San Francisco: Masonic and Fell 8:25AM

She was one step ahead of the small one as they crossed the 6 lane intersection.  He wore a winter jacket that fell below his knees, making him look even smaller than he was.  He dragged behind him a limp looking mini-suitcase on wheels with a built-in handle.  The case looked empty but I could imagine it had a white bread and bologna sandwich and some Oreos inside for his lunch.  It made a plastic-on-asphalt scratching sound I could hear over the rush-hour noise of cars as he dragged it along behind him.  The case lurched and swerved behind him, tottering over as he stepped onto the curve.  She was on her cell phone, clutching it close so she could hear over the traffic.  They waited for the light to turn green to cross over Fell, and as she stood there, she nervously slid one foot to rest on its outer edge, a turning in on herself, an unconfident, small gesture of discomfort.  A car was waiting to turn right onto Fell from Masonic.  The boy saw the car and motioned for it to go ahead and turn.  Somehow, despite his dumpy little suitcase and his oversized jacket, he had a feeling of power. . .he could direct traffic from his small spot in the world.  The driver of the car felt his power and responded, began to make the turn.  But just then the light turned green, the mom straightened her feet and started off for the crosswalk.  Noticing her son was hesitating, (he had given permission to the car to turn and was waiting for his order to be executed), she yelled at him, grabbing his arm and the two crossed the street and continued on their way, the cell phone still close to her ear.

She had not seen her son's gesture of power to the waiting car.  I wondered what else was not seen.