My hand is in her purse, shes flustered, she has dark eyes and long hair, large breasts, shes still trying to lose the weight she gained having the kid. I catch her eye as I find her wallet, still apologizing, the wallet goes up my jacket sleeve, I l...
We enter the European Galleries and make our way backward from the seventeenth-century Netherlands to fifteenth-century Spain. St. George stands poised, as always, ready to transfix his dragon with his delicate spear while the pink and green princess...
Clare turns and runs up the path, into the arms of her lighted and welcoming house, and I turn to the dark and begin to walk across the meadow. Later in the evening I chuck the tie in the dumpster behind Dinas Fish n Fry. LESSONS IN SURVIVAL Thursday...
and Etta is going to be as mad as a hatter if you dont go in pretty soon. Are you going to sleep here? You could come to our house, we have a guest room. Gosh, thats very nice of you. Unfortunately, I am not allowed to meet your family until 1991. Cl...
Thanks, Clare, you did a great job I call softly. I am surprised when she appears at the entrance to the clearing. Its getting dark quickly and Clare looks tiny and scared in the half light. Hi. Hi, Clare. Thanks for the clothes. Theyre perfect, and...
So after dinner I asked Etta if I could go outside and she said did I have homework and I said Spelling and bring leaves for art class, and she said Okay as long as you come in by dark. So I went and got my blue sweater with the zebras and I got the...
Did not. Did too. We just met for the very first time, and as soon as you laid eyes on me you said, Thats the man Im going to marry, and you pasted me one. I always said you were an excellent judge of character. Thursday, September 29, 1977 (Clare is...
Thats a great idea. But what I really need isnt money, its clothing. Clare looks at me doubtfully. Does your dad have any clothes he doesnt need? Even a pair of pants would be great. I mean, I like this towel, dont get me wrong, its just that where I...
Clare sits down at the edge of the clearing. Etta says I shouldnt talk to strangers. Thats good advice. Silence. When are you going to disappear? When Im good and ready to. Are you bored with me? Clare rolls her eyes. What are you working on? Penmans...
Santa is magic. Youre not Santa. Meaning Im not magic? Geez, Louise, youre a tough customer. Im not Louise, I know. Youre Clare. Clare Anne Abshire, born May 24, 1971. Your parents are Philip and Lucille Abshire, and you live with them and your grand...
Why are you hiding? Clare is glowering at me. I toss her shoes back into the clearing. She picks them up and stands holding them like pistols. Im hiding because I lost my clothes and Im embarrassed. I came a long way and Im hungry and I dont know any...
Clare spreads the towel on the ground and dumps out the contents of the bag: every imaginable kind of writing implement. Old ballpoint pens, little stubby pencils from the library, crayons, smelly Magic Markers, a fountain pen. She also has a bunch o...
The T-shirt is warm empty cloth in my hands. I sigh, and walk upstairs to ponder the mummies for a while by myself. My young self will be home now, climbing into bed. I remember, I remember. I woke up in the morning and it was all a wonderful dream....
Okay, heres your cookie. And I get one for being right. But we have to save them til were done looking at the book; we wouldnt want to get crumbs all over the bluebirds, right? Right! He sets the Oreo on the arm of the chair and we begin again at the...
At last, my companion is suitably impressed. Howd you do that? Its not that hard. Ill teach you another time. Entree! I hold open the door and he walks in. I flip on the lights and the Reading Room springs into being; heavy wooden tables and chairs,...
