corner view ≈ once upon a time

once upon a time there was a girl who was picked up from school on a saturday morning. her dad hesitantly stepped inside the school hall and looked for his girl. there she was, clutching a thin fairy-tale book the size of her belly. the girl ran to him, grabbed his huge hand.

mum adjusted lipstick before driving off together in the car bubble. as grownups do, they rattled on while the girl leafed through the storybook, which now lay open on her knees. teacher had read red riding hood and the story of the big, bad wolf.

mother said that the city was a big bad wolf. as they climbed stairs in the dark smelly building on boulevard mémoire, the girl expected a wolf jumping on them, from behind every flight of stairs. there were three flights. aunty marie-helene stood waiting in the door. 

inside, the room smelled of gas. mother placed a box of patisserie she'd brought on the table. dad opened the curtains to the world outside. the girl squinted her eyes. let there be no wolf at the window. then tea arrived and a spoon, and the fairytale was laid on the table. aunty marie-helene wanted to read the story. jane's corner view, francesca's hosting. all images from MONS2015, EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE.