The sun was warm on my face. It was one of those days when the air felt soft, and the big trees in the park looked very green. I liked to sit on this one bench, far from the noisy road, where I could watch the ducks on the pond. Today, I had my small book to read, but mostly I was just holding my Rubik’s Cube, turning the sides slow, thinking about the patterns. My hands move fast when I really try, but sometimes it is nice to just let my mind wander while my fingers do the work. It makes me feel calm and helps me think clearly.
A lady walked past. She was not old, maybe around twenty years. She had on a very tight top and shorts that were also very short. Her hair was bright yellow, like a cartoon sun, and she walked with a bounce, as if she was very sure everyone was looking at her. She had a small dog on a long leash. The dog was fluffy, white, and moved in little hops. The lady stopped not too far from my bench. She pulled out her phone and started taking many pictures of herself, making different faces. Sometimes she would try to get the dog in the picture, holding it up like a toy.
I went back to my Rubik’s Cube, making one side all blue, then thinking how to turn it all orange. The dog from the lady’s leash came closer to my bench. It sniffed around my feet, its little tail wagging. I smiled at it. The lady looked up from her phone. She looked at the dog, then at me. Her smile was like a picture, very wide and showing many white teeth. She said that her little darling loved people, and that he was very friendly. I said he was a cute dog. She kept looking at me, her head tilted, and then she looked at my Rubik’s Cube. My fingers were still moving, trying to get the pattern just right for the next turn.
She walked over, pulling her dog a little with the leash. She stood close to my bench. She said that I was very good at that, meaning my cube. I just nodded. She looked at the dog again. She said that her dog, his name was Prince, loved toys, especially things that were colorful. She thought Prince would love to play with my cube. I held my cube tighter. It was not a toy for a dog. It was a puzzle, and it was mine. I said that it was not a toy, and it was not for dogs. She made a sound, like a small laugh, and said that I was funny. She said it was just a plastic box with colors, and that Prince would just have fun for a little bit, and then I could have it back. She reached out her hand.
My mind was working fast, like my fingers when I solve the cube in a hurry. I did not like this. I did not want her to touch my cube, and I did not want her dog to play with it. I said no. I said it clearly. Her smile changed. It was not so wide now, and her eyes looked a little smaller. She said that I was being mean. She said that Prince was a good boy and he deserved to play with whatever he wanted. She said that I should not be so selfish, keeping a small toy from a sweet dog. She put her hand out again, moving it closer to my cube. She was acting as if I had no right to say no.
Suddenly, a small remote control car, one of those fast, shiny ones, zoomed right by Prince’s feet. Prince barked very loud, a yappy, scared bark, and jumped back, pulling on his leash. The lady shrieked. She dropped her phone and bent down to comfort Prince, making soft, worried noises at him. She looked around, her face red, trying to see where the car came from. A little boy, maybe seven years old, came running from behind a big tree, looking for his car. He stopped when he saw the lady yelling at him. She was saying that he almost hurt her Prince, and that he needed to be more careful, or she would tell his parents. The boy looked scared and just stood there, holding his remote control. His dad came walking up, looking confused. The lady was still making a big fuss, telling the dad that his child almost killed her dog. The dad said sorry, and that his son was just playing. After a minute, the lady stood up, still looking angry. She fixed her eyes on me again, like I was the cause of all her problems.
She said that I had made Prince upset by not letting him have a little play with my cube. She said that I was a bad person. She told me that I was being very rude. My mind was not so calm anymore. My voice got a little louder. I said that it was not her dog’s toy, and it was not for her dog. I said that I did not have to give it to her. She put her hands on her hips. She puffed out her chest. She said that she was going to call the park people, and they would make me give it to her. She was acting very sure of herself, like she had already won.
I looked at her. Her face was turning a darker red. Her dog, Prince, was now quiet, looking at us both with wide eyes. I picked up my phone and showed it to her. I told her that I could call the park people too. I told her that dogs were supposed to be on a shorter leash, and that dogs were not supposed to take things from people without asking. I said that she was being very loud and bothering other people in the park. My voice was strong now, just like hers. She blinked at me. Her mouth opened a little, but no words came out for a moment. She looked surprised. She did not like it when someone spoke to her like I was speaking.
She started to say something again, something about how she was special, and her dog was special, but my eyes were fixed on her, not blinking. I had finished solving my Rubik’s Cube now, all the colors were in place. I held it up just a little. She looked at the solved cube, then back at my face. She did not like that I was not giving in. She did not like that I was not scared. She huffed, a big sound like a deflating balloon. She grabbed Prince’s leash and pulled him hard. Prince gave a little yelp. She stomped her foot once, very hard, on the ground.
She turned around then, her bright yellow hair bouncing. She walked away very fast, pulling Prince behind her. She did not look back. I watched her go, until she was just a small dot moving away from the pond and the green trees. She was gone. I looked at my Rubik’s Cube, all solved and perfect in my hand. The sun was still warm, and the ducks were still swimming. The park felt quiet again. My heart was beating a little fast, but I felt like the air was soft again, just like before.
