Sitting and holding her knees, she smiles when she looks at us, and also when she closes her eyes. We’re all playing, just fooling around when it’s break time. Or some of us chat, especially the girls! But not this one. She’s alone on her hill.
One day I’ll try to go and see her because she looks so happy! But I never have the time, because I like to play and the hill is too high for me to do both.
– Wait for me!
– Why do you want to come?
– Don’t you want me to come?
– I don’t want you to bother me. If you come, stay calm.
– All right.
I followed the little girl.
Weeds were pricking my legs and it was hard to keep moving! She was running! She was laughing as she threw grass in the air. I did what she did, I ran into her and threw the grass at her.
She stopped.
– No, that’s not how I like to play. I told you I like it quiet. I like running, not you running over me! I like to see the grass fly around me, not have it in my mouth.
She sits where she normally does when I’m not with her.
– Is that why you stay alone?
– Yes, I’m only happy when everyone’s smiling. I don’t like it when people cry or shout. And since I’m here, I can look wherever I want, and if I want, I can only see people laughing.
– And I’m looking down at you.
I liked staying with her because there was never any fuss. We were having a laugh, so the others wanted to come along, and we said yes, but they made a mess of things. They fought over who started, who cheated, who won. Then she said:
– No, you don’t come to the hill if you’re not calm! I don’t like arguments! It’s much more fun to laugh together! Shouting hurts your throat and ears, but laughing is good for you. I like people who are nice to me.
– And so am I.
– So here, we play together or we don’t play at all.
And that was the end of the playground.
But the others came back, not all of them, but Martin, Kylian and Fanny did. I ran really fast down the hill, and then back up again, with Martin and Kylian. The girls would make necklaces out of the flowers and give them to us when we were the fastest.
Every day, we were there and often others came and there were never any problems here. Whereas elsewhere, there are always arguments or worse, fights.
Over time, it became our place, all of us friends. We knew it was always right.
I did the right thing, going after her, climbing up to stay with her! And to defend her! Because everything’s so much better when she’s around!
That’s why Paix is my best friend for life!
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Story offered by Vanina D, a young member of Graines de Paix at the time, who has since become a teacher.