The Maple Tree

Peals of laughter filled the air as he ran after her in the park. They weaved through the crowd, jumped over puddles and laughed at the grumpy expressions of the people walking by. Wearing a white frock, the ends of which trailed behind her running legs; she glanced back.  She gave him a lopsided smile.  He took a deep breath. He looked at her pretty face; her almond shaped, amber eyes adorned with thick, long lashes; the freckles on her cheeks and the small dimples that accentuated her dazzling smile. She giggled again and danced around the big maple tree. He followed her and joined her in laughter. It brought back some memories…

A six year old boy was sitting at one corner of the outdoor cafeteria, glancing around furtively before taking out the lunch box that his mother had packed for him. He took a whiff and smiled at the tuna sandwich and the chocolate chip cookies. He emptied the juice box in three, loud slurps and burped.  He was about to start on the sandwich when he felt a hard tap on his shoulder. He turned around and in a flash, someone grabbed his sandwich which broke in half and ran away. He stuffed his face with the remaining portion that was left with him and ran after her.  She looked back at him, giving him a toothy smile. He smiled in return...

They were in the park. Lying in the shade of the maple tree with his head on her lap, he was slowly drifting in and out of sleep. It was a nice day. It was bright and sunny. There were kids chasing one another and parents lounging on the grass, talking and keeping an eye on their children. He closed his eyes.  He felt a tap on his forehead. He opened his eyes and saw her face inches away from his.  Wisps of hair fell around her face and her brown hair gleamed in the sunlight. She was looking at him with an amused expression; her face tilted to the side, her eyebrows raised and eyes widened.  He smiled and tucked a lock of hair behind her right ear. He pulled out a maple leaf that had been fluttering in the breeze and got lodged in her hair. He cupped her chin and pulled her in for a kiss. She leaned back after some time, blushing scarlet. He flashed his most winning smile but got smacked in return. They started laughing…

He comes back to the present when he hears her calling him. " ....You have to be fast to catch me!" He laughed and said, “Sweetheart, let’s go home now. We’re getting late.” “Don’t be a spoilsport, daddy. We still have time to sit on the swings again.” She hung her head to her left and smiled. He chuckled in response. Sally was growing more like her mother every day. “We need to buy flowers and visit your mom, remember? It’s her birthday.” He hoisted her up on his shoulder and she laughed with glee. They made their way to the parking lot.