RUTHIE

“I’m bored,” sighed Ruthie, fingering her grandma's rainbow-coloured camera strap.

“We’re almost there,” said Nana. She had said this many times before. But this time, she was telling the truth. The bus screeched to a stop.

Hand in hand, they stepped out onto the street. Only a forest of skirted and slacked legs now stood between them and the cloud-topped tower. “Sulwyn is the biggest tower in the world”, the bus driver had said. “You can't see it all from the outside. Not unless you're an astronaut. And if you want to see the inside, you have to work at Sul-Co or know someone who does.” Ruthie knew what she wanted to be now when she grew up—not an astronaut (space was too dark and scary)---She wanted to be a business lady. Then she could ride the tower train everyday to work.

Squawk! A seagull flapped its wings. It soared over the barbed wire fence and landed on the letter “S” of the Sulwyn sign. Ruthie stared at it thoughtfully for a moment, “S-s-s-,” she whispered, “S for seagull.” She looked up at Nana, who was taking photos of boring, everyday things: taxi cabs and street signs. The seagull was so much better.

“Nana? Can I take a picture now?” asked Ruthie, “Pleeeeeeease?”

“Sure sweetie,” Nana replied, “But first I’d like to get a picture of us together, for Papa.”

“But the seagull--” Nana wasn’t listening. She was asking a man carrying a briefcase if he would take their picture. He raised his hairy eyebrows. No, he said. He would not.

“How rude!” said Nana. God must have agreed, for shortly after she said this there was a gust of wind and the business man’s hair almost flew off his head. He held down the fur-ball with his one free hand. Ruthie giggled. Nana looked down at Ruthie, her eyes stern behind her thick bi-focals. Then suddenly, she too began to laugh. She laughed so hard her whole body shook and tears streamed down her wrinkled face.

“Nana? You okay?”

“Yes dear,” she gasped, “Let’s sit, shall we?”

For what seemed like an eternity, they sat side by side on a park bench and looked up at Sulwyn Tower. Finally Ruthie said, “Can I take a picture now?”

“Oh! Yes. Of course.” Nana showed her how to hold the camera and push the special button. Ruthie aimed at the seagull. Click! Off went the flash. But when she looked at the camera’s view-screen all she saw were blurs. The only thing in focus was
a pierced nose. She looked up and saw its owner. He was staring at her with a silly, confused expression on his face.

She smiled. The Nose-boy’s lips looked like they wanted to smile too, but couldn’t remember how. You curve the corners of your mouth like this, Ruthie wanted to say. But before she could speak he was gone.

All that was left of him was coloured light on a LCD display.