The delighted screams of children, temporarily free from the chains of the classroom, reverberate through the air, creating a euphoric cacophony. The vivid colours of summer clothes flash in the sun as they dart through the jungle of bright metal bars. The platforms loom above their small statures, vaguely intimidating.
My friends and I perch in the wooden tunnel, suspended above the ground. We giggle and gossip as we finish our sandwiches. Then we leave the tunnel and make our way to one of the highest platforms and sit in a circle, eyes luminous with exhilaration. Our powerful imaginations transform the wooden planks into the salty decks of a pirate ship. It’s magic.
One by one, we shimmy back down the warm metal poles, and approach the most daunting part of the playground. The thick blue ropes strung between the two wooden poles fill me with fright. But today I’m determined to master the spider net.
I slowly start the long climb to the top. The movement of the other children scrambling up and down sways the net and I clutch tightly to the ropes. The height makes my palms sweat and my heart pound. It’s impossible.
Tomorrow. I’ll do it tomorrow.
Intermediate. High school. Return to primary. A sense of déjà vu as I feel the bark under my feet for the first time in an eternity. Silence.
It’s bizarre. The ladders, poles, and platforms have all shrunk, and they’ve faded as though someone has poured bleach over the playground. But it is the emptiness that troubles me. The complete and utter lack of any human presence makes this place feel wrong, like a lit stage without performers.
I wander over to the suspended wooden tunnel and peer in. I briefly consider climbing inside, but it’s far too narrow. Did four of us really used to perch in there quite happily?
I come to one of the highest platforms (now so small!) and clamber up. I can remember sailing the high seas on this platform, so long ago. I try to recapture those childhood fantasies. But I can’t. The magic died with the colour and the noise.
A sense of purpose suddenly strikes me. I never conquered the spider net. But now I’m back here and I can do it. A bittersweet, hollow victory – but better than nothing.
I can’t believe it. The net has disappeared. The two wooden poles stand there, rotting away near the top, unconnected by the thick blue ropes. No victory.
I leave the lonely, dead playground filled with a bizarre desire to cry. I feel ridiculously grown-up, more so than ever.
‘Forever young’. If only.
No comments:
Post a Comment