My name is Mafalda

Chapter one

 Chapter 1

 ''Oh cut the crap!''

'' Shut up!''

''Just get the hell away from me''

'' no I said no!''

''What a mighty fine example of a boyfriend you are!''

''Shut up!''

'' NO!''

''Why the hell do you want to cause a scene?!?''

'' You lousy bastard! How could you!'' she yelled at him.

He slapped her hard across the face.

Her sister who saw the whole thing as she turned the corner aproached him and quietly but firmly whispered to him '' I never want to see you near her ever again. If you do, you will regret it.''

She ran off.

''Maria!'' shouted her sister as she tried to follow her.

''Don't call me that!'' shouted Maria as she kept on running.

''What about your book bag?'' 

'' What's wrong?'' asked Catherine a friend of hers.

'' My sister. ''

''Mary?''

'' Ya... Mary. She just ran off without her book bag and I have a class in five with McCormack.''

'' Oo. Ya she's a stickler for punctuality.''

''Could you please get this to her?''

'' Sure.''

''Thanks so much. I owe you one.''

She got to her class with half a second to spare.

''Just in time '' said professor McCormack who shut the door with a sly smile and proceeded to start her lecture.

"You see that road over there? Tell me what you see when i say this to you? How is my voice? How is that road? " not a word. The classroom was so silent you could hear the hum of the overhead projector." Nobody? Come on there's no wrong answer. You.'' she said and pointed to Mafalda.

'' When i say 'a road over there' what is it that you see? How is that road. Describe it to me."

As the colour drained from her face she took a deep breath and replied "it is an asphalt road with green fields on both sides, the mountains behind it."

''Where are you from?''

'' I, I'm from Vancouver'' she replied

''Exactly! A pacific coast landscape. Words aren't just words they are referents and some are dependent upon our imaginarium. Your colleage here is from Vancouver therefore when she thinks of lanscape she goes back to the referents that she knows. The abstract image is depedente upon the refrents that we know. This is about language but it is also about perspective and visual culture. By the way for those of you taking Visual Culture with Professor Fitspatrick I suggest you look up John Berger's Ways of Seeing. It's a very good book and ,for those of you who don't like to read a lot , it's a very short read. Now getting back to language''

Someone put their hand up.

'Yes, you''

'' Professor could you write the name out on the board?''

'' Yes, I can.''

The professor did not point to her for the rest of the class. Just the way she liked it, Invisible and unconspicuous just like in high school she wanted to do the same throught her college years.

What relief. But after class she would have to find her sister.