Missing the other side of the world

10th September 2020

“Do you know who Dillon is?” I asked approaching a small group of kids huddled by the swings.
Their tiny sneakers sat buried under a sea of wood chip as they gossiped.

A curly haired boy on the swing kicked up a fountain of dirt. As he slowed to a halt, he pushed his thickly framed glasses up his nose and raised his head.

“Yerrr… I am ..why?”

Matilda had suggested I meet her cousins. As I explained in myself in an alien British accent they gathered around me buzzing with intrigue.

Dillon agreed I could photograph him, and he would get his mum to call me tonight. The others followed suit. I agreed and scribbled my details on slithers of paper for each of them to take home.

Dillon’s appearance could alter dramatically with the subtle removal of his accessories. His glasses or gold earring changed him into a different boy.
He was a wonderful contradiction. At times shy and gentle, then self-assured and mature. As I shot him, I wondered who he would grow to be in 10 years

OAO