Most days I wish I was a British pound coin instead of an African girl. Everyone would be pleased to see me… — Chris Cleave

Save [Little Bee] and there’s a whole world of them behind her. A whole swarm of Little Bees, coming here to feed.”

I smiled and watched Charlie running away with the children , with his head down and his happy arms spinning like propellers, and I cried with joy when the children all began to play together in the sparkling foam of the waves that broke between worlds at the point. It was beautiful […] and that is a word I do not need to explain to you, because now we are all speaking the same language

In place of my finger is a stump, a phantom digit that used to be responsible for the E, D, and C keys on my laptop. I can’t rely on E, D, and C anymore. They go missing when I need them most. Pleased becomes please. Ecstasies becomes stasis.