Small
Tashan took a break from shooting lasers from his eyes to sit beside Ana on the wall. He made sure there was plenty of room between them - he didn't want to accidentally sit on the two-inch-tall girl. He was concerned about her: Tashan hadn't seen her smile all morning.
From her vantage point on the wall, Ana was watching George and the others play a wild game of 'Heroes'. George swooped to rescue some orphans from a burning train while Naveen and Soha climbed a tree to save an elephant (Soha had a cat at home and wouldn't want to move it from on top the TV, let alone a tree). May stood on top of the slide, letting her cape billow out in the wind, oblivious to the complaints of the other children wanting to slide down.
"Are you okay?" Tashan asked.
Ana's heart had started to thump energetically when she saw Tashan approaching. He was George's friend more than hers and Ana didn't talk to him that often. She liked him an awful lot though, since he made greater effort than the others to involve her.
"I wish George would let me play," confessed Ana, her voice betraying the extent of her disappointment. "She never does."
"She doesn't want you to get hurt," Tashan said, trying not to picture little Ana getting squished underneath someone's careless shoe.
Ana shook her head. "It's not that. George just doesn't like me."
Tashan tried to argue otherwise but before he could convince Ana, George called him back to the game, her expression stony. Tashan was her friend, not Ana's.
Reluctantly Tashan slipped off the wall and returned to his role as Laser Man. Ana caught the satisfaction on George's face when she saw Ana was being left alone. Again.
George's smugness was wiped off in class. Miss Fischer showered Ana with praises for responding to every open question, helping Naveen through the workbook and offering to help tidy up the paintbrushes. George's face grew sour when she saw how happy Ana was in class. She was without question Miss Fischer's favourite - if Miss Fischer did have favourites, which she swore she didn't.
Ana noticed nothing of George's animosity. They weren't sat on the same table; Ana had her own minuscule desk on top of the one Naveen shared with Soha and George sat on the other side of the room next to May.
At the end of the day, Ana's ears burned red from Miss Fischer's compliments though she couldn't keep the smile away from the corners of her mouth. She collected her coat from the peg and waited for George by the classroom door.
The other children streamed out, their hard shoes thundering past Ana. She was no longer afraid of them and even managed to wave to a few.
"See you tomorrow, Ana," Naveen said without looking back.
"Bye!" added Soha distractedly, her mind already on what her mum would be cooking for dinner. She hoped it was chips.
Tashan took the time to stop by Ana. He smiled down at her while Ana gazed up at him, her eyes brimming with admiration. Seeing George wandering lazily towards the door with May, Tashan stooped and pretended to tie his laces. When he was sure George wasn't looking, he gave Ana a sticker the size of his belly button and her face.
It was a shimmering green star. Light and colour danced off of it; Ana could see her reflection distorted on the surface. Her throat tight with sentiment, Ana looked up to thank Tashan - he had already left.
"What's that?" George asked, her face pinched. Ana clutched the gift to her chest.
"A sticker."
George lost interest at once. With a heave of air so everyone around her would know how much she didn't want to do it, George bent down and picked Ana up. She placed the two-inch girl in the chest pocket of her jacket and continued to talk at May as they walked out the school.
Children of various ages spilled out of the gates holding the hands of mothers, fathers, uncles, aunts, siblings. Few walked alone. Ana stood in George's pocket, her arms dangling out of it uncomfortably as she was thumped with the movement of George's every step. Her hair rubbed against the material and frizzed. The edge of the sticker jabbed Ana's leg and tore her tights. She was at least grateful it wasn't raining.
George talked May's ear off about what their lives would be like if they were pop singers. George would of course be the lead singer and May could play the drums. Or the guitar. Or maybe an electric keyboard that shot confetti. What May did wasn't that important so long as George got centre stage.
Ana wondered if May's silence was because she didn't mind or because she didn't agree but didn't want to make a fuss. May's permanently impassive face made it difficult to tell.
At the traffic lights, George said goodbye to her best friend and crossed the road while May continued down the street on her own. George lapsed into a strained silence.
After a while, George said, "Shut up."
"I didn't say anything," Ana protested weakly.
"I can feel you working up to say something. Don't."
Ana's heart sank. She wished George would be her friend.
"Why do you hate me?" Ana asked. George said nothing. "Are you embarrassed to be my sister?"
"I told you to shut up," George muttered. Neither girl said anything for the rest of the walk.
After letting herself into the house, George abandoned her jacket on the hook and fled to her room. Ana climbed out of the pocket and down the coat stand; pulsing music from upstairs pounded her ear drums. She had to leave Tashan's star sticker inside George's pocket because it would be too difficult to carry it and climb down to the floor.
It didn't take her long to make it to the kitchen or to climb on the table. She ignored her special table and chair next to the salt and pepper shakers that were bigger than her and found what she was looking for: a note from their dad.
'Bringing pizza during my break - hang on girls!'
It would be barbecue-based with extra olives: George's favourite. Their dad thought it was Ana's favourite too, since George had been lying to him ever since Ana arrived. Ana didn't have the courage to set her dad straight.
She noticed a red mug near the note and remembered George's unfinished milk from this morning. It sat there neglected, forgotten and unwanted, just like Ana was.
The milk had a layer of skin on the top and smelt strong enough to make Ana gag. Why won't George let me play with her friends? She dipped her toes in the milk. It was cold and unpleasant. Why is George embarrassed to hang out with me? She let her feet dangle into the milk. Her calves were submerged with the white gloop. Why does George hate being my sister?
Ana stared into the spoiled milk. Her face was again distorted in the surface, an indistinguishable blue blur. George would be happier if I weren't around.
Ana jumped into the deep mug of sour milk.
No comments:
Post a Comment