First Innocence

I remember a beach, playing in the sand with my grandpa; we were having a blast together. The day is overcast, and the lake and the sky are one, insulating, close, and warm. Grandpa and I dig a hole, as deep as I am tall, and the sand keeps raining in the sides... I can talk a little now, and I see a black girl for the first time. I want to touch her. I ask her, why is your skin different from mine, so dark? I innocently wait for her to answer, and I can see that she is wondering the same thing, and she's about to answer me, but then my mom grabs my arm and pulls me aside, apologizing for my question, and the parents of the black girl are saying it's not a problem at all; they smile at me. The black girl looks up at them questioningly, as though wondering, why should that have been a problem? We continue to look at each other longingly as we are pulled farther and farther away from each other.