Kristin rubbed her wrist as she followed the scurrying secretary and the clip, clip, clip of her mother’s heels; she hadn’t meant to get her teacher into trouble, but she wasn’t exactly sure why this was Miss Tanner’s fault as it was she who had done it.
“Mrs. Colby, Kristin.” Miss Tanner beamed as she turned to face the whirlwind that had just entered the classroom.
Mrs. Colby clattered the biscuit tin onto the nearest desk. Miss Tanner’s smile froze as she looked at it. “The Time Capsule project.”
Kristin had never heard her teacher speak so quietly.
“I presume you gave the children clear instructions?” Mrs. Colby folded her arms across her chest.
“Eh, yes,” Miss Tanner peered at Kristin. “Kristin was supposed to ask before she put anything in it.”
Now both Mrs. Colby and Miss Tanner were staring at Kristin and she could feel herself going red.
“And I also said to put in everyday things.” Miss Tanner’s confidence grew as Kristin’s head fell lower.
Mrs. Colby tutted and turned to Kristin.
“What exactly did you put in it?” Miss Tanner knelt down and looked at Kristin, her eyes asking for permission to open the lid.
“Everyday things.” Now it was Kristin’s voice that was small.
“It was more like my bloody flowerbeds.” Mrs. Colby’s hands flew to her hips.
Miss Tanner had not taken her eyes from Kristin and finally Kristin dared look up and nodded. Miss Tanner lifted the lid and removed the five ziplock bags containing the wilted remains of Mrs. Colby’s flowerbeds.
“I just thought that in the future there might not be any flowers and so people would like to know what they looked like. I thought they’d keep. Mummy puts things in those ziplock bags so that they keep.” A tear spilled out the corner of Kristin’s eye.
“What have you been filling my daughter’s head with?” Mrs. Colby rolled her eyes.
Miss Tanner stood up and looked at Mrs. Colby. “Maybe if you had asked your daughter she could have explained. I’m sure that she did not maliciously intend to ruin your flowerbeds.”
“No flowers in the future.” Mrs. Colby scoffed.
“Well I don’t know about you Mrs. Colby.” Miss Tanner held up the bags for inspection. “But my Mum used to plant bluebells, pansies and snowdrops.”
“So?”
“It just seems amazing what you’ve got in your flowerbed? Not very English country garden are they?”
“Well, the weather’s better now. We can have more variety.”
Miss Tanner raised an eyebrow. “I think that’s Kristin’s point Mrs. Colby.”
Copyright ©, 2007. Verilion
12 comments:
Oh this is a brilliant and original take! So brilliant to do it from a child's perspective. Well done, Verilion!
Thank you Vanilla, I was a bit worried about this, but I've just finished doing my blogroll and there have been loads of posts and everyone has done it in their own way. There's some great stuff out there today.
I LOVE IT!!!!!
That's so perfect. Very good work, and an excellent point. Thank you!
Scarlett & V
Clever, V, very clever.a
Nicely done!
Being the complete dolt that I am, though, when it comes to the various names and types of plants and flowers, I was momentarily tripped up. I'm really good with the names of Scandinavian Death Metal bands...
Seriously, I liked the story!
This is really good. Well done!
Excellent, the point and the story. Bravo!
Thank you Scarlett ( : and Debi. Kyklops, I'm pretty poor on plant names too, I couldn't name a quarter of the stuff that is in my parent's garden now, but I remember the bluebells and pansies and snowdrops. And thank you Marie and Kat.
What a great end. It rings very true. Many folks tend to like the "benefits" of global warming.
For now.
PS you've been tagged for a meme - one which I noticed you were a little admiring of just the other day! ;-)
Thanks Jason, yeah people do seem to focus on the short term and how nice the warmer summer's are. And Vanilla! ANOTHER ONE! Surely there can't be any left!
This reminds me of a passing joke I make about the warm weather and global warming. Perhaps it is not so funny...though sometimes I feel that laughter is a soothing balm when one is faced with the enormity of the situation. Either way you made me think, and I thank you!
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