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The Hair is Always Blonder“I hate her.” It went off in her head like an answering machine on the third ring the minute she walked in the studio. It’s 7:45 a.m. Monday morning. She’s downing her fifth cup of coffee when in comes this skinny, pretty blonde woman with a Christie Brinkley smile. The Beloved Face of the EnemyThey met at a coffee shop in Gwinnett County. When she asked where he was from, he said “Iran.” She paused before responding. Of course. Suddenly his face looked Iranian. His beautiful amber eyes were now superimposed on an East-West, male-female conflict. Tags: break ups, chance encounters, Christians, dating, Georgia, Iraq war, Muslims, religion, Saudi Arabia, war
The Pepper GiftMany found a place for that little extra that reminded them of the family they left behind. Ernie’s dad stuffed his keepsake into an old, black sock before he boarded the gray ship in Naples for his long, lonely journey. His mother made him promise he would keep it safe and dry. The HowlWithout warning she let loose a high-pitched, witch-like cackle as loud as she could belt it out. It echoed down the halls of the hospital, bouncing off the walls. The two kids froze, then jumped to their feet and took off out of that room like demons were hot on their tails. Our Patched LivesShe’s watching students through the classroom window. Adrienne has her long, long legs crossed, chair back, boobs thrust forward. She’s flirting with Darren, who’s blushing and tossing pencils at the ceiling. They’re in tutoring because their parents want them to be. Stranded on Dog IslandThree years ago, pets made her think of bourgeois cuteness, smugness, anthropomorphism. She was an animal snob, brought up in a racing stable. They did not have pets. They had horses who were finely tuned athletes, creatures of viscera and higher purpose. Nine LivesThe signs around the neighborhood for lost cats made her think of Sven, who’d survived everything: busy streets, countless moves, vicious dogs. She was cocky about his nine lives; surely he’d only used up seven so far. One day, he didn’t come home for dinner A Boy and His DogKingo taught him to see the magic. There was a remote low valley, far from any roads; the musky scent of ancient rotting logs hung heavy in the air. Kingo knew that this is where the little people lived. But the magic and the innocence were not to last forever. Crooked JawIt was early one summer morning when she first saw him. He was sunning himself on the concrete steps of my front porch. She kept still and quiet while she peered at him through the full-view glass storm door. She didn’t want to scare him away. Pet TherapyHush heaves himself onto her bed. The tiny lady looks at her slippers, ignoring the creaking bed springs. Faced with this supreme indifference, Hush climbs onto her lap. However miserable you are, it’s hard to ignore 18 kg of spotted African wild cat when it parks itself on top of you.   |
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