Maggie Wu got out ahead of Joyce
Her My Little Fish interrupting him from venturing to Finnegans Wake for
a blush a toke of inspiration when the notes he madeintent on elaborating had fallen
flatfallen on their faces lacked for
the time being to
inspire him
“I had also kept my own little fish a
secret. Nora told me she’d been getting them for the past year. She was saving
them for her crush, Zachary, and would give them to him once she started middle
school. I asked her why. She said that was just what people did when they were
in love.”
Here. This is for you. said Marlene Don’t open it until you get home, please.
Marlene was a head taller had twentytwentyfive
pounds on him was his favourite tomboy
not to please her could get him
pummeled
hed seen her pound other boys until they
refused to get up or ran away crying
I promise
Thank you.
I’ll see you tomorrow.
she slung her schoolbag over her
shoulder and began walking home he lived in the other
direction she paused turned halfwayround led by the heavy schoolbag waved goodbye blew him a kiss blushed
turned hurriedlywalking away
Whawastha
I don know
Shes never done tha before
Ever given you a gift before
No
Not everI mean a Valentines Day
card during class a netted bundle of confectionary
hearts Sweethearts with it
Did you read the hearts
No
They werent the colourthe taste I liked When I got home I traded with my brother and sister for hearts they received
that I liked
She blew you a kiss
She did
Maybe Maybe you should have read the hearts she gave
you
Maybe
This gift Its your birthday
It is
A birthday gift
She didnt wish me Happy Birthday when
she gave it to me
But probably
Probably
Huh
I cant wait to see when we get home
he looked up the street where Marlene walked
she was really small in the distance
he held up his hand centered her between his thumb an indexfinger
imagined picking her up
otherwise
impossible
he imagined keeping her as a pet
at that size
hed be able to take care of her easily
Arya gonna open it
Jah jah
We just got here
they were in his bedroom
he set the school books he cradled back
and forth between his arms as he walked home down on the desk
he took the gift out of his shirt pocket
Marlene wrapped it in festive paper tied
it with ribbon a real giftlike gift
he went to set it down beside the school
books to untie the ribbon
Arent ya gonna shake it
Ohmy Are you one of thoseno
Those
Shake packages
Never have never
will
Why
Its dumb
Why woud I do something dumb
Arya sayin Im dumb
Im sayin since you arrived youve never
gotten a package a gift maybe before you
got herebefore ya made your presence known
as other presences had when arriving
Thasall Im sayin
Oh Okay
Open it Im excited
I
will I will
thank god the ribbon came off easily
he went at the ends of the box where
Marlene taped it undid the tape undid the paper without tearing it
revealed a plain white box topped with a
lid
it wasnt taped
removing the lid
a thick cotton gauze
he saw the fold at one edge
lifted the other end not to spill what
was folded inside it
on top of whatever was lay a slip of
paper
as he picked up the paper to read what
she wrote they said Ohmy
he didnt let that interrupt himmake him look he read the note
finished
sent it on top
the school books
Theyre all her baby teeth
100preferred, Wednesday,
4 2. 26
https://www.3ammagazine.com/3am/my-little-fish/
