Mandys Park Adventure (New Part added 10/23/2023)
Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2023 2:31 am
My friends and I always gathered at the public park in the middle of our neighborhood. We've had many adventures. Some were fun, some were scary, but none were as memorable as an early fall day the year I turned 10 years old.
My name is Mandy. I've got dozens of friends near our house. Older friends, younger friends, girl friends, boy friends. But on this day I was sitting at the top of the monkey bars with my bestie, Becca who was also 10. It had just rained the day before so many spots in the park were still wet with water and bare places covered with mud.
With us on the monkey bars were Becca's older sister Randi who was 12, another girl named Chelsea who was 8 and her brother Casey was in the same grade as me and Becca but how undoubtably had been retained one year because he was a year older than us. Somewhere in the park was Chelsea and Casey's older brother Craig who was 15. He was cute. Becca and I both had a crush on him.
So, grouped together on the climbing playground equipment were a 12 year old girl (Randi), two 10 year old girls (me and Becca), an 8 year girl (Chelsea) and a 11 year old boy (Criag) just minding our business, climbing, chatting about who knows what, and enjoying being outdoors. As we played someone spotted a new girl about our age with a much older boy and a young woman, all of whom we had never seen before. Suddenly the talk turned to "who are they!"
It didn't take long for us to discover. The young girl skipped over our way. We quickly learned her name was Riley, she was 9 years old. She was not from our neighborhood or even our town. She lived in a neighboring community and the young woman with them was a "care giver" who lived about 3 blocks from the park. The older boy was Riley's brother Robert, he was 16 but was Autistic, whatever that was, and had other social challenges, so much so that he required almost constant oversight and assistance. Something that we would discover for ourselves in a very unique way.
It wasn't long after Riley joined us before we were running around enjoying the fall weather, jumping over small water puddles, enjoying the park despite the recent rain. Robert watched us from a distance. The caregiver was busy on her phone but made sure to yell towards Riley, "Don't get in the water or mud Riley!"
"Yes, Miss Cathy." Riley shouted back. "Yes, Miss Cathy," her brother Robert echoed.
We all laughed and Robert inched a little closer to us.
Soon Robert was right there among us, not saying a word and looking a little awkward. In addition to his social shyness and he was huge, especially compared to us kids.
He would laugh at us. Point at us. Even mimicked us. Then once when Craig jumped off the sidewalk over a small ditch, Robert attempted to do the same. But even despite his side, he was unable to clear to the other side and clumsily fell back, into the water and mud with a big splash.
Everyone together gasped, then we all looked at each other trying to suppress our laughter. Riley did not join in, instead she turned to look towards Miss Cathy. The noise was just enough to cause Miss Cathy to glance up from her phone and quickly noticed that the teen giant amongst the kids could no longer be seen, except when looking DOWN on the ground, in the water, and covered in mud.
"My god, Robert, what in the hell have you done!" she yelled as she stormed in our direction. Our giggles disappeared but our interest was piqued. Was he in trouble? What was going to happen? Were we in trouble? Should we all run home?
We did nothing, but look at Robert, then at Miss Cathy, and then at each other.
"Well, don't just sit in the water and mud, get up dammit!"
Robert rolled over on his knees and began trying to right himself. He was covered in mud, not in every spot, but he had some mud from the top of his head down to the bottom of his feet. His shirt, shoes, and jeans were barely recognizable.
"You are NOT getting in my car with all that mud on you! We are going to have to put on your extra clothes before we go anywhere. In fact, it is probably best we go ahead and leave now...before you do something else!"
In the middle of the park playground was a small building, with 2 drinking fountains and 2 bathrooms. Neither the girls’ or the boys’ side of the building were very big but each had 2 sinks and a couple of toilets. Without much warning, Miss Cathy put her arm on Roberts wet elbow and started pushing him in that direction. "Come with me, let see if we can get the mud out of your hair and you out of those clothes without getting it all over ME!"
We watched as Miss Cathy directed the wet and muddy teenager down the sidewalk and down towards the "girls" side of the bathroom building.
My small gang just stood there, uncertain what to do or what to think. Finally, Randi, Becca's older sister asked Riley a question. "Is Miss Cathy going to take him into the girls’ bathroom?"
Riley watched as we watched Miss Cathy open the door to the girls’ room, "yes," she said.
"Is she going to clean him up?"
"Yes," said Riley.
