Swing

It was late afternoon when she entered the playground but some kids were still playing in the wooden structure, the slides or buidling sand castles in the sandbox. The swingsets were empty.

She jumped into one and felt the cold metallic chain where the seat was hanging from. She sat in the middle of it and walked backwards until when only the tips of her feet could touch the ground. And then, she leaped and left the swing drive her forwards, soflty, until it reached its maximum height. And moving her body slightly forwards and bending her knees, she let the swing move her backwards until reaching again the highest point. And then, again, she unbended her legs and mover her body backwards. She repeated mechanically the movements she had learned when she was no more than three feet tall. And she looked around.

Up in the sky, the sun was setting and its last beams shaded the park of golden and red. She closed her eyes, feeling the warmth on her face while the fresh air caused by the swinging was messing her hair. Through her closed eyelids she still could sense the solar disc, now being crossed by a cotton-like cloud. She tried to blank her mind and just feel the silence around her, but the calm was constantly broken by the children's laugh which at its turn, made her also smile. She opened the eyes again, two little girls were sitting in the swings just by, looking towards her direction, She smiled them back and jumped from the swing still in motion, landing with both feet on the spongy ground. Walked towards and standed behind both swingsets. She pushed the girls forwards a couple of times and went back to hers, starting again.

Closing her eyes again, she tried to think of nothing and just feel the dying sun and the sweet accompanying motion. The smell of the jasmin struck her by surprise and with it, a thousand memories were unveiled and spread just in front her eyes. She felt the sun tanning her pale skin and saw its light passing through the layers of thin ever-green leaves from the ivies that covered the squared pergola where they were sitting. She heard her own loud laugh seconded by another even louder and really close; and, just a bit further, the sound of the running water. Her hands were not grasping the chain anymore, but were holding a soft and warm hand that was playing with her fingers.

A shiver run down her back and made her return to the present where a colder wind was blowing and the sun had already disappeared behing the magnificent church at the other side of the park. She smiled to herself and, stretching the legs towards the floor, she started stopping the swing motion. And when it came to the end, she jumped from the swing and set her path towards home.