Page 6 of The Black Flamingo

---

a Barbie.

Emily’s playroom is a bubble-gum-

pink mess. She has forty-two Barbies;

I know because I counted. She also has

four ponies and six Jeeps for them.

Goddess of Beauty looks brand-new.

When Emily shows her to me

she says, “She’s meant to be

the Greek goddess Aphrodite,

but she looks like your mummy.”

Emily has lots of toys but this doll

captivates me, her flowing white

and blue gown and her gold headband.

I pick up some of her other Barbies

with their missing arms, legs, heads.

“Why don’t they have full bodies?”

“Their heads came off when I was brushing

their hair,” Emily says, but I’ve never seen

Emily use a Barbie hairbrush. The one

for Goddess is still in its packet. I take it out

and gently brush her hair.

“I’m going to ask my mummy to get me

this one for Christmas,” I tell Emily, proudly.

Christmas morning,

I race downstairs to find

a present under the tree.

No wrapping paper, just

a pink bow on the box.

Mummy has bought me

a Barbie!

---