In his soccer uniform of shorts and a team t-shirt, the little boy couldn’t contain his energy. He slipped under his mother’s arm, under the table and out of the booth.
“Wooooo!” He calls out playfully as he bounces across the restaurant, little plastic shin guards flapping against his legs. He hops from the booth all the way to the soda dispensers and back. With each hop, he crouches low before bounding up in the air, swinging arms and landing solidly. Every couple of hops he lets out a happy noise. Simply thrilled to be allowed to play, he celebrates.
His mother watches him with one eye, resigned to let him misbehave for a few minutes while she eats. It is late and the restaurant, fast-food and family-friendly, was nearly empty. Surely he isn't bothering anyone.
His play is contagious, it seems. His little sister, just moments before curled up against her grandmother looking sleepy, slides out of the booth as well.
She mimics her brother shyly. Adorable with her big blue eyes and blonde ponytail, she joins him in running circles around an empty table. Dressed in a black leotard, pink tights and pink ballet slippers, she doesn’t have good traction on the tile floor. Scrambling to keep up, she makes happy noises with him. “Wooooo! Yeah, soccer! Yay, hamburger!” Their cheers echo across the linoleum and late night diners smile involuntarily.
Friday, October 3, 2008
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