Bandage Boy

The little girl looks up.

Terence looks down from his perch on  the trolley.

Get ready for your lunch, says Terence.

He is holding the tray at a precarious angle.

Watch out, bandage boy! says the girl. You're tipping it.

Nothing will happen, says Terence. It's covered.

Just give it to her, says the flight attendant. I have more lunches to deliver.

A bread roll drops onto the little girl's lap.

Told you! says the girl.

It's your fault! says Terence. You're meant to pull your tray table down. Twist the handle..

It's not a HANDLE, says the girl.

What is it then? asks Terence.

A latch, says the girl. What happened to your foot?

The flight attendant has had enough. She looks back. Has Gaius finished eating his wrap yet?. No he's still eating, as though he has all the time in the world. He might have, but she hasn't.

She takes the girl's lunch from Terence. Plonks it on the girl's tray (now in its proper position), edges round to the front of the trolley and lifts Terence off.

Give him to me, says a passenger, over the aisle.

Don't! says Terence.

It's just so she can get on with delivering our lunches, says the passenger. You're obstructing the trolley. 

He can sit next to me, says the girl. There's room on my seat.

Terence would rather sit next to her than the passenger, who looks a bit scary.

He clambers up. The flight attendant moves forward, unencumbered.

Does your foot hurt? asks the girl.

What do you think? asks Terence.

No, says the girl. Because you're made of cement,

I fell out of the overhead locker, says Terence. So did my parrot. I might take his wheels off and use them myself.

Like skates, says the girl. 

Yes, says Terence.

A plan is forming. He will have skates and whizz everywhere.

But you don't have shoes, says the girl.

I'll be getting some, says Terence.

Easy. What a wonderful plan.