As I was walking quietly through campus the other day, grey sidewalk under feet, green grass with just enough water siphoned off by the sun for it to no longer envelope your shoes with chocolate milk looking swamp when you step on it, large beautiful pine trees off to the left that smell of caramel when summer comes, and a few houses off to the right a bastion for each family's possessions.That's when I saw the wild eyes approaching me, the child soldier, no more than 10 years old, raises his arm in salutation and yells excitedly, "Wanna be a peasant in my castle?! I'll be the king, and we can fight off the bad guys!" Realizing his crown of golden hair, I panic, since I don't have what the king desires; time. I reply back "I'm sorry, I have to go to school."
"Well! Will you come back later?!", he retorts.
"I really hope so..."
At this, we part ways. I head down the flat gray path, towards books and knowledge, while he protects his kingdom from the dark creatures that attack his castle.
I long for those days, like the tree fort that Dad and I built back home. The picture up there^ is a picture of the door right before we moved houses last May. I spent two summers sleeping in that thing, throwing pine cone grenades at any "bad guys" that dare approach, and sniping the sneaky ones with my stick gun. Every so often the battle would stop to witness the approach of a herd of deer. Sometimes in the morning, it would be cold enough to witness steam billowing from their nostrils as their tuned shoulders and legs would cause them to glide across the steep terrain.
"Excuse me!"
Not realizing the boy had caught up to me, I stop. My face, I'm sure, was contorted in confusion.
"I really hope so..."
At this, we part ways. I head down the flat gray path, towards books and knowledge, while he protects his kingdom from the dark creatures that attack his castle.
I long for those days, like the tree fort that Dad and I built back home. The picture up there^ is a picture of the door right before we moved houses last May. I spent two summers sleeping in that thing, throwing pine cone grenades at any "bad guys" that dare approach, and sniping the sneaky ones with my stick gun. Every so often the battle would stop to witness the approach of a herd of deer. Sometimes in the morning, it would be cold enough to witness steam billowing from their nostrils as their tuned shoulders and legs would cause them to glide across the steep terrain.
"Excuse me!"
Not realizing the boy had caught up to me, I stop. My face, I'm sure, was contorted in confusion.
"Excuse me! Um... what was your name?"
"Daniel...?"
"Daniel...?"
"Oh cool! I forgot to tell you that the castle is around the corner, just on the other side of my house!"
"Oh. Ok!"
At this, his feet flew across the grass back to the kingdom. Oh how I wanted to go with him. The king.
"Oh. Ok!"
At this, his feet flew across the grass back to the kingdom. Oh how I wanted to go with him. The king.
Great story. Best part is, when you have your own kids, you can create the castle all over again :) You just have to wait until things line up that way. It'll come. :)
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