WA-1 Emotional Release

The sun was shining, and the air was heavy with a thickness only possible in Memphis, TN. Mary, Catherine, and I played peacefully in my backyard’s sandbox, which was made by my dad and I with wood from the lumber yard and sand from Ace Hardware. Afternoon upon afternoon was spent creating castles for our imaginations to run wild with. Mary, was not only my neighbor but my best friend. I was slightly older and probably used that to my advantage a little too often. After school every day she would come over and we would eat our snack and then go out to play. This afternoon, was no different than any other. Mary and Catherine, were using the brightly colored, made in China shovels while I was using my favorite, the red, five-pronged, metal rake. We each had our allotted spaces and hardly ever went past them. However, this time my magnificent creation needed more room. I thought up an idea and then proceeded to
say,

“Mary, move I need to use that space.” I said in what I thought was a very authoritative manner.
“No,” she replied “I was here first!”
“Yeah but this is my sandbox, if you don’t like it you can leave.”
“No, that's not fair.” she whined.
“ Well if you don’t move by the time I count to five then I will hit you with this rake.”
She looked at me and decided I must be kidding so I repeated myself once again. “Mary, I am not joking if you don't move on the count of five I will hit you over the head with this.” As I said this I lifted up my metal weapon for emphasis.
Nothing...
“One...Two...Three...Four...Five...”

Mary stood there expectantly, daring me to follow through on my threat. And so, without a moments hesitation I lifted the rake above my head and brought it down, striking her on the crown of her head. All was silent and still for a moment, Catherine looked upon us with a shocked expression. Then, the sobbing let loose. Mary wailed so loudly i would have covered my ears if I had not been holding the rake. Mary ran screaming to her house across the street and my mind finally began to process what had just happened, and when it clicked I sprinted into the house to find my mom hoping to explain it in a light that would get me in the least amount of trouble possible.

Soon, Suzannne, Mary’s mother, was over at our house and I was hiding up in my room. My mom called me downstairs and told me I needed to go over and apologize. I looked pleadingly at my mom and she gave a look that said, Olivia Eloise Levine, if you don’t go right now you will be in more trouble than you thought possible. As I looked at Mary and apologized, the remorse swelled up inside of me and I began to cry at the sight of pain that I had caused my friend. I had never wanted this to happen.

Our friendship went back to normal about a week later but that was an experience that I don’t really know the reason for its occurrence. If I could take back that afternoon I would but it did happen so I will remember that causing a friend pain is one of the worst possible things you can do.