I. I was stuck working the at the community center, tutoring a man named Carlos because I hadn't done my taxes five years ago and had refused to pay the subsequent enormous fines. He was thumbing through one of those introductory level English dictionaries, and on a particular page, he paused for more than an awkward moment. He asked a question hidden inside a choppy sentence, along the lines of, "Hi James, what is difference from a words "disparate" and "desperate?", to which I replied "one letter".
II. He used to get so stinking drunk. He'd wake up in the morning shaking along with the almost caved-in floor never knowing quite what to do. I've never felt more alive than the days I spent looking in his window and watching him dissolve. And when he died, like we had all expected and hoped, his dogs knocked down the apartment door and mauled every mailman in California.
III. We lined up for the cork popgun shooting range at the fair. The hot dog vendor's catcalls have not made me sick to my stomach yet. A kid from the youth club hangs around, the one with the stray eyebrow. I lent him my last cigarette 'cause he looked at me cross eyed, and it made me laugh.
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Hi Natania. I especially enjoyed your first story. The sarcastic voice you lent was very humorous, without being too outright. These were all very interesting stories, like vague memories that you remember well, but it would take too long to explain to someone else. I really enjoyed these. Great job.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your stories. They were interesting. I am beginning to wonder if story number 2 is true :) That is crazy! It is nice how you left lots of information about each story because they are memories after all that only you can remember clearly.
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