"Is she going to take off his clothes?" I asked.
"Yes," said Riley, and she started walking, too, towards the girls’ bathroom.
We ALL followed.
My name is Mandy. I've got dozens of friends near our house. Older friends, younger friends, girl friends, boy friends. But on this day I was sitting at the top of the monkey bars with my bestie, Becca who was also 10. It had just rained the day before so many spots in the park were still wet with water and bare places covered with mud.
With us on the monkey bars were Becca's older sister Randi who was 12, another girl named Chelsea who was 8 and her brother Casey was in the same grade as me and Becca but how undoubtably had been retained one year because he was a year older than us. Somewhere in the park was Chelsea and Casey's older brother Craig who was 15. He was cute. Becca and I both had a crush on him.
So, grouped together on the climbing playground equipment were a 12 year old girl (Randi), two 10 year old girls (me and Becca), an 8 year girl (Chelsea) and a 11 year old boy (Criag) just minding our business, climbing, chatting about who knows what, and enjoying being outdoors. As we played someone spotted a new girl about our age with a much older boy and a young woman, all of whom we had never seen before. Suddenly the talk turned to "who are they!"
It didn't take long for us to discover. The young girl skipped over our way. We quickly learned her name was Riley, she was 9 years old. She was not from our neighborhood or even our town. She lived in a neighboring community and the young woman with them was a "care giver" who lived about 3 blocks from the park. The older boy was Riley's brother Robert, he was 16 but was Autistic, whatever that was, and had other social challenges, so much so that he required almost constant oversight and assistance. Something that we would discover for ourselves in a very unique way.
It wasn't long after Riley joined us before we were running around enjoying the fall weather, jumping over small water puddles, enjoying the park despite the recent rain. Robert watched us from a distance. The caregiver was busy on her phone but made sure to yell towards Riley, "Don't get in the water or mud Riley!"
"Yes, Miss Cathy." Riley shouted back. "Yes, Miss Cathy," her brother Robert echoed.
We all laughed and Robert inched a little closer to us.
Soon Robert was right there among us, not saying a word and looking a little awkward. In addition to his social shyness and he was huge, especially compared to us kids.
He would laugh at us. Point at us. Even mimicked us. Then once when Craig jumped off the sidewalk over a small ditch, Robert attempted to do the same. But even despite his side, he was unable to clear to the other side and clumsily fell back, into the water and mud with a big splash.
Everyone together gasped, then we all looked at each other trying to suppress our laughter. Riley did not join in, instead she turned to look towards Miss Cathy. The noise was just enough to cause Miss Cathy to glance up from her phone and quickly noticed that the teen giant amongst the kids could no longer be seen, except when looking DOWN on the ground, in the water, and covered in mud.
"My god, Robert, what in the hell have you done!" she yelled as she stormed in our direction. Our giggles disappeared but our interest was piqued. Was he in trouble? What was going to happen? Were we in trouble? Should we all run home?
We did nothing, but look at Robert, then at Miss Cathy, and then at each other.
"Well, don't just sit in the water and mud, get up dammit!"
Robert rolled over on his knees and began trying to right himself. He was covered in mud, not in every spot, but he had some mud from the top of his head down to the bottom of his feet. His shirt, shoes, and jeans were barely recognizable.
"You are NOT getting in my car with all that mud on you! We are going to have to put on your extra clothes before we go anywhere. In fact, it is probably best we go ahead and leave now...before you do something else!"
In the middle of the park playground was a small building, with 2 drinking fountains and 2 bathrooms. Neither the girls’ or the boys’ side of the building were very big but each had 2 sinks and a couple of toilets. Without much warning, Miss Cathy put her arm on Roberts wet elbow and started pushing him in that direction. "Come with me, let see if we can get the mud out of your hair and you out of those clothes without getting it all over ME!"
We watched as Miss Cathy directed the wet and muddy teenager down the sidewalk and down towards the "girls" side of the bathroom building.
My small gang just stood there, uncertain what to do or what to think. Finally, Randi, Becca's older sister asked Riley a question. "Is Miss Cathy going to take him into the girls’ bathroom?"
Riley watched as we watched Miss Cathy open the door to the girls’ room, "yes," she said.
"Is she going to clean him up?"
"Yes," said Riley.
"Is she going to take off his clothes?" I asked.
"Yes," said Riley, and she started walking, too, towards the girls’ bathroom.
We ALL followed.