On the weekend, these local kids chased me down the beach, calling out, “Miss Jess, Miss Jess!” all the way until they reached me.

I recognized one, so I said hello and asked how she was…

… Silence.

 

She looked at the ground, “good.”

“That’s good, are you having a good weekend?”

“… yes.”

“I’m glad. Are you looking forward to going back to school tomorrow?”

“…yes.”

“That’s good…. … … well it’s lovely to see you-”

Noise! All of a sudden they were all chattering at once, a little flock of pointing fingers, tapping feet and flapping mouths. They were pointing, it seems they had found something they want to show me.

A bird. A seagull.

 

A dead seagull actually.

“Miss Jess, where’s your camera,” they asked. “Can we have a photo?”

How could I refuse such an earnest request?

So I said yes and watched them all mash together, as little bodies do, sticking their little bellies out and holding high their smelly treasure.

The kids of the red dust.