The Park…

75 Replies
dales-field

PHOTO PROMPT © Dale Rogerson

“Go home.”

The kid on the skateboard spat at Robert.

“I am, jerk.”

Robert found an out of the way spot to watch the basketball game. He hoped to play, but he knew the other kids didn’t want him.

“Roberto, Mama says it’s dinner time.”

He rolled his eyes at his sister. Why did she have to come?

“Roberto, your Mama is calling!” one of the kids jeered.

He stopped and looked at the chalk words, half English, half Spanish, scrawled on the pavement.

“Park es para all!”

Juan, his brother’s body was found the day after he wrote it.

***

Word count = 100

Friday Fictioneers is hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields.  This week’s prompt is here and uses a photo © Dale Rogerson.  Read more or join in by following the InLinkz “linky“.

***

I’m sure the words are more French than Spanish, but they are what caught me eye…

75 thoughts on “The Park…”

  1. Pingback: Ten Stories | The Diligent Dilettante

    2. patriciaruthsusan

      I had the same problem. Try clicking on the circular arrow on the left beside the back and forward arrows near the top. Clicking on that first fixes my Reblog button. I click on the Like button and wait. It kicks on in a short time. I don’t know when WordPress is ever going to fix those problems. :) — Suzanne

      Liked by 2 people

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    1. trentpmcd Post author

      Quiet revenge does has its consequences, but I think Robert is looking for acceptance as much as he is revenge. Not acceptance by the people who killed his brother, but by the some of the other kids.

      Liked by 1 person

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  6. msjadeli

    So many young people of today turn to their street connections as family and become gangs that stake out their turf. People die when turf is invaded. A lot. It is a symptom of our sick society.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. trentpmcd Post author

      The streets are sometimes made unsafe by kids joining violent gangs. There are also kids who echo their parents’ hatreds and prejudices in violent ways. I guess in ways this can be a modern Sharks vs Jets, though Robert isn’t really part of the Sharks.

      Liked by 2 people

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        1. trentpmcd Post author

          It is sickening to hear about, and so awful that it is part of our world today. Every so often I have to bring up those difficult subjects that we need to spend more time talking about. Thanks, Isadora.

          Liked by 1 person

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  12. Na'ama Yehuda

    Brutal and all too true for all too many children, who for whatever reason are the ‘non-gratas’ of the parks, and often right under the noses of the adults who refuse to see what is actually taking place … (or, alas, who even promote it). Very very well done.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. trentpmcd Post author

      Too much of this does go on. Some kids seem to pick up adult’s prejudices and hatreds and amplify them or bring them to extremes the adults would never have gone to (we hope). Thanks.

      Liked by 1 person

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      1. Na'ama Yehuda

        Yes, too much, and too many adults are very bad examples themselves, including some in leadership positions. Normalizing bullying makes children think that it is acceptable – even power-indicating – to be cruel to others. It’s a travesty in my view to not have people in power positions held to a far higher standard than what they are allowed to be today (case in point, the US today).

        Liked by 1 person

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    1. trentpmcd Post author

      Thanks. I hope there are few cases quite this bad, but I know kids often take the hateful words they hear adults say and take them to heart, and sometimes to extremes…

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      1. joseph elon lillie

        Now that is a truth. We forget sometimes that the little ears which are listening and the little eyes which are watching will someday be called into the same conversations and how they address those conversations will rely greatly on us.

        Liked by 1 person

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  23. Rowena

    Trent, well-written tragic tale too often repeated. Good to highlight these issues though, because they need to be kept in the public eye and we need to keep fighting for equality and a safe world for all.
    Best wishes,
    Rowena

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. trentpmcd Post author

      Thanks, Rowena. It is tragic, but the hatreds that the adults spew for political gain often does trickle down to the kids and can be deadly serious once at that level.

      Like

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      1. Rowena

        Very true. We live in a bit of a bubble here, especially myself. I can easily forget these things are going on out there.
        You could say that is luck, but there’s also been some choice in that. We might not be the most exciting people around, but we steer clear of quite a lot of trouble. Have enough already with my health problems. Don’t need to make things worse.
        Best wishes,
        Rowena

        Liked by 1 person

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        1. trentpmcd Post author

          It has always been like this. I know there has very often been violence against immigrants, including mass murder. That being said, it is sometimes better, and sometimes worse, and right now we are at a point where there is more hatred against certain people than at any time in my life. It seems to come from political people creating a scapegoat class out of particular people, creating hatreds, and using the energy to get what they want.

          Liked by 1 person

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  26. bearmkwa

    A very sad story that I hated to like. Well written… maybe too too reflective of the current atmosphere in our country, especially since it was founded by immigrants themselves. Grrr….

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. trentpmcd Post author

      It is too common in our world today. Our country wants to create an “US” and “THEM”, ideas and hatreds that trickle down to the kids. It is a country that was founded by immigrants, send me your poor huddled masses and all, so it does seem a bit hypocritical. of course, it is worse that those most hateful towards current immigrants are often the same ones that are hateful against your native ancestors…

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      1. bearmkwa

        I so agree with what you’re saying. Sometimes I have to admit that I get so angry with people that I lose my cool and tell them to take their immigrant asses back to Britain. Yes, I do, and I mean it when I say it so I never apologize to them for it.

        Liked by 1 person

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