Where am I - Ricci Schwarzler

Where am I?

I looked around me. Cabbages everywhere! WHAT? This is ridiculous! Where am I? What am I doing amongst so many cabbages? I don’t understand… Ohhhhh, woe is me!

The cabbages beside me smile and their little cabbage eyes crinkle up. What? They’re alive? That’s absurd.

The sky is dark. Dark grey. It takes all the blue out of the light and everything appears brighter and more vibrant. I stare to the heavens and try to understand what I’m doing with all these bright green cabbages around me. This is surreal.

I look further beyond the cabbages next to me, beyond my neighbouring cabbages. The others are chatting to each other, laughing and giggling. Some start to look my way. They smile. I smile back but I know I look vague to them. Hang on! What am I saying? That a cabbage can see my expression, my laugh, my talking? Oh my God I’m losing my mind. But even so, I’m feeling calmer, I’m enjoying their company even though no words have been uttered to me. Of course not, they’re cabbages!!

I relax some more and start to feel the soil beneath me, the cool air blowing over me, and appreciate where I am.

Then my neighbouring cabbage winks at me and says ‘Hi Kate’. I’m stumped but reply ‘Hi, Jan’. What JAN? What is this?

Kate you don’t look your normal self.’

‘Beg your pardon?’ I say.

‘Your leaves are a bit droopy, are you sad?’

‘Um I don’t know, I don’t know what I’m doing here.’

‘Oh,’ says Jan, ‘it must be the fertilizer they used. It’s new. It’s affected other cabbages like that. It’s OK, give is a few minutes and you’ll be back to your crispy self.’

I do start to feel better after a few minutes. Then I realise, This is Me! I’m where I belong with my other cabbages. My friends. I feel my spidery, soft roots move through the damp soft soil. I look to the grey sky. I feel the wind in my leaves and I know I’m back where I belong, in our little cabbage garden.