SECOND PLACE
The air smells like coconuts and tuna fish sandwiches. Our granny cart is full with a Styrofoam cooler, under a plaid blanket, under frayed and folded towels, under mom’s crossword puzzle. Her blue and white folding chair holds on with three bungee cords. We girls shuffle together, sun kissed noses and shoulders – collecting friends. Our route runs between graffiti buildings, under pigeon poop bridge, beside busy, busy highway, then through a wonderful, magical portal called the MDC pool. Here, colors are more vivid and laughter lingers forever. Here, we girls can, for a little while, inhabit a different world.
Author: Anne Mazzola, 55 years old, Boston.
Illustration: Mars Mazzone