Nico loves to swing. His love of it has always outweighed my patience for pushing him. Today is no different, though he seems ready to quit sooner than last time I was here. It is hotter than ever. I say, "I am so hot I could melt." Nico looks at the spotted sidewalk. "Grandma, look. That’s where a person melted. " There are plenty of melted people on the sidewalk, and we calculate whether they are big or small by the size of the spot they’ve left. A water fountain with three levels for small, larger, and large people beckons to us, so we decide it is our last chance to avoid melting. The water is hot when it first emerges, but we’re thirsty so we drink it anyway, and it soon cools. One of the fountains is clogged with sand and full of water, so Nico tries to clean it out, which provides an excellent opportunity for playing in the water.
We head back to the condo, a five minute walk through the woods on a newly laid path. It is full of hazards. Pine needles and dried leaves lie scattered on the pavement, creating islands blocking our way. We heroically steer around the piles to avoid the deadly creatures lurking there. A small streak of green skitters across the path. I stop and look to the side. A bright green chameleon is crouched, immobile, on a gray twig. We watch it slowly and subtly blend into the twig, matching it so perfectly it is nearly invisible.
We near the condo and cut across the weedy field to the lawn. NIco appreciates my prowess at finding this short cut through prickly thistles and Man-eating Venus Flytraps. Safely home, I further enhance my status by preparing the best macaroni and cheese he has ever eaten.
May he never grow up and find I’m human.