07-08-19 Kingsley: Basketball

Wednesday 7th August 2019

Our afternoon is big: since kindy ends at 3 and basketball starts at 5 we have two glorious hours together while Keanu sleeps on me and Elektra is at home. I figure we go straight to the Margaret Whitlam Recreational Centre and enjoy this sunny winter’s day.

The 313 drops us off near Bondi Junction and we walk singing as we go down Birrell Street, past daddy’s alma mater greeting a flock of noisy, playful sulphur crested cockatoos hanging upside down from the electricity wires. They fascinate Linus especially how they hold on with beak and foot, and twirl fearlessly. Why don’t they fall down, he asks.

Questions are coming fast nowadays. Every observation warrants a question. The tower over there: what is it? Now to explain radio transmission!

After an hour playing so well with other kids at the playground its basketball time. First we watch the soccer kids, then Linus insists he wants to play soccer, then he forgets that the instant basketball dribbling kids begin streaming in. WHERE IS MY BASKETBALL MUMMA? ?

Inconsolable he is! Upset and disturbed not to be dribbling and bouncing a ball before class starts…and I’m to blame! (as if I’ll be carrying his basketball along with Keanu on my front, a shopping bag on my shoulder AND Kingsley’s school bag on my back). But the tears cease when Coach cycles in bearing a sack of basketballs.

Kingsley is off doing his thing on the court for the next blessed hour, big grin on his face each time he shoots a hoop.