"Amusement"
January 18, 2005

Amusement is pretty young, about 7 or 8.  Her hair is in curly blonde
pigtails, with those kind of rubber bands with clear plastic balls attached.  
She has wiggly teeth and a black jumper with a white lacy top
underneath.  Her shoes are black patent leather Mary Janes, and her
socks are white with lace.  She sits in the colorful classroom alone in her
thoughts.  The bright wallpaper and borders are calling her name as she
stares with  wide blue eyes.  She can pretend she's a cherry or that a
cherry princess can invite her to a picnic.

She's ripped out of her world when the teacher calls her name.  
"Amusement!" she yells.  "Pay attention!"

To what?  The wall?

She stares at her paper.  The letter O is a very empty letter, she decides,
and fills them in with her pencil.  There aren't enough.  So she fills in the rest
of the empty letters, the P's, the B's.  Why don't other kids know how to
write yet?  The letters are the same as in the books.  Any easily amused kid
should be able to figure it out.

Her fingernails are pretty, each a different color of highlighter.  Why does
she need highlighters, anyway?  She's only in second grade.  What's she
gonna highlight, letters?

Wow, good idea.  She colors the letters on her long-finished paper.  Much
better.  Look, there's a border around the paper too!  She colors over that.

Amusement is not excited for recess.  There's nothing to do outside...except
spin around on the lines of the blacktop.  The lines look like they're lifting off
into space, off and off.  Time for her to fly away too.

The boys are kicking balls.  Why?

Why play with balls when you can fly away with a cherry princess?