Judy’s in the sandbox. She is building castles, she is digging holes. It’s like little Judy
has a plan: to create a sand city or at least some place to live. She doesn’t
really want to go home, even though it’s getting late now and all other
children are shouted down from windows and balconies and summoned indoors. At
some point there’s no one left except for Rachel who is standing by the
sandbox, sternly surveying Judy’s work and licking candy the size of her head.
Rachel hates her parents, or at least that’s what she says. Nobody believes
her. There’s also Birdie, a small dog that lives in the yard. Dirty but
hopelessly cute. When adults suggested throwing her away, the kids stood up for
her and promised to think of a name and look after and bring food. Presently,
Birdie is lying just outside the sandbox, half-sleeping, half-watching
Rachel.
Suddenly, the wind
starts and sweeps Rachel away. That’s what Judy thinks: because now she has the
yard all to herself. There is no sign of Rachel. Birdie is gently snoring,
occasionally breaking into sudden whimpers caused by bad memories.
In the meantime,
Judy’s work is over and she claps her hands in delight. The place, a
combination of huge sand walls and a deep hole, is ready. Judy calls Birdie and
Birdie looks at her in surprise and disbelief. Judy invites Birdie to follow
her and crawls inside. There is enough place for both of them, and they enjoy
the warmth and the secrecy. They stay inside, and when the night is over and
the morning breaks they are still there. And then the next day and the day
after that. They like it down there, Judy can feel for herself and for Birdie.
Sometimes there are voices outside, but the voices are getting quieter and more
and more muffled with each passing day, week, month. Sometimes they can hear
the sound of rain outside as it falls down and thickens the walls made of sand.
Sometimes there’s a cozy feeling of terror as the thunder strikes. Sometimes
they can feel the snow covering them.
And then Judy wakes
up one day (it’s hard to judge when it’s morning and when it’s night) and
decides that they should leave. They should go out and see what’s going on
outside. Slowly they crawl outside and the daylight blinds them. Judy stands up
and looks around. She can’t recognise what she is seeing now. It all looks
different and new and hostile. All these people running around: they seem
pointless and a little insane. They are both scared, but they can’t stop
looking. Birdie barks something, and Judy whispers, almost silently, almost to
herself: “Yes, it does look like that. It does look like a dog’s life”.
