Flash Fiction

           Paul was just fired from his job and was running late when it was his turn  to pick up his daughter from school. Paul was very angry and upset, as he hurried to get on the train. While in a hurry he didn't notice the small girl walking straight for him. He bumped into her, knocking all the things out of his hands. He was shocked to discover that the girl kept walking. Once he picked up his things, he turned to the girl with his face red with anger, "What is your problem?!" he screamed at her. The girl just kept walking.
     Paul raced towards the girl and grabbed her arm tightly, "Are you going to apologize?" he asked her. The girl pulled out the headphones from her ears and looked at the man, but said nothing. "What's wrong with you, cat got your tongue?" he asked getting more angry at the rude girl. She looked up at the man scared and nervous. But still she said nothing.
      Paul looked at her with fury in his eyes. She went into her backpack and pulled out a small white board and started scribbling on it. Paul was filled with regret and sadness as he read the two simple words: 'I'm Silent.' Paul took another look at the girl. She looked sad and helpless, "Who knows how long she has been dealing with jerks like me being rude to her" he thought to himself. Before Paul could even apologize, the girl scribed on the board again: 'I forgive you.' The girl then put her headphones back in her ears and kept walking. 
             My Tapestry theme is silence. The significance of this is that Paul used his power of words in a nasty way to a girl with no words. The silent girl was helpless in this situation when Paul got angry with her. But the girl still showed Paul her story with two little unspoken words. Surely Paul will rethink next time he chooses to use words in a nasty way without knowing the whole story behind it.