Chapter 4: The Playground

For Sylvia, the week had been increasingly stressful. With final exams looming, she, like most students, was scrambling to teach herself everything from the semester. It wasn’t that she was a bad student, or that she’d fared poorly thus far; but that her final exams were all cumulative, so an extensive review was needed. It didn’t help that ever since last Friday, she had found herself daydreaming, thoughts drifting back to the few moments she had spent in close proximity to Mr. Thompson. She’d never imagined that a conversation with someone so well off would be so ... easy. He had been nice, if you discount his attitude towards Cynthia, which Sylvia could not blame him for whatsoever. Maybe that was why she changed her mind; turning around and picking up an application soon after he left. It was a bad idea though, because the uncertainty of the internship now hung over her like a ball of anxiety, waiting to burst at any moment and drench her.

Cynthia didn’t share in Sylvia’s anxieties. She was sure that the impression she’d made on Mr. Thompson was so memorable, that he had most likely gone straight back to his office and chosen her for the spot. The only delay was how busy Mr. Thompson must be. Though doubtful of this, Sylvia chose to keep quiet. There was no reason to knock Cynthia down, as the positivity was something Sylvia needed as she stressed internally over finals, and the thought of possibly seeing HIM again.

Waking up on Friday morning, Sylvia, unlike the week prior, made no effort in moving from the comfort of her bed. The warm covers enveloped her soft body, clad only in a long t-shirt and panties. She ran through her itinerary for the day, and smiled. Thanks to her efforts throughout the week, she could take it easy today. She already imagined herself walking through the city; finding a park bench to perch on while she sketched her surroundings. See, in spite of her focus being in architecture, Sylvia often times found herself drawing and sketching everything but buildings in her free time. She loved to people watch, roughly recreating their daily interactions in her sketchbook.

A few hours later, that was exactly what Sylvia did. After quickly donning a comfortable outfit consisting of a grey heather shirt, her favorite dark red corduroy overalls, and worn black vans, she made her way out into the Upper West Side. The day was warm, with sunlight filtering past the buildings and trees to bathe the sidewalk in patches of light. She walked confidently, headphones pushed into her ear, drowning out the noise and distraction of the city around her. Her eyes wandered constantly, soaking in the now familiar sights of the neighborhood surrounding her apartment. Soon, she was in the subway, riding south towards 79th street. From there, it was only a short walk to her favorite place, The Natural History Museum. She perched herself on the expansive steps, a view of Central Park laid out in front of her, and began to sketch.

Her position allowed her views of a multitude of different people. There were tourist families from countless countries, teachers herding flocks of children, couples cozied together, and more. However, it was the men in business attire that caught Sylvia’s eyes. She watched them carefully, noting the almost constant grimaces on their faces, as if they couldn’t stand being near the people around them. In comparison to Mr. Thompson, each of them felt cold and unapproachable, with an air of superiority that immediately turned her off. She switched to the children, a smile forming on her face as she considered their happy, carefree demeanor. She found comfort in it, her shoulders relaxing as her fingers worked the pencil over the textured craft paper. She caught herself wondering what it would be like to be free of responsibility, to be free to do as she wished. The train of thought rode deeper into this, pushing her towards an almost childlike mindset. Now, as she looked around, everything seemed different. The steps were now platforms, points from where she could jump. The trees were perfect for climbing, seeing how high she could get above everyone else. And the business men? Well, they seemed downright scary, and she wanted nothing to do with them! She giggled to herself, thinking about how she’d much rather play with Mr. Thompson. He seemed like he knew how to have fun. Suddenly, she remembered that there was a playground just inside Central Park.

Slipping the sketchbook back into her bag, Sylvia stood and made her way down the steps, jumping from one to the next with a grin on her face. A child caught onto what she was doing and joined in. By the time they reached the end of the steps, Sylvia’s heart was pumping and a permanent smile was on her face. She had to be careful though, as crossing an avenue in New York was no joke! She waited patiently for the walk symbol, shifting her weight from foot to foot. As soon as it changed, she was off, and soon was gliding through Central Park, her little feet carrying her to the playground.