Story 413: Ratbag

Ratbag
by
Matt Zurbo

Cielo was a ratbag.

“You cheeky ratbag!” Dad would say,
with a big grin.

As near as Cielo could figure it meant she wiggled
and ran around,
and had the energy of a bag full of rats.

Cheeky, mischievous, cunning, fun.

“Bag. Of. Rats.”
It sounded mean when she thought of it like that.

But Cielo was from Australia, where it was a compliment to call someone
a drongo,
or wacka,
or galah!
Or even boofhead!

If someone made fun of you, it often meant they liked you very much.

But then, the new teacher came to Cielo’s school.
Miss Plug said; “No more silly names!”

And looked at Cielo and said;
“Oh no!” and “My, my, my…” and “Look at you, your hair is a mess!”

“So?” Cielo said, dangling from the ceiling.

“My word!” protested Miss Plug, and got the other students,
to drag her down,
and comb her hair,
and straighten her dress,

and get rid of her silly hat!

“Aw!” Cielo said.
“Now you look like a proper girl,” Miss Plug insisted.

Miss Plug sent a message home to Cielo’s parents, explaining her new rules.
“101 Ways a Young Lady Should Look and Act.”
“What a drag,” Cielo said.

Soon, all the girls in the school looked alike, and acted alike.

And didn’t run through the bushes, or climb trees, or jump over things,
or wrestle,
or play in the mud.

That would mess up their hair. That would dirty their dress.

Cielo was skinny, but had more energy than ANYBODY ON EARTH!
“It makes no sense!” she protested. “I can’t breathe! This is so dull!”

But Miss Plug insisted.

Every time someone took out a camera, Miss Plug would yell; “HAIR GIRLS!” And they would
STOP and comb their hair, and straiten their clothes, and smile big, fake smiles, while standing like ironing boards, and look pretty and the same.

One Autumn day, as Cielo was moping her way to school, her mother whispered;

“Be you!”

and gave her a kiss on the head.

Sure enough, that day, the trees began their Autumn shedding.
Cielo eyed a huge pile of leaves.

“Don’t do it…!” the other girls said.
“You’ll mess your air,” they said.
“Today is photo day,” they said.

“Be… me…” Cielo whispered to herself,

and smiled a smile a mile wide,
and dropped her books, and ran,
and jumped through the air;

“WHEEEEE…!”

And landed in the leaf pile, PLOOMP!
And couldn’t be seen.

“She’s crazy,” the others said.
“Miss Plug will be upset,” they said.
“I hope she’s okay,” they said.
And when they went over to the leaf pile to look;

WHOOSH!

Cielo threw big fat handfuls of leaves at them! And ran around laughing like a drain.

When the other girls chased her, she shook every branch she could reach,
leaves falling,
leaves in hair,
leaves and laugher and joy everywhere!

When everybody came to class for their photo, Miss Plug was horrified!

HORRIFIED!

“You’re all messed up, and don’t look like lovely little girls!” she said.

“But we’re smiling!” Cielo said.

“You… you… RATBAG!” Miss Plug said.

“That’s the point!” Cielo grinned, throwing more leaves just as the photographer went

Click.

And the photo of the day had some girls laughing,
and others serious,
and some raising their hands to catch leaves,
and others ducking,
and some throwing leaves back.

Happy girls, living happy lives,
not standing straight,
their hair a mess.

A memory, caught in a photo, full of real smiles,
a moment, full of action,

and expressions,
and doing,
to keep forever.

Sometimes Cielo liked looking pretty,
combing her hair,
putting on jewellery,
wearing a nice dress.

Liked it a lot!

But, mostly, she just loved having fun!
Being free and
unafraid!

Sometimes, neat hair could wait.

“Good stuff!” said the ratbag,
as she climbed a tree.

“The best!”

 

 

The End