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Friday, August 12, 2016

The Boy Named Nico

I dropped Taylor off today at CF Dance Academy and headed to the stairs to sit and wait for her to finish.  At the half way point was a young boy dancing about.

Me: Do you mind if I sit here to?
Boy: Sure! (a huge smile spread across his face)

I sat down and took out my dinner and began to eat.

Boy: Is that your food?
Me: Yup.  Did you eat dinner already?
Boy: No
Me: How long before you leave (I assumed he was also waiting for somebody to finish a dance class)
Boy: I don't know, what time is it?
Me: 5:45
Boy: Oh (I could tell the time actual meant nothing to him)

The boy sat looking at his hands and fidgeting next to me.

Me: So do you dance?
Boy: Yes! (his eyes lit up) I do ballet, jazz, and hip hop!
Me: That's cool, what's your favorite?
Boy: Ballet
Me: How long have you been dancing?
Boy: What month is it? (doesn't give me time to answer and instead begins counting on his fingers)
Boy: 7 (I have no idea if that is weeks, days, months, years, or the age he began)
Boy: I don't live here you know
Me; Oh? Where are you from
Boy: Oregon.  I come here every summer to visit my dad, but I only see him on weekends.  The rest of the time I'm with my cousins.  Dylan's a bully.  He started punching me for no reason.  I miss Oregon.  We have rain there!  And we get do do neat things.
Me; What kind of neat things?
Boy: Like play in sheds.
Me: That sounds cool.
Boy: Yeah!  I miss it there.  I have lots of pets.
Me: How old are you?
Boy: I'm 8 and I turn on 9 on December 19th.
Me: My daughter is 9, that's who I'm waiting for. Who are you waiting for
Boy: Dylan, he's the bully.
Me; What makes him a bully?
Boy: He just gets mad and mean all the time
Me; I'm sorry. Is there anything you like in California?
Boy: My dad. I like when I see him on weekends.  He's fun.  He takes me to the movies.
Me: What's your name?
Boy: Nico.  My friends call me Nico.  My real name is Nicodemus.
Me; That's a really cool name.
Nico: I think it sounds like a fish.

An older man who was sitting at the bottom of the stairs the whole time playing Pokemon Go stood up and walked passed us.

Nico: Oh, I gotta go.
Me: Nice to meet you Nico
Nico: That's my grandpa.

I had no idea the man at the bottom of the stairs who never once looked up at us was actually there WITH Nico.  And for some reason I was just sad for this young boy named Nico.  He spends summer away from his mom, in a place he hates, with family that is mean to him, and during our 30 minute chat I could tell he just craved attention.  Obviously this is just a summary of the conversation (which involved all his pets names, stories about Oregon flooding, how CA beaches don't get waves, and how he knows his dog can open doors because while he slept his tablet magically fell and cracked so it must be the dog).

I know this is random story, but this little boy has been on my mind since I left so I figured I'd share the story of the time I met a boy named Nico.



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