the day: thursday, october 7th, 2010. parker’s log:
on the way back from a short hike up buffalo mountain, i received a text from my friend amira asking if i was at willow springs park. it was a good assumption because i am usually there training. her and zakariah were at the park for a little afternoon playground adventure. i decided to join in. i had only recently accomplished friendship status with zakariah. the previous 2-3 years, he had held me with great suspicion, remaining reticent in my presence but, for some reason, this past month, i had won his trust. it had been a long road, and i was grateful to gain a friend.
as i arrived at willow springs on a beautiful and pristine fall day, i thought all was well. as we hung out on the playground, i thought zakariah and i were on good terms. as we walked through the park, i thought we were friends. i thought wrong. zakariah requested to return to the playground, so amira and i took a squat on the grassy hill near it. zakariah wandered assertively over to us and tried to tackle me. in effect, he accidentally knocked over my cup of water. i politely asked zakariah to refill my arby’s cup of water, and he just as politely acquiesced to my request.
with an ominous smile on his face, he collected my cup and sprinted over to the water fountain. amira and i watched him fill the cup and then slowly but steadly walk back to us. as he ascended the hill, he stopped suddenly and reached out his hand. again, an ominous smile emerged on his face, and without hesitation, he poured out my cup of water, just a few feet in front of me. subsequently, he threw the cup on the ground, and stomped on it, rejoicing in his victory. the audacity! what nerve? how ingenius!?
zakariah slapped me in the face, spit at the back of my head, and revealed the bottom of his foot in defiance. (amira laughing in the background.) the gauntlet has been thrown down, and it is on now. the next time i see him i will say, “zakariah! my name is parker creel. you poured out my water. prepare to die!”
p.s. zakariah is only four and for those of you who don’t have a sense of humor, we are still buds. i wrote this for kicks and giggles and to retell his brilliance.
November 7th, 2010 at 03:16
I’m in a restaurant and therefore had to keep in my laughter. But I think you can imagine how much this would have made me laugh out loud if I could. (I suppose I still could, but, like I said, I’m in a restaurant.)