A "Trouble Maker"

5.) A blog post inspired by the word: glistening

When I was twelve I volunteered to help out for a week at a church day camp. I was put in the role of teacher's assistant and during that week created some memories that I never forgot.

It was a Tuesday morning and the campers were headed inside. She was there sitting beside the jungle gym. She was probably six or seven. Her big round eyes looked down at me, tears sliding down her cheeks, glistening as the light caught them.

She was a "trouble maker", the leader said. "Good luck with her. You'll probably just have to stay outside with her until her mom comes this afternoon" and with that she went inside. I could see from the girl's face that something was wrong and that she was hurting inside.

I was only a child myself but I wanted to help, even if I didn't know the right thing to say.

"Don't leave me" she said and I stared back at her "I'll stay".

She looked me over as I sat on the cement stairs leading up to the playground.  She'd climbed up now and she was perched on the top, her legs dangling through blue bars.

"Aren't you going to leave? They all left!" she challenged. I answered back, "I'm not going anywhere."

We sat staring at each other for a long while and then suddenly after a while she crawled down and sat down beside me, gradually getting closer until I was shocked to find her head on my shoulder, sobbing now, I held her as she cried, a cloud of anger had lifted, and the storm was over. We sat there for a while. She talked, I mostly listened. I really can't remember what about but I must have said something that made her feel better.

"If I go inside will you stay with me?" She asked. "Of course" I answered and with that a tentative smile graced her face, she wiped her tears and we went in together.