Lucy and Sarah came around at two. This was usual.

*

Sundays are so boring, said Sarah, and Lucy and I said Uh-huh together as a reply. I said How's school? and Sarah goes, Usual.

*

You Bored? I ask Lucy, and she says No in a strange drawl, pushing the fingers of her right hand up through her hair.

*

Lucy did that a lot.

*

Around half two Sarah goes, Let's go out for a walk, and we say Okay, and Why not.

[shells]

There was still a building site in those days, and we walked around through shells of houses. We climbed up large mounds of earth, and clambered down the other side.

*

I've got a flag, said Sarah, and she did. It was an old broom handle with a piece of pink plastic that she stuck on top. A Pink Flag, I said. Very Wire. Lucy said Huh? and I said nothing.

*

I'm going to claim that hill, said Sarah, pointing to an earth mound near the burn that ran the length of the golf course. There was a yellow bulldozer parked near it and I said It won't be there tomorrow but Sarah just goes I don't care.

*

Lucy grabbed my hand and smiled. Come on, she said, and that was all.

[pink flag]

We stood, the three of us together, on top of the earth mound. Sarah stuck the broom handle into it. It leaned slightly towards the west and the sea, and the pink plastic flapped almost imperceptibly in the slight breeze. Lucy's white skirt wafted too, and I noticed that it had small smudges of brown around the hem.

*

This is my hill, said Sarah. This is my flag.

*

It was a pink flag.

Alistair Fitchett, 1995