Caballitos

(Pacemakers calls me. We talk about her transfer to Cal-State East Bay. Conversation moves on to Facebook and everything that goes on there)
Pacemaker: So, we were looking at your pictures, and we saw one *Cousin* tagged of you... tell me WHY did you have a black eye?!
Me: What the hell are you talking about? I've never taken a photo with a black eye. (internally) And what the fuck do you mean by "we?" Do you sit at home and round everyone up to stare at my Facebook photos?
Pacemaker: *Cousin*'s birthday party, where you're wearing a blue dress. Your right eye is black.

Upon closer inspection... I DO have a black eye (I'm the very happy child in blue, staring at the fiery candles)!
And the story comes back to me... even if I was a three year old at the time of the incident, and I'm now 25, I remember how that all went down.

Back in the day, we'd throw birthday parties at the park. Right now, the name of the park escapes me... I just remember it was my favorite because:
1. It had ducks you could feed... even if those birds were pushy little bastards that were often taller than you and would peck the hell out of you if there was no adult supervision.
2. It had a little choo-coo that wasn't very "little." You could walk into the different cabooses, sit inside with your friends... and it was pretty fun... until too many little piglets got on and pissed all over the train... and by "piglets," I mean "stupid dirty kids."
3. It had "horse" swings.

This last reason was my absolute favorite. I had (well, still sort of do) a thing for horses.
The seat part of the swing was a plastic pony, like the kind they have outside K-Marts on the Merry-Go-Rounds... and it was held by this metal bar that you had to push back and forth in order to get air. Know what I'm talking about, or was I the only ghetto kid with such weirdo swings? I don't even know if they still exist, it has been so long.

Anyway, one day at one of these parties, my "babysitter' aka slightly older cousin, was in charge of taking me to the various park attractions. This cousin was... a fucking moron, to explain it as best I can.
She wanted to go to the giant curly slide, which I was terrified of (that shit hurt my butt... it was metal, and I was forced to wear dresses to all these park parties... ideal for slides, right?), and I wanted to ride the pony swing.
Babysitter agreed to take me to the swings... but only after getting on the monster slide. I agreed.
I didn't ride the monster slide, I just waited for her at the bottom.
Finally, it was time to go to the swings!
As we were walking, the other kids from the party started running towards the area our parents had set up shop.
"Piñata!"
Change of plans, AnoMALIE, were going to the piñata.
I was mad... and started dragging my feet.
We were right at the swings... why not swing a little? Screw the piñata.

Babysitter ran, and I stood still to scream at her... in the middle of the 4-pony-holding swing set.
I remember looking to my right, towards the swings, and all I can see is this huge ass in acid-washed jeans coming right at my face... like in slow-motion.
I remember feeling my body lift... then Bam!

Black.

I wake up cradled in my mom's arms... making eye-contact with a green-eyed cousin that was staring me right in the face.
"She's awake!!"
I look around, and all the little kids were eating cake... they take a look at me, then proceed to chit chat and eat cake.
I stare at my mom, she smiles, and I start to bawl.
I felt stupid... how long was I out for? and why the fuck is no one caring?! I'm hurt! And this creepy-green-eyed idiot girl doesn't quit staring at me! and I couldn't see out of my right eye.

Turns out, this one lady was on the pony swing with her whatever-month-old, the moment my babysitter abandons me. As I'm clumsily making my way past the swings, I stand still. Acid-washed-jeans Lady realizes this, but she can't stop because of the momentum of her massive ass.
She hit me as she was swinging back, and I flew in the air... according to those present.
I landed unconscious, so the lady picked me up from the floor and started asking around for my parents... because, once again, my dickhead of a babysitter had run off to hit a fucking piñata.
Once the lady found my mom, she apologized repeatedly. They laid me on a table, and they all decided I was perfectly fine... even if my body was limp... but I guess I had a pulse, so everything was cool.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how I received my first black eye, and only concussion.

Crazy how I remember so much of it... had I not seen the photo, I would have kept thinking it was all a dream or something.

And yes... I'd take another plastic-pony to the face if it meant I could ride that fucking swing one more time.