Bobo and the Forbidden Playground
Once upon a time there was a little boy called Bobo.
Bobo played with lots of other kids at the local playground. Even though Bobo was a bit of a smartarse and sometimes played a bit too roughly, all the kids liked Bobo because he made their playtime fun! There was never a dull day with Bobo around!
Bobo and his mates loved this playground. There was plenty of open space for them to run amok in, and lots of nooks and crannies in which to get up to mischief.
One day, a bunch of younger kids invaded the playground. All the regular kids were a bit miffed at this influx of new kids (their tricycles and Tonka trucks were getting in the way of their football games, you see). Some of the regular kids tried to make friends with the younger kids, but Bobo and his mates were of the opinion that if they were old enough to come to the big kids' playground, then they should be old enough to play big kids' games.
So Bobo and his mates played their footy game with no consideration of the youngsters who'd arrived. Occasionally, one of the kidlets would cop a ball to the head and have a bit of a squawk. Some of the kidlets ran home to mummy and never came back again. Other kidlets joined in with the footy game. Occasionally, the park rangers would float by and tell Bobo and his mates to go a bit easier on the youngsters. They said they would, but never really put it into practice.
However, one day there was a particularly whiney child who entered the playground. Her name was Holly. When Holly arrived, she looked so pretty in her pink lacy dress and golden pigtails. Holly arrived with her Rainbow Brite dolls, all ready for a fun day in the sandpit with the other kids.
She built a little sand house for her Rainbow Brite dolly and made little sand pies for her to eat. She was having a lovely time until...
SPLAT!
A big fat football landed smack in the middle of her Rainbow Brite house, covering Holly with a sea of sand and leaving poor Rainbow Brite headless, and her pretty rainbow dress up around her severed neck.
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!" screamed Holly. "I'm telling my daddy on you!"
Hearing his daughter's banshee-like wail, Holly's father stormed into the playground, his eyes ablaze with anger.
"ABUSE IS NOT OK!!" he screamed at the top of his voice, eyeing Bobo and his mates venomously.
Bobo and his mates laughed at the scene,"Mister, we just busted up her sand castle. What's the big deal?"
"You ALSO broke her doll! That's it. You lot need to be taught a lesson," he thundered, picking up Holly and her headless doll and storming out of the playground.
Bobo and his mates shrugged, and continued on with their game. They played until dusk, then tiredly traipsed back to their homes and into bed.
The next morning, Bobo and his mates rocked up to the playground ready for another day of footy. But at the gate was a short, stocky, ape of a man standing with his arms folded. Behind him were four equally short, stocky, ape-like characters, all of whom were staring menacingly at the boys. Uh oh. It was the park rangers.
"Uh, can we get into the playground mister?" asked Bobo.
"NO!" roared the alpha ape. "There will be no more of your cruel, relentless shenanigans in THIS playground!".
Bobo scratched his head.
"Um, what shenanigans do you mean, exactly?" he asked quizzically.
"You know EXACTLY what I mean," replied the gatekeeper. "Smashing the sandcastles of poor innocent little girls. Ripping the heads of their dolls. I will not stand for such beasts as you monopolising this playground!"
"Ahh, we were just playing footy mate," replied Bobo."The same footy game we've been playing here for the past two years."
"I don't care!" screamed the park ranger. "Our park has become very popular of late, and with all the rich people from the new estate sending their children here, I just can't afford to have you rapscallions treating them with such ferocity."
"But..but..," started Bobo.
"There will be no buts!" shouted monkey man."You are BANNED! For TWO WEEKS!"
Bobo and his friends walked away dejectedly. They groaned and moaned amongst themselves about how unfair it had all been. They tried to play footy at another nearby park but it just wasn't the same.
Eventually their two week ban was up, and they returned to the park.
As they walked through the gates, their shoulders sagged, and their hearts fell.
The swings and seesaws had been painted pink. Their once beloved playing fields were now peppered with bright, smiling sunflowers, and little girls were playing hairdressers all over the park.
They found a little patch of ground to begin their game, but their happiness didn't last for long when they noticed a big, glaring sign that said "No Ball Games Allowed".
They looked around them. Some of the boys were playing cars in the sandpit. They tried joining in, but it was just so dull and inane. They even tried, halfheartedly, to play 'hairdressers' with the girls. But it was no use. They wanted to be diving around, tackling, kicking a ball as far as they could. But those days were over.
Eventually, they decided to give up on their once-wonderful playground. Now Bobo and his mates hang out down near the river, and Bobo raids his parents' alcohol cabinet and they all get sloshed and reminisce about 'the good old days'.
As for the mystical, magical playground, well, these days it's empty. It just didn't have its spark without the mischievous shenanigans of Bobo and his friends, and all the rich young kids got bored of it very quickly.
Now, the seesaws have rusted. The sandpit is full of dog shit. And the sound of children's laughter is a distant memory.
