his face changed from a look of serious contemplation to a mischievous grin. Without warning, he sprang into the air, jumping gleefully about on the sand where he had moments before so carefully placed his worm, thoroughly pouncing on that spot of sand.
"He's gone now," Kyle announced with a lopsided grin, and he ran off to join the other children.
by Sherri S. Crowley
My most FAVORITEST STORY EVER.
ReplyDeleteAlso, you write like an angel! :)
PS. This is your daughter. Meagan.