Special Effects: Weed

ordinary briar?"

"Well yes, why not?! It's not such a bad-looking thing. It has pretty pink flowers, and .. ."

"How about you going to the house and making me a cup of tea?"

That was Mum's usual strategy. When she was losing an argument she changed the subject.

"OK Mum," I said, smiling.

I went to the house, sort of glad to have got Mum a bit riled over her roses, but annoyed that she didn't see things my way. Why couldn't she accept that all plants are wonderful? It's just us humans who decide that one plant is better than another. And what would the plants say if they could hear us? I bet they would defend themselves! As I poured the hot water into the tea-pot I had an idea.

I brought Mum her cup of tea and sat on the lawn, in the sun. It was a great day. The sky was deep blue-violet, with paleness along the lower slopes near the horizon, as if a frost was climbing it, and the birds were singing, like an erratic orchestra of whistles. I watched a formation of geese go over, and lay back, sucking the end of a bit of grass.

"They call me a weed at school," I said.

"Who do?"

"My friends."

"Some friends!" Mum scoffed "Who do they think they are anyway?" "They're weeds too," I said, "Riffraff, peasants. I don't like to associate with them actually. Its doesn't do for someone like me to be seen with such people."

"You cheeky rascal!" said Mum, cuffing me across the back of the head.