Mark is a 6-year-old boy who recently moved to a new place with his mom. He enjoys playing alone but his mom encourages him to go to the nearby park to meet other kids. At the park, Mark initially plays by himself but befriends a shy little girl named Tricia. However, Tricia's family soon moves away. Mark later befriends another shy girl named Chiel, who gives him gifts but does not speak. Over time, Chiel and Mark become close friends, though the other kids tease them. Their friendship faces challenges but remains strong.

1. GAMES
By Noelle De Jesus

2. MARK IS NEW TO THE PLACE AND IT HAS BEEN 7 DAYS SINCE HE AND HER
MOM MOVED FROM THE CITY. MARK WAS AN ONLY CHILD AND HE IS ONLY
SIX YEARS OLD. HE LIKES PLAYING ALONE WITH HIS TOY CARS AND LEGO.

3. ONE DAY, MARK’S MOM CALLED HIM AND TOLD HIM “HONEY, YOU SHOULD GO BY
THE PARK BEHIND OUR STREET. THERE ARE KIDS PLAYING THERE MAYBE ITS TIME TO MEET
THEM.” MARK DIDN’T REALLY WANTED TO BECAUSE HE KNOWS THAT MOST KIDS DON’T
LIKE HIM BUT HE WAS OBEDIENT ENOUGH TO JUST SAY, “OKAY MOM!”

4. AS HE RODE HIS BIKE TO THE PARK, HE CAN ALREADY HEAR CHILDREN
LAUGHING FROM A FAR. BOY, DID IT MAKE HIM NERVOUS.

5. HE SAW A LOT OF KIDS PLAYING BY THE SLIDES AND SEE-SAW BUT HE CHOSE TO SIT ON SWINGS ALL
BY HIMSELF. HE WAS JUST STARING AT KIDS YELLING PLAYING IN FRONT OF HIM. SUDDENLY, HE FELT
A TUGGING ON HIS SHIRT, ONLY TO SEE A LITTLE WITH A PINK HEADBAND ON HER. FROM THE LOOKS
OF IT, THE GIRL SEEMED YOUNGER THAN HIM. HE ASKED HER NAME AND SHE REPLIED, “TRICIA”.
THEY STARTED TO BECOME PLAYMATES AFTER THEN.
ONE DAY, THE LITTLE GIRL TOLD MARK THAT THEIR FAMILY HAS TO MOVE TO A BIGGER PLACE. HE
FELT SAD BUT COULD DO NOTHING ABOUT IT.

6. MARK REMAINED A LONER AT THE PARK. HE THEN SAW A GIRL OF HIS AGE,
PLAYING ALONE NEAR THE SWINGS. HE APPROACHED THE GIRL AND TRIED
TO BE FRIENDS WITH HER. HE ASKED HER OF WHAT SHE WAS PLAYING BUT SHE
DIDN’T RESPOND AND ONLY LOOKED AT MARK WITH A PRETTY SMILE ON HER
FACE. THEN SHE TOOK OUT A BAR OF CHOCOLATE OUTSIDE HER SLING BAG
AND GAVE IT TO HIM. ASTONISHED YET THANKFUL, MARK ACCEPTED THE GIFT.

7. UPON GIVING THE CHOCOLATE BAR, THE GIRL RAN FAST AS SHE COULD AWAY FROM
HIM. MARK ALREADY KNEW THAT THE GIRL WAS SHY. THIS KEPT ON HAPPENING FOR
ABOUT A WEEK. HE KEPT DIFFERENT STUFFS FROM THE GIRL AND HE STILL DIDN’T KNOW
HIS NAME. HE WOULD ASK THE GIRL BUT THE GIRL WON’T TALK. HE TRIED GUESSING HER
NAME BUT SHE JUST KEPT SMILING AND JUST KEPT SHAKING HER HEAD TO EVERY NAME.

