The Leaning Bean

Ages 12-15

Chedva's bean leans.

It is in a paper cup on her bedroom windowsill, with a thumb of soil over the seed. It came up on the fourth day, a pale curl, and then two leaves. The stem bends toward the glass. The cup is on the sill, and every leaf is turned to the window.

On the first morning she turns the cup a quarter, so the lean faces the room. When she comes home, the stem has bent back to the glass.

She turns it again. In the morning, it has bent.

She tries it a different way. She moves the cup to the left end of the sill, where the light comes later. She turns the cup so the lean points away. She goes to school.

On the sixth day, the stem has a kink in it, low, where she has turned it. She puts her finger to the kink and does not press.

On the eighth day, the lean is less. She turns the cup.

On the ninth morning, she comes in, and stops at the door. The bean is standing, with the two leaves open, one each side, and the stem is straight up out of the soil.

She leaves the cup where it is. The sun is not up yet on the window, and she goes to get dressed.