My World

Korpi_150405_024

Baby in Rain, Milan, Italy © Jim Korpi

Earth spins on an axis where ever Little Jessica rests her feet. The world is hers. Everything in it was made for her.
She was fast for her age. She was walking and talking ahead of schedule. She was in ballet classes at four and French soon after.
Her parents moved to this affluent town because the high property taxes made for good schools.
In a room of guests Little Jessica is the center of all conversation and direction of all attention.
“Tell everyone what you learned in French today,” her mother says proudly.
“Bone joor, j mah pell Jessica!”
The guests smile, laugh and clap.
“Show everyone what you learned in ballet yesterday,” her mother continues.
Little Jessica prances around the room with her hands held above her head and fingers touching.
In French class the teacher asks the children to divide into groups of three and give themselves a group name. When asking what Jessica’s group would give themselves for a name, Jessica yells out, “Jessica group!”
After the lesson the teacher walks around the room with a quart-size basket of strawberries and hands one to each student. Jessica bites off the ripe red tip of the berry and drops the remaining three quarters onto the table in front of her. She then walks over to the teacher and reaches for another strawberry in the basket. “No, Jessica. Everyone hasn’t had one. Only one for each of us.” Jessica looks confused by what the teacher says and then walks back to her table. She looks down at the bitten berry she left behind. She picks it up and begins to eat what remains.

Posted May 3rd, 2015 in Uncategorized.

3 comments:

  1. susan engler:

    The world is her strawberry, n’est pas?: ) Is Jessica one of your students in Italian class, Jim?

  2. admin:

    Little Jessica has origins in all current continents, but she is mostly from something I heard recently.

  3. abdullah algarzai:

    Poor Jessica! the pressure trying to meet expectations. if she cared…

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