Why doesn't Piggy look at me?

Festival Breeze

She steps into the seaside square and is met by the soft rush of salt air, music from a busker, and a confetti of voices. The tiles shine like pastel candy under the noon light. A friend lifts the camera; she turns, surprised and smiling, already brighter than the sky above the water.

A Balloon With a Face

The pink balloon is round as a moon and sweeter than one, with little ears and a button snout that makes strangers grin as they pass. She wraps her arms around it the way people hold a shy pet, careful and proud. The ribbon brushes her wrist, and the balloon bobs like it’s nodding yes to everything good.

Framed by the Sea

Behind her, a giant sculpture holds up an empty frame, catching pieces of horizon: waves, umbrellas, and specks of boats. She likes how the frame turns the day into a picture without stealing any of its air. For a moment she stands perfectly centered, as if the square were made to keep this laugh in place.

Crowd of Colors

Around the square, vendors herd bouquets of red balloons, couples pose, and children practice new poses they just invented. Sun hats bloom like soft flowers. A painter flips pages to show samples; a photographer kneels to find the best angle. The whole place behaves like a friendly stage where everyone gets a small scene.

Pocket-Sized Wishes

She thinks the balloon feels lucky—part piggy bank, part mascot—so she whispers a tiny wish into the crease of its ear. Maybe it will remember. The breeze turns her hair and sends the balloon tugging forward, eager to explore. She laughs, tightens her hold, and the ribbon settles against her palm like a promise.

Carrying the Day Home

When the picture is taken, she keeps walking with her pink companion floating at her hip. The square keeps shining behind her, framed by the big hands, but the best souvenir is already under her chin. Later, when the balloon rests by the window, it will glow in the afternoon light and bring the whole square back—music, sea air, easy laughter—and the feeling that some days are light enough to carry.