I stood barefoot

Anonymous

I stood barefoot over our warm oak floor looking at the children playing outside. They were too excited about the beginning of the summer while the sun shone warmly above them fulfilling all of their wishes. My sisters went out on their bikes. I preferred to sit inside with my father while he was fixing our house.

I took my colored pencils and the sketchbook and sat at our dining table to draw. My sisters didn’t care much about what I would do, they loved to spend time with Rana who was living nearby. Rana and I were the same age, but she was closer to my sisters than to me. I was less talkative compared to other children which made it difficult to have friends.

I held my red pencil firmly, willing to draw the red wooden house. To get the perfect red color you must have strong hands, not shaky ones; then press firmly against the paper and color until your hands ache. Don't give up, think about the results, and the small achievements you shall make to consider your day productive.

I whispered to myself not to care about the new bike standing in the garage. I feared acknowledging the disappointment I felt for letting my fears choose what I shall do with my life. Old memories from my early childhood were evoked once I put my legs over that bike, so I would then leave it back immediately, and run to our house to read a book or draw a picture. My father noticed my confusion, so he played the songs I liked high on the speakers to entertain me and to make my summer memorable.

One day Rana had sneaked a peek at me from the wide window in our living room. She did that almost five times before entering our house and shouting at me, “What are you doing? Can’t you draw later? Summer is here!… My mother says that no one deserves to be left alone.”

Annoyed at her, I said, “No one left me! I chose to be here.”
“All right then I will sit and draw with you.”
“You don’t have to.”
“Well, I chose to be here as well.” she said determinedly.

That day was different, she was different. My attitude had pushed people away, but it didn't do that with her. We didn't speak much either, we simply sat and drew for a couple of hours.The following days she would do the same thing, riding her bike for a few rounds before coming inside to draw with me. She did that until we became close friends. One day she asked me to try her bike. I hesitated, but she was encouraging and I trusted her. We then rode our bikes together but instead of remembering the past, I focused on Rana, my new friend. We rode through our neighborhood, alongside the nearby meadows, and across the dusty roads inside the woods. We had no limits, but Time.