By Lolidoe
Children everywhere.
On the roads, under bridges, in shops, in restaurants, in schools.
How did they get here?
Where are their parents?
Oh….there they are.
When we arrive, we receive food and a bath from these giants here every three days. Gosh! We
stink! They wrinkle their noses but still wash us anyway. They do this over and over till we can
see and walk properly.
Then they stop.
But that’s ok. It’s not really their jobs. They were just helping till we were big girls and boys.
I am five now.
So I am a big girl.
Yayyy!
What do we do now at our shiny new age you ask?
Hmm, there is a lot. We go into the big buildings and hold the legs of one of the giants, the one
in white and black holding big plates and say “Food, please.”
Sometimes they look down at us.
Sometimes they don’t
Sometimes the giant calls another giant to carry us.
Ahhh…. food is coming, I can’t wait. My legs feel wobbly and the room is starting to go round
and round. I think I see stars.
Wait a minute.
Why are we going out of the big building?
Oof! My butt!
The giant put me on the floor hard. Hmm. How rude.
Let me go to the other big building then. Maybe if I skip in they will give me food.
Skip, skip…nope.
If I continue doing that I will fall down and not get up.
Oof, they put me on my butt again!!!
Why did they do that? Did I do something wrong?
What do I do now? I’m so hungry.
Sniff… sniff…
“Little girl, don’t cry. I will give you food.”
I look up.
Aww an angel giant. Whoopie!
I give him my hand and we walk to a huge metal box with wheels. The giants call it…um…Oh. I forgot.
Anyway we climb inside.
It makes a fun sound.
Vroom! Vroom!
I clap my hands.
“More! More!”
The giant smiles and does it again.
This is fun!
The box begins to move. Everything outside starts to run away.
Food! Food! Food! I start to say in my little voice.
We stop at a big building.
We go inside.
We meet the giants inside. They are smiling at me really wide.
They put me on their lap and begin to sing to me. I like the song.
“More! More!”
“Ha! Ha! Ha!” laughs the giant. “Do you want to see something fun?”
Yes! But wait a minute. I thought they were giving me food. Oh well. Maybe they will give me later.
The giant brings out a toy and tells me to play with it. I play with it and he starts to get really
happy. He makes a weird face when I finish playing with it. Did I hurt him? I don’t think so he
looks just like I do when I have eaten and my stomach is nice and full. He pats me on the head and calls me a good girl.
Yayyy! I’m a good girl!
When we leave, he takes me back to that big building where he found me.
Phew. No more giant-leg-clinging.
Anyway…
On to more adventure!
Oh?
Something is falling from the sky.
No. A lot of things are falling.
What are those?
Why do they look so familiar.
Let me go have a closer look.
Hmm. I still don’t know what they are.
But they look familiar though.
Let me think really hard.
Gasp!
Are those…babies?
Why are they falling from the sky?
Is that where… they come from?
Nope. I must still be hungry that’s why I am seeing things.
I walk away with my hands behind my back.
But then I stop walking and turn back again.
Hmm… they are crying.
That’s for the giants to figure out.
* * *
Lolidoe is an emerging Nigerian writer interested in exploring themes of innocence, neglect and perception through flash fiction.