I was the kind of kid who loved playing in the mud. Getting dirty and getting hurt, they were all a game to me. So imagine my excitement when I walk into a construction zone, full with mud and dirt, and I get told I can walk around. I felt ecstatic. Since the construction zone was in a field, the drive was long and boring. It would tire even the most resistant six-year-old, and I was far from that. I slept for at least 3 ⁄ 4 of the ride, so when the black car finally stopped, signalling we had arrived at our destination, I was flabbergasted. I wanted to return to the stale car seat and lay my red cheeks on the cold window while watching the city go by. Despite my feelings, I got up.
Dust flew into my eyes. The wind whistled past us and rushed to collide with the bulldozer on our left. My grampa’s figure lay high above me, shadowing the mud on the ground. His shirt, which my grandma had washed just the day before, was already sweaty, with dust clutching and making the blue fabric appear brownish. His pants were muddied from the ankles up, making him look unprofessional, yet, underneath his baseball cap, a smile danced across his face. His pride for the site was radiating off of him and I could feel it. This was his dream.
As any extroverted younglin would do, I went to either find someone I knew or someone who wanted to skip work so much they would rather converse with a six-year-old. And I found just the one. My uncle, whom my mom was very close with, was my chosen target. I went in, asking about his day, allowing him to explain the importance of things I still haven’t learnt the names of. Then, when his rant about the cement was finally over, I took out my well-known charisma. Admiring how much taller in height he was compared to me, I asked what the construction site looked like from his point of view. After complimenting his height, and how his head was brushing the clouds, he agreed to let me climb up on his shoulders and admire the view from there.
That was when the fun started. With our combined heights, I could see a whole new world. The big mountain of dirt from before that used to tower over me now looked puny underneath my tall figure. The sky seemed easier to reach, the clouds looked closer, and the ground further. The people walking around were chuckling under their breath while passing me in my euphoric state. I loved the feeling of the wind slapping my face, of the smell of the lake, of the crops lying nearby. I loved the site, I loved the city.