Just a dandy and his octopus, nothing to see here.
Last month, in the Library’s first lockdown competition, I posted the photo to the right on all the library’s social media accounts, and on Lourdes Secondary’s pupils’ Teams, and invited pupils to create a 500 word story, a 10 line poem, a 10 minute maximum short film, or a panel of maximum 10 panels.
There were some wonderfully creative responses, in the form of short stories and poems. Each entry was very original and imaginative, and I was impressed by the quality of the writing submitted. But one entry stood out, not just because the story was so imaginative, but also because it was an unusual and clearly well-thought out response to the picture. The author herself described her thoughts thus:
I decided to write a story using the image. When I saw the image, I thought of Charlie and the chocolate factory, so I incorporated the theme of sweets. I also took the side theme of poverty and how it restricts people.
S3 Rosie’s story is below; I hope you enjoy it. She has said that it is a small part of a longer story that she is working on, and I for one can’t wait to read it one day. If it’s a book, I would gladly add it to the Library’s collection. I must also thank the English Department staff at Lourdes who helped me judge the competition entries and choose the winner.
Untitled, by Rosie
The aggravating chorus of chewing, followed by a brief moment of silence.
Pop. The sharp sound flooded my eardrums for the fifth time that class.
The sweet smell of sugar was enticing, but I had had enough.
The sunlight snuck through the blinds, and on to my desk, illuminating the workbook that sat before me. It’s not as though I could concentrate on my work, anyway.
The sound of the school bell rang throughout the classroom, so high pitched that you couldn’t help but cover your ears.
Still, it wasn’t as repetitive as the chewing noise that seemed to never stop.
My movements were swift, desperate to catch a glimpse of the mystery assailant of my ears.
That moment, I could finally see her clearly. The way she was balanced precariously on her chair. The only thing keeping her from falling off of her chair was her tattered bag, stationed at the back of her chair, somehow balancing the weight. Her hands intertwined behind her head, not a care in the world.
It’s not like her posture mattered, anyway. It was unmistakably Cara.
Cara and I had been friends for about a year now. She was a glutton, that was for sure. But, despite all of that, she stayed in shape with the excessive amount of exercise she did.
Cara had always been an idol to me, for she is indeed hard working, often excelling in her area of expertise. She was a gymnast through and through. Performing feats of pure excellence at any given moment.
But her family had fallen upon hard times, and she found it difficult to do anything she wanted anymore.
Just as I was preparing to leave, she lifted her feet from off of the auburn desk, and adjusted her seating position to face me slightly.
“I’m surprised, Marie.”
My eyes widened slightly in confusion.
“What do you mean…?”
“You didn’t speak a single word to me, despite how loud I was being.”
“I didn’t want to hurt your feelings.”
“Yeah, well, since you’re a massive teachers pet, I’m flattered!”
She laughed, before reaching into her bag once more. The potent smell of sugar was adamant once more.
“Anyway, I just wanted to give you this. For putting up with me for so long.”
She handed me a single stick of gum. At first, I recoiled.
“Cara, you don’t have to give me this. I know that things are tough for you financially at the moment-“
“And I know that you aren’t experiencing as much of life as you should.”
An uncomfortable silence loomed in the air. All it took to pierce it was her sudden laugh.
“Well, look at me! I don’t let money get in the way of me having a good time. Why do you not live a little…?”
She was calling me out for one of my worst flaws. I was taken aback, of course.
But, still. It was as though she was bringing me back into reality.
“…thank you…”
