The Giant Doughnut
Susmita Bhattacharya
The giant doughnut rolled down the street. It was a perfectly round, crisp, brown, sugar- sprinkled treat – oh yes, it was – and as tall as the Guildhall, glinting in the morning sun.
‘Oh look, Mummy, look.’ A little boy pointed to the doughnut trundling down the street. ‘I want. I want it.’
‘No, you can’t have it,’ his mother said, pulling him towards her and covering his eyes with her hands. ‘It’s bad for you. It’s processed food. It’s not gluten-free. Here, have this banana instead.’ And she pulled out one from her bag, peeled it and shoved it into the boy’s mouth.
The doughnut rolled down the high street. Past the local Tesco and the Big Issue vendors who stared with their mouths open.
‘Stop, stop,’ cried the homeless man, struggling to get
