Me – Oh nice, you’ve done another drawing! Walk us through it, if you will. What is going on in this… whatever this is.

Niece – It’s a fight. This is the good person; this is the shoe rack, and this is the bad person.

Me – Why is there a shoera— never mind. Why does this look like a purple balloon?

Niece – It’s a bad person.

Me – Why are they purple though?

Niece – Bad people are purple.

Me – They are?

Niece – Ya. See in my comic book?

Me – He does look a little purple, doesn’t he.

Niece – Why like that?

Me – Why like what?

Niece – Why are bad people always purple?

Me – Bad people aren’t always purple.

Niece – They are in this book.

Me – Well this book is—

Niece – And this one.

Me – Well—

Niece – And all these ones. And that one.

Me – Well I—

Niece – Sometimes they are brown though. Like you.

Me – Okay, so I’m brown. But do you think that means I’m a bad person?

Niece – Sometimes you tell me wrong things Amma said.

Me – Apart from that.

Niece – Why are they brown and purple in books then.

Me – I don’t know. Seems like bad people can be all sorts of different colors, no?

Niece – Maybe they didn’t have enough color pencils.

Me – What color are all the good people in these books?

Niece – Pinkie.

Me – Pink.

Niece – Pinkie.

Me – Dude, we talked about this: It’s pink.

Niece – They are always pinkie.

Me – Well, do you think you’re good?

Niece – Ya.

Me – Are you pinkie? I mean, pink?

Niece – Ya.

Me – Dude, you’re not pink.

Niece – Ya I am.

Me – Who told you you’re pink?

Niece – I did.

Me – Why do conversations with you always end up being weird?

Niece – What should I draw next?

Me – I would like to see another… what is this again?

Niece – Fight. And shoe rack.

Me – Right, I would like to see another one like this, except without purple bad people and pink good people. Because skin color doesn’t determine if you’re good or bad, right?

Niece – Hm?

Me – Just because someone is purple doesn’t mean they are bad. Right?

Niece – Ya.

Me – Right.

Niece – Only if they are brown.

Me – No, not if they are brown or purple. I mean, pink people can be bad people, too.

Niece – Hm?

Me – Am I confusing you?

Niece – Ya.

Me – Forget it, just draw another one.

Niece – What means confusing?

Me – This. All this. This entire conversation with you is confusing.

*

Me – Hey, what happened to my drawing.

Niece – I can’t finish it.

Me – Aw, don’t say that. Come on, show me what you’ve done so far.

Niece – See.

Me – Ok. This is the… the…

Niece – Shoe rack.

Me – Of course. But where’s the good guy and the bad guy?

Niece – They went home.

Me – No they didn’t, come on. Draw a pink bad guy and a purple good guy! Wouldn’t that be neat?

Niece – I don’t want to draw. You tell me a story about clouds.

Me – Meh, do I have to?

Niece – Ya.

Me – Okay, once upon a time there was a little cloud, and the cloud went wandering outside when her Amma told her not to, and she came across this big, black cloud with lightning teeth and—

Niece – Was he a bad cloud?

Me – Probably, but anyway, he—

Niece – Is that why he’s black?

Me – He— oh heck. Okay, wait a minute.

Niece – Is he going to eat the little cloud?

Me – No! Because… he was… actually her friend! And he… he had a toothache.

Niece – And he lost his shoe rack.

Me – Right, he had a toothache, and he lost his shoe rack, so the little cloud helped him, and he felt better, and they lived happily ever after.

Niece – So small story?

Me – Yes.

Niece – I didn’t like it.

Me – Ya, but it taught you that just because a cloud is black doesn’t mean he’s the bad guy.

Niece – Hm?

Me – What does a black cloud mean?

Niece – Means it’s raining.

Me – Okay that’s it, I’m done.

Niece – Did he find his shoe rack?

Me – Yes.

Niece – Was it in his house?

Me – Yes.

Niece – Then how come he couldn’t find it before?

Me – You know what, little dude? You’re giving me a headache.

Niece – I’m going to draw the cloud and his shoe rack.

Me – Don’t make him black though.

Niece – You said he was black.

Me – I mean… never mind.

Niece – I don’t have black.

Me – Great! Then you can color him—

Niece – I draw two shoe racks then.

Me – Whatever.

Small Talk chronicles conversations between the author and her niece that could, in an alternate universe or in this one, be real.