It was late afternoon and I was walking home through the apartments’ residential park. In front of me three children were walking. I could hear their conversation and I started to observe them. 

The one on the left was obviously the Leader. The one in the middle, about the same height and built as the Leader was clearly the Leader’s favorite. And on the right was the, how to phrase this? Third Leg would give a good image and yet it is not sufficient. She is needed as the outsider of their little group so let’s call her the Outsider. She is clearly aware of her situation.

Remember the Leader is on the Left, the Favorite, in the Middle and the Outsider, on the Right. Left Girl had her right hand around Middle Girl, even though it was making walking uncomfortable for the both of them. Middle Girl’s hands were limp on her sides. Right Girl was obviously separate since Left and Middle were one and moving together and there was such a space between her and them. Right and Left were talking. Right was trying to convince them to do something together and Left was against it. “They” didn’t want to do it, Right could do it alone if she wanted. Right seemed frustrated. 

Right looking somewhat defeated and sadly alone in their group of three looks back. Perhaps the sound of my shoes made her curious. I was looking at her. Our eyes met. She seemed uncomfortable. She looks back again, this time I was looking ahead but away from them. She whispers to Middle and Left, “Some woman is following us.” 

I felt slightly irritated at being referred to as “some woman” who had nothing better to do than follow a bunch of seven-eight year olds. What does that even mean? Without thinking, I snapped, “I am not following you!” Increasing my pace I added “If you are bothered, I will just walk in front of you then.” Left replied, apparently sensing my annoyance, “It is just that our parents said not to talk to strangers.” She explained. 

What? I’m the Stranger? I had been conscious of them and now their consciousness of me has added me to their group as The Stranger. I didn’t like it at all. For it was not just simply an uninterested stranger, but obviously a creepy woman who followed children kind of stranger! Oh no you didn’t! I thought to myself and answered, never minding that they were children, “Don’t worry, I don’t want to talk to you guys either.” Which was true. I really didn’t have the slightest interest in having any sort of conversation with them. By this time I was already ahead of them and I didn’t look back as I dished my retort. 

Left, whom I could still see from the corner of my eyes and whose voice I was familiar with by now, replied, “Oh Okay!” and I could tell she was wounded. I was branching off their path and from the corner of my eyes, I noticed Left had separated herself from Middle and was walking slightly ahead of their group towards the adjacent apartments. I regretted my childishness but felt it was best to not say anything. I quickened my steps towards my building not taking a single glance back. 

At thirty-five, it takes three little children to reduce me to seven. Should I be ashamed of myself? I am not. Why? Of course, I was insulted. Even if I had been some deranged person who kidnapped children, I would have had to be incredibly stupid and astonishingly unskilled at my bothersome enterprise to try to abduct children in a large open area full of other people––though none so close to us––and within view of hundreds of windows facing the park. Not to mention the overhead cameras everywhere. 

It seemed to me that Right, embarrassed at having been so thoroughly rejected by Left, was trying to change the subject. It is also possible that she was trying to pass on her position as the Outsider to me so she could feel more included in their group. I have been working with children for over four years now and my belief that, though naive and inexperienced, children are incredibly brilliant, keeps proving correct.

Hours after the encounter, pondering the afternoon’s event, I wondered if I had not been wrong in labeling Left as Leader? It may be that Middle was the real Leader, after all. I never heard a word from her. Also her aloofness to both Left and Right could mean she was the only one without fear of loosing her position in their little circle. Especially compared to Left who was actually quite sensitive, after all. 

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Jane A. Odartey