Up until school started for me, I had always been my mother's lamb. Everywhere my mother Mary went, I would always follow. When I began school at the age of five, it was a slow death for me. I felt abandoned. I was scared my mother would not pick me up from school and forget about me. One day in kindergarten, Mrs. Sands finally finished ringing the bell to let us know it was time for recess. She urged us to hurry up, run along, and play with each other. I waited on the carpet of rainbow colored squares. That day, the square I was told to sit on was green, my mom's favorite color. I had eyed the room carefully. Once everyone ran out of the classroom, I got up, and followed slowly behind them. The day was grey, cloudy, no sunshine was out, and the lack of light made me feel even more lonely.
Kindergarten was a stranger to me. No one wanted to play or share animal crackers with me. I looked around the playground for someone to play with. Maybe I'd make a new friend today. I didn't. Everyone was already teamed up playing handball, hopscotch, and jump rope with one another. I was the odd one out again. I began running over to the monkey bars. No one ever bothered with the monkey bars. No one liked the blisters you'd get the next day. I didn't mind the blisters. Swinging forward, side to side from the bars helped me forget I was alone. It was also right next to the fence where I would see my mom. She would visit me during recess. It was her way of calming my insecurities and anxiety by having her see me during play time.
Immediately, I arrived at the monkey bars. I started jumping with my Powerpuff Girls sneakers on the black mat. The mat was squishy, soft, and kind of bouncy. It felt nice. I liked the texture it made me feel when I walked all over it. I glanced around once more and as usual no one was here. I was hoping someone would be though. Eventually, I began swinging side to side on the bars like a monkey deep in a lush congo. I was a free and wild one not like the gorillas or monkeys at the zoo. I was in an imaginary hot pursuit. I was wild and ready for victory, prepared to beat my fists onto my chest, and fight for the best banana tree.
Suddenly, I was taken out of the Congo, "Raquelita." My mother's sweet voice called me back to reality. I glanced over to the left, still hanging from the bar, confirming it was my mom, and not just me imagining hearing her. I jumped down, grinned, and ran to the corner of the fence to greet her, "Hi mommy." She smiled and put her left hand through the fence hole. I held onto her hand. She was wearing a black leather trench coat, black boots, and had a bag hanging from her right arm. "Are you hungry sweetie?" she asked me. I stomped my feet around, while holding her hand, and said, "Yes mommy. I'm so hungry. I hate the food here."
A tear hung out of my left eye but she didn't notice. "Good I cooked you lunch. I also brought you a treat. First things first though, you need to eat your food before I give you candy," she told me softly and tucked back in her hand from the fence hole. She pulled out from the bag a small Tupperware that would fit through the fence hole. "I made you chicken soup." she told me and passed me the Tupperware and a spoon.
Finally, it was my time to eat with joy, and within minutes, I finished eating. I handed my mom back the Tupperware. She handed me white napkins and wiped my mouth. I inched closer so she can reach the stains on the corner of my mouth. "You were hungry! Look at you finishing up so quickly. Good girl. You ate all the vegetables too." My mother smiled and handed me a Tweety lollipop. "Thanks mommy I love you!" I yelled happily and danced around in a circle. I pulled out the wrapper, put the trash in my purple sweat pants' pocket, and plopped the sucker in my mouth.
The bell rang, recess was over, and my mother smiled and told me, "I'll see you after school. I love you. Run along to class now. Don't be late." I nodded, waved goodbye, and ran back to class with the sucker still in my mouth. When I started getting used to school she had to stop visiting. I never got hungry anymore after she stopped coming to see me. My mom began packing lunches for me to take to school sometimes I wouldn't eat them. When I would my teachers would heat them up in their microwave for me when I asked. I never did get any friends. I didn't mind not having them though. If I ever started to feel a little lonely, I always had the monkey bars, and the congo to play with. I understood that at home, my mom who was my best friend was waiting for me. That's all that mattered to me getting back home to be with her.
