Fat Sparrow

• Eve Trevena, Grade 10
• Short Story
• 2017

The teacher’s hand moved sluggishly across the black board as she wrote an example of a simile. I read it, bored, it said something- something like a little something sparrow. A very heavy sparrow I thought still watching her hand drag across the board. I imagined the (very heavy) sparrow sitting on her head, (maybe that is why she slumps so much) - it looks really fat! The teacher stood up straight and turned around, in my imagination the sparrow jumped trying to fly away but instead landed like a paper weight next to the teacher’s foot. I wish it had landed on it, though I suppose that imaginary sparrows don't hurt that much no matter how heavy and fat they are. At this moment I wished it was real. Uh. Hello fairy god mother I just made a wish!
“Arron” the teacher barked interrupting the fairy god mother, “give me an example of a simile.” “Um...”
“Yes Arron!”
“The fat sparrow dropped like a paper weight” I answered.
“What?” said the teacher looking confused.
“It is a simile, Miss” I added.
“Sparrows are not heavy” snapped the teacher in response.
“Fat ones are” I reasoned, “just like fat people!” “People can not fly.” spat the teacher.
“Neither can fat sparrows and that is why it dropped!” I retorted, the class snorted with laughter.
“And where did you get that simile from Arron?” she asked.
“You miss,” I answered truthfully, her eyes bulged with rage.
“Are you implying that I am fat!”
“No Miss, just the sparrow!” I said nodding at the board. Again the class stifled laughs as she turned to read her own example. She read like a fat sparrow too, as if she had to sound out each word in her head! Unfortunately for her this only caused more laughter from the class. She pivoted on her heels to face the class, her boots causing an explosion of dust her expression was supposed to be a scowl but she started sneezing which did not help the situation. And almost as if the school itself was laughing at her the bell burst into its own high pitched chorus, which echoed around the now empty room.