The scene was Walnut Grove Nursery School and the year was 1982. His name was Nathan and he was the first boy I ever liked. We were celebrating May Day just like every other nursery school in the upper western corner of Indiana with a pagan/socialist/labour party slant (just kidding).
Our flag pole had been transformed into a magical dancing spire covered with streams of crepe paper in every color avaiable at Osco by Ms. Greene et al. We wore pipe cleaner flowers on our shirts and paper hats made out of colored construction paper. Mine said Gumball on it (which is its own story coming soon to the Kittie). The music played and we danced around the pole with the streamers. Some of them left watercolored splotches on our little hands. We danced around the pole and waited for craft time. Today we were making cut-outs of dutch wooden shoes to decorate. Nathan glanced shyly at me. I smiled and waved. He laughed. I became confused and thought to myself - self, why is Nathan laughing at you? My only logical explanation (I was 5) was that he didn't like me. I was crushed.
Our dance ended, kool-aid awaited inside the concrete block building with furry woodland animals and peter pan characters painted on the outside. I maneuvered my way towards Nathan determined to make sure that he didn't tell ANYONE that he didn't like me. I confronted him and he continued to laugh at me so I did what any resourceful 5 year-old girl would do.
I tied him to the Maypole with the crepe paper streamers. He looked like a tube of LifeSavers with all the fruity colors wrapped around him. I was surprised that he didn't put up much of a fight but then again I was known for little pranks and I think he might have known well enough to let me finsh what I started.
I wandered back inside, gulped my red kool-aid down and left a bright red smile on upper lip. We started craft time and my teacher, Ms. Greene, began the requisite head count. "1, 2, .... 8 - where is Nathan?", she asked. She asked in a way that only teachers can ask - because they know that you know where they are. I didn't look up. I used those left-handed safety scissors like they were part of my hand. One dutch wooden show with a kittie drawn on it coming right up! Two dutch shoes with flowers and a sqaure drawn on them - done. I was feverish. Almost like an Edwina Scissorhands which is probably what gave me away. I don't have the attention span to make 2 dutch wooden shoes without somehow getting up for more kool-aid or climbing to the corner and laying on my nap pad. May Day! May Day! I was caught and confessed but I was not remorseful.
Nathan was later freed by my left-handed safety scissors and his Mom came and picked him up early. Typical. Boys can be such babies. I, on the other hand, was not sent home early or punished. I enjoy my nap time and later afternoon cookies and milk. Maybe Ms. Greene didn't like boys either. Funny how a holiday dedicated to the celebration of social and economic achievements turned into a little social victory of my own. Viva la Revolution!
