A day at Isaac Boro park

It was the first sunny Saturday in weeks after the non-stop rain that flooded everywhere, and everyone in the Ofili family had agreed that a picnic was the perfect way to celebrate the sunny day. Isaac Boro Park was chosen.

Isaac Boro Park with its wide grassy fields, beautiful heroes sculpture, and tall whispering trees, was buzzing with families, laughter, and the smell of grilled chicken and barbecue fish. Baskets packed, blankets rolled, and soda bottles clinking, the Ofili's set out early to claim the perfect spot under their favorite oak tree.

Finally, Agnes said as she stretched out her legs on the blanket. No rain, no schoolwork, no deadlines to meet. Just vibes. Nothing is sweeter than freedom.

Her younger brother, Kenny, was already chasing after butterflies and giggling, while their parents unpacked sandwiches, fruits, and a whole tub of their mom's famous chicken wings.

It was all going perfectly until the screaming started.

At first, it was just one shout. Sharp. Quick. Then another, closer this time. People stood up from their picnic blankets. Heads turned. Suddenly, someone yelled, 'SNAKE!'

Panic spread like a wave. Blankets were abandoned, drinks knocked over, people fell, and picnic baskets overturned in the rush. Parents grabbed their children. A woman shrieked, holding her toddler close. Even the birds seemed to stop chirping for a second.

Where? Where is it?" another man shouted, standing on top of a picnic table, eyes darting across the grass, body shaking like the east-west wind.

The Ofili's were stunned. Agnes grabbed Kenny's hand. Their dad quickly pulled their picnic basket closer, scanning the ground. Their mom stood, wide-eyed, clutching her phone like she might need to call someone - Animal Control, maybe? Or anybody that handled snakes? No one really knew.

For a minute or two, chaos ruled. People backed away from the general direction of the screams, forming a loose, confused crowd near the playground. It felt like a scene out of a disaster movie, except instead of monsters or aliens, it was a snake. Or was it?

A teenage boy, probably about 16, with curly hair and a soccer jersey, gathered his courage and stepped forward, his phone flashlight pointing toward a rustling dark patch of grass near one of the trash bins. Slowly, carefully, he moved the grass aside with a long stick he found nearby.

Everyone leaned forward, breath held. There it was, the terrifying cause of the panic. It wasn't a snake. It was a thick, black shoelace. Dirty, frayed, and tangled, it had curled itself in just the right way to look like a snake from a distance. Probably dragged there by the wind or an overeager dog earlier in the day.

A beat of silence. Then came the laughter. It started with the boy with the flashlight. Then a couple nearby, teenagers doubled over, slapping their knees. Soon, the whole picnic ground was shaking with laughter - the nervous kind, the relieved kind, and the embarrassed kind.

Agnes dropped Kenny's hand and shook her head, grinning. "A shoelace. Seriously?" she breathed a sigh of relief.

Their dad chuckled, setting the picnic basket back down on the blanket. "Well, I guess that's today's excitement taken care of."

Kenny, still looking slightly disappointed, frowned. "I was hoping it was a real snake. That would've been cool."

"Cool? I nearly spilled orange juice on my cloth," Agnes teased, nudging him playfully.

As the crowd dispersed, returning to their picnic mat and scattered picnic supplies, the park seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief. Someone even tied the 'snake' to a stick and planted it upright in the ground like a trophy. Every now and then, someone would point at it, laugh again, and shake their head.

Back at their picnic spot, the Ofili family settled down once more. Mom handed out plates, Dad poured drinks, and the kids, now relaxed, sprawled out on the blanket under the gentle shade of the old oak tree.

It's funny how quickly people panic,' Agnes said thoughtfully.One word: snake, and everyone lost their minds.

Her dad nodded. That's the thing about fear.Sometimes it doesn't even have to be real to feel real.

Kenny munched on a piece of chicken wing. Well, at least I'll have a cool story to tell at school.

Yeah, Sarah smirked about the terrifying shoelace that nearly destroyed Isaac Boro Park.

They all laughed again, this time fully relaxed. The birds resumed chirping, a distant ice cream truck jingled through the parking lot, and somewhere nearby, someone's radio was playing soft afrobeat music that floated gently through the warm afternoon air. Next time, they all silently agreed, they would double-check before running away from suspicious-looking objects.

Images are AI generated

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