8. OTHER KIDS AT THE PARK STARTED NOTICING THAT MARK WOULD ALWAYS HAVE
PLENTY OF TOYS TO BRING HOME EVERY TIME HE COMES BACK FROM THE PARK. KIDS
STARTED APPROACHING HIM, BORROWING HIS TOYS. MARK NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS
AND WAS ENJOYING THE ATTENTION THE OTHER CHILDREN ARE GIVING HIM.
THESE KIDS TURNED INTO HIS PLAYMATES AND THEY WOULD RIDE THEIR BIKES AROUND
THEIR VILLAGE. IT HAS BEEN WEEKS SINCE THEY HAVEN’T RETURNED TO THE PARK SINCE
THEY WERE STARTING TO DISCOVER ELECTRONIC GADGETS.

9. ONE HOT AFTERNOON, NONE OF MARK’S FRIENDS WERE AROUND TO PLAY
WITH HIM. HE HAD NOTHING TO SPARE HIS TIME SO HE DECIDED TO GO TO
THE PARK. AS HE WAS WALKING TOWARDS THE SWINGS, HE SAW A LITTLE GIRL
SITTING ON HIS USUAL PLACE. HE RECOGNIZED THE HEADBAND AND THE
SLING BAG SHE WAS WEARING. IT WAS THE LITTLE GIRL FROM FEW WEEKS
BACK.

10. HE SAT BESIDE HER AND APOLOGIZED FOR NOT RETURNING FOR WEEKS. THE
LITTLE GIRL GAVE HIM A SHY SMILE AND GAVE HIM ANOTHER BAR OF
CHOCOLATE. HE THEN HEARD A TINY LITTLE VOICE SAYING, “CHIEL”. HE WAS
SURPRISED TO HEAR THAT TINY VOICE FROM THE LITTLE GIRL. “SO, SHE COULD
TALK” HE THOUGHT.

11. WHEN CHIEL AND MARK WERE ABOUT TO GET OFF THE SWINGS TO PROCEED TO THE
SLIDES, THEY HEARD KIDS RUSHING TO THE PARK. MARK RECOGNIZED THE SHRIEKS OF
HIS FRIENDS. THE KIDS STOPPED WHEN THEY SAW CHIEL AND MARK TOGETHER. IT
WASN’T USUAL SO THEY TEASED THEM. “CHIEL AND MARK IS SITTING ON A TREE. K-I-S-S-I-
N-G!” HE SAW FROM THE CIRCLE OF KIDS, TRICIA, WHO WENT BACK WITH HER PARENTS
TO GET SOME OF THEIR REMAINING STUFFS IN THEIR HOUSE. SEEING TRICIA ALSO
SINGING ANGERED HIM. HE STORMED AWAY FROM THE CROWD, STOMPING HIS FEET
HEAVILY.

12. THE NEXT DAY, MARK DECIDED NOT TO GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY. WHILE HE
WAS READING HIS BOOKS, HE HEARD HIS NAME FROM OUTSIDE THE HOUSE.
HE HEARD A VOICE OF A GIRL CALLING HIS NAME. HE GOT SO EXCITED AND
RAN TOWARDS THEIR GATE, YELLING “TRICIA? TRICIA IS THAT YOU? WAIT FOR
ME, I’M COMING!” WHEN HE GOT OUT OF THEIR GATE, HE WAS SURPRISED TO
SEE CHIEL WAITING FOR HIM OUTSIDE.”I’M SORRY, I THOUGHT IT WAS TRICIA
CALLING ME. WHY ARE YOU LOOKING FOR ME?” HE ASKED. “NOTHING. I
WAS LOOKING FOR YOU AT THE PARK BUT YOU WEREN’T THERE. I THOUGHT
YOU MIGHT BE HOME AND DID NOT WANT TO GET OUT” SHE REPLIED. HE
DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO TELL HER AND JUST SAID, “OH. I’M S-S-SICK. MAYBE
NEXT TIME.” THE GIRL, DISAPPOINTED, JUST NODDED. “OH. OKAY” CHIEL SAID
AND WALKED AWAY.