In first grade my mother told me that everybody's got to poop. My being the feisty seven year old I was, I dismissed her comment and saw it as a challenge. I was ready to take it on. I mean, I had a morning routine, wake up, get dressed, poop, have breakfast and go. My mother, of course, would drive me to school or my sitter would walk me. The first day was rough, I mean I definitely had my ups and downs of tummy aches but that was nothing ginger ale or a couple tums couldn't fix. The following day I proceeded the same thing, my routine without bathroom time, of course, time which I valued though I knew I could give up. My pride was the best thing going for me, when given a challenge I was unstoppable.

A week later I had begun the coping phase in which I had stopped experiencing the pain, I was a pro. Professional to be exact. Now that I was really living, I gloated to my mom about how I had succeeded,with a raised eyebrow she said, "okay", as she walked away. That day, Izzy and I were going to make a trip to Mackworth Island after school, we agreed it was the best playground and nature walk Portland had to offer.

Izzy was seven and a half while I was only seven and a little while.
This meant she got to make all the rules and end all the games whenever she wanted. See, normally going to Mackworth was an accommodation to our play date lives but not today. Today we were celebrating the two week marker of my not pooping. It was glorious although Izzy did not agree with my crass decision she still supported me.

After about an hour of running and swinging around I started to experience sharp pains shooting up my stomach and bowel as I keeled over onto my knees. I felt heavy though as I tried to ignore it, the sensation only became more uncomfortable. I could feel my anus becoming enlarged and sharply whispered, "it's coming." To Izzy. She stopped immediately and rushed me over to the enclosed play structure. Once there I had become extremely ill and curled over holding my stomachs while squatting in the wooden chips. Izzy looked at me and said, " I'll keep watch, because no one else can, right?"

Trying to keep a low profile I squeezed my muscles and scrunched up my face as beads of sweat rolled down my temple. Nervously, I shifted a bit exposing the air under my dress, I had been nearly half relieved when a boy no older than nine walked towards the structure. He was a heavy boy, and he slowly shuffled his feet through the chips and dirt. Anxiously, I sat my bare bum into the dusty ground and stare relentlessly at Izzy who fails to see the encroaching figure. Hesitantly, I began to clear my throat in hopes she'd see what I was seeing.

After many groggy throat cues she caught on. Izzy flashed a wink at me, got up and strut over to the rotund boy making it blindly obvious that she was hiding something. Without hesitation the boy continued on his trek leaving Izzy in astonishment. As he approached the structure his shadow began to creep around the corner and the anticipation was eating me alive, I bit my finger nails and sweat rolled down the back of my neck. The boy had merely peered into the structure, curiosity painted his face and all he said was, "hi". Nothing more, nothing less.

At this point I had started to dig a hole with my hands parting the wood chips, then feeling my palms against the cold dirt. Looking up I briefly said, "hello". The boy nodded then stumbled off down the hill and dragging his feet in despair. The minute he disappeared I exhaled a large breath of relief. Not a moment to spare, my stomach continued to shoot pains up my abdomen and a burning sensation had started up in my bowel. I squatted while hoisting up my dress and there was no time to brush off my bum before my body started to scream in agony and there it was.

The burden has exited my body and suddenly I had an enormous weight lifted from my shoulders and dried beads of sweat on my face. I had found a tissue in my pocket, used, (I don't know) but I cleaned myself up. I stood up, flattened out my dress, pulled up my underwear and kicked the remains of my hole onto my steamy mess. Full of joy, I marched out of the structure, a smile gleamed on my face and words were not needed because Izzy knew exactly what I did.