The Blue Folder

The Blue Folder

On Tuesday, Maya’s class was preparing an exhibition in the school hall. She was pinning up maps while Leo finished some photographs in the computer room.

At break, Leo received her message: “Please bring the blue folder to the hall after lunch. We need it for the display.” Their project had a blue cardboard folder containing the printed captions and a shared computer folder called Blue, which held the photographs. Maya meant the cardboard one, but Leo understood Blue as the digital folder and copied it on to his laptop.

When he arrived, Maya stared at the screen. The photographs were ready, but the captions were still locked in their classroom, and visitors were due in twenty minutes. Leo showed her the message. Maya began to blame him, then noticed that “blue folder” could point to either item.

Instead of arguing, Leo asked the caretaker to open the classroom while Maya placed the photographs in order. He returned with the cardboard folder, and they attached the captions just as the first families entered. Beside the final map, Maya added a label to their equipment box: “Cardboard captions folder.” Leo renamed the digital one “Exhibition photographs”, then gave her a questioning smile. She nodded and handed him the last pin.