angie and company

since last year, there was not much summer weather in chicago, I was very excited when temperature bar was climbing up and up. I have a patio, right on an artificaial pond. I can sit on contrete steps, and I am on the pond. I was busy roller blading, walking in forest preserve, exercising; busy with myself. I have 2 bamboo shoots to accompany me so I don't feel alone. and there is one more plant I have in a pot, which I keep in my patio. with my unsuccessful attempts to grow flower plants and strawberries, I could not save them from some sneaky creature who loved to eat all these plants not sparing even roots!

I would read, talk on phone, swim, forest preserve, cook, watch tv or go to friend's place, i was very well content in my own evening schedule. Then one day, I was talking on phone on my patio steps as I sometimes do to brethe warm air. I get bright sunlight in the morning, so summer evenings are nice in my patio.

the pond is of small circular shape, and kids would be playing along the periphery, shouting, running, biking. I doubt if any of them would be older than 5. i was carrying a book, and talking on phone one day right after I came home. And this little girl comes around, sits next to me, starts a parallel conversation with me while I was on phone. And finally I gave up, I got off the phone to talk to a person in front, and started talking to her. This innocent little lady was asking me many questions- do you live here? where were you? what was I doing? and then she comes to her point: do you have chocolate? and she got me, I had many! I don't eat chocolates but I have many chocolates at home, somene would give me or i'd buy. she was not the cleanest kid in the world, high energied 4 year old, who never stops. She is Angie. Others were alex, tyler, jeremy and some other kids. alex is angie's elder brother. some kids were afraid to come near me as they were not familier with me, and one parent walks by and sees me giving chocolates abundantly, and she tells me, pointing at the kid who refused to take chocolates, 'it's just that they don't know you, once they'll know you, they won't leave from here, you'll have to get rid of them.' Angie came right with me inside my place. I had some sunscreen samples on my table, she wanted those, had chewing gum too somewhere, and she wanted em. these little devils are very greedy. If you give them one, they want two, and when u give two, they want four! I gave them plenty, and at one point, I promised that they'd get more tomorrow now! Angie was very comfortable running inside, going upstairs and everywhere, it was me who was concerned that their parents' would worry of them coming inside. It seemed like they were okay with it.

The chocolate thing went on until my chocolate reserve was hitting it's lowest. I had been recommended to watch Monster Inc. by a friend of mine who also let me borrow dvd. And one friday, after coming from work I was also kind of under the weather, I put this dvd to play, and Angie, as usual, at my large windows opening at patio, peeks in and asks me if I can open the door. I opened it for them, and this 4 yr old recognised this movie right away! And the gang poured in. I had like 6 kids in my living room, demending one after the another thing to eat. it started with chocolates, and when it emptied out, 'do you have pop corn?' Then came ice-cream, and again pop corn. Their purpose was over now, they had fun in revolving chair, running around having nice evening movie+snacks combo, and they started to play again. I have 3 entrance doors, and I use two of them. one opens in the hallway, one in my patio. these kids started running thru both the doors, and going out of building, and again running to my patio and inside my place and they went on. It was very different enjoyable feeling I got watching these kids. They had been coming on an average every 2 days to my place, and I also started to like it. A friend of mine suggested to give them water melon or other fruits instead of chocolates. They saw watermelon in my fridge, and I was glad they wanted watermelon. water melon went on for a quite a while. One day, I was into deep reading, and angie comes to my window and asks if I can open the door, if I she can get watermelon. I wanted to read, so I told her, I have to read, I'll give water melon tomorrow. She makes face and says, our school opens tomorrow, and we won't be coming here now! and they were treated again. I kind of felt sad that they won't be coming now.. I still would remember these sweet little girl Angie, and her friends running around, biking, shouting. I miss them coming to my window sometime, interrupting whatever I would be doing.. to open door.. and ask for chocolate, water melon, sharing my dinner..