solitary bees, 46
Tell me something about yourself I didn’t know.
Something dramatic?
Something…. anything. Tell me something.
Can I make it up?
No. But that would tell me something about you anyway.
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solitary bees, 45
How do you feel about music in movies?
I guess I don’t like it when the music has lyrics; that seems like it should be against the rules; like it’s cheating somehow.
Musicals?
The hills are alive with the sound of music.
Isn’t it fields?
I don’t think so.
Either way, it sucks.
A bit of notice for elimae
A new literary blog, devoted to highlighting good writing on the Internet, has selected elimae.
W
solitary bees, 44
Do you mind if I ask a question?
They are working on the puzzle.
Not at all.
This is going to sound vicious but there’s no other way to say it.
Go ahead.
He sits back.
What’s wrong with you?
He squinches his face. Pinches his nose.
I mean, it’s always an accumulation, isn’t it? Plus the biology of the thing.
He picks up a puzzle piece, holds it between thumb and finger, and slowly turns it back and forth.
I mean, on the other hand, I think it’s fairly obvious, isn’t it? I thought it would be simple for you to see who I am and then decide.
Couldn’t you just have come up to me at the store and asked me out on a date?
This may sound ridiculous but I had no earthly idea how to do that.
This seemed like the simple way?
Yes.
He sets the piece down without a place for it.
Yes. That’s exactly how I operate. This is who I am.
She puts a piece in place.
I think you could be a little quicker about this. You always pick up a piece and look at it without trying anything.
Always?
Always.
She fits another piece.
Well, I guess you’ve got me figured.
Finally.
solitary bees, 43
She sits, arms folded, looking out the window.
I want steak. I want candles. I want flowers.
She never looks at him.
I’ll get them for you.
A thousand other things you fucking asshole.
She scrunches her fists in the blanket. Screams.
You fucking mother fucking dimwitted fucking simpleton piece of shit.
She crosses her arms and looks out the window.
I wish I had access to your brain.
You do.
He backs out of the room.
As he walks down the stairs he can hear her scream.
Fort Worth Modern
solitary bees, 42
For a man who’s such a chicken shit you sure do take a lot of risks.
He puts his hands in his pockets and looks at the ceiling.
What’s a matter? You can’t take it?
That’s not the way my mind works is all. I never saw this as a risk.
He looks at his feet.
You’re severely lacking fundamentally. Either take me back into that room and fuck me or let me go.
He looks at her.
She spits at him and walks back down the hall.
solitary bees, 42
She talks to him through the door.
There’s a lot of traffic here for such a rural area.
Yeah. I’m beginning to notice that.
Does it trouble you?
How so?
I mean in the obvious way. What if someone finds out?
About our situation?
Obviously.
I guess that depends on how you feel about it.
The toilet flushes and he doesn’t hear what she says.
What’s that?
The door opens and she stands there, a hand on the edge of the door, looking up at him.
On the Way to Lowe’s
solitary bees, 41
How are you feeling?
Better. She smiles, swiping a strand away from her face. What makes you ask?
Simple thoughtfulness.
That’s an interesting way of putting it. I need to use the bathroom.
She kicks beneath the blanket.
Okay.
He lifts the blanket at the bottom of the bed and works at the ropes. She pulls her legs up and sits with her arms around her knees.
He looks at her.
Well?
Oh. Sorry.
Turn around.
He does.
She gets out of bed, naked from the waist, and walks behind him to the hallway.
He waits outside the door after she goes in.
The World Come of Age
solitary bees, 40
He stands quietly on the stairs for a moment, holding the glass in his hand. Once the noises have stopped, he makes his way up again and stands in the doorway to the room where she lies, eyes closed, half under the covers.
I brought your water.
She opens her eyes and turns her head toward him.
Thanks.
She sits up. She takes the glass in her hands and drinks from it.
Who was at the door?
A man who used to live out here. He wants to buy the house.
You going to sell it to him?
She wipes her mouth with her wrist and sets the glass on the night table.
I’m not sure. I haven’t really thought about it I guess.
He takes the card out of his pocket and hands it to her.
She looks at it and sets it on the table; her hands folded above the blanket on her lap.
The Dallas World Aquarium
solitary bees, 39
Jeremy stands on the porch for a while, watching the car drive away. He puts the card in his pocket and walks into the house.
The house is mostly silent until he turns on the water and then he can hear or thinks he can hear something mournful and high pitched through the sound of the water running and then it stops until he makes his way up the stairs and can hear the sound of Karen singing in the space above him.
solitary bees, 38
He opens the door and stands there. A man in his sixties is standing in the yard, looking up at the house.
Hello. I wasn’t sure anyone was home. I’m Frank Yarbrough.
He takes his hands out of his pockets and lifts his hat.
I’m sorry about your loss but I wasn’t sure if you might have any interest in selling it.
He indicates the house.
Not necessarily.
Jeremy steps onto the porch.
I hadn’t really thought about it.
The man’s car is parked, idling at the bottom of the hill. Jeremy sits on the steps. The man takes a step closer.
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solitary bees, 37
I can’t think of a lot of other things to tell you. I had a brother who was gay, but they killed him. I’m just kidding but they would have.
You’re not gay are you?
He looks at her.
That’s a catch-22 if I ever heard one.
I think I’m thirsty. Can you get me something to drink?
She reaches for the glass beside the bed and hands it toward him.
He stands, pushes at the legs of his pants.
Yeah, sure.
He takes the glass.
Another example of how women are so confusing to me.
You’re not exactly crystal clear.
Am I not?
He turns back toward her.
I’m pretty sure I’m straightforward.
Just because a person can see through you doesn’t mean they know who you are.
I may have to work on that.
There is a knock at the door.
He shakes the glass.
Hold on a second.
On your schedule.
Beautiful Youth
solitary bees, 36
Do you know your name?
The child is on a chair with Karen sitting across from him. Jeremy is standing, flipping through a phone book.
Lawrence.
Lawrence? Lawrence is such a pretty name.
The child blinks.
A handsome name.
Jeremy looks up. Do you know where you live?
Lawrence looks at him.
Are you thirsty? Are you hungry for anything?
His shoe is sitting on the table.
Jeremy takes the shoe and opens it up.
Karen pours a glass of water.
The child drinks thirstily.
What do you think we should do? I could drive him around for a bit.
She looks at him.
You’ve got to do something.
She starts crying. The child looks at her, still drinking. She rubs his head.
It’ll be all right.
two scenes from an imaginary renovation film
solitary bees, 35
They make their way to the garden where she thinks she heard him. He can tell the plants have been bent or broken. They follow this path a little ways and see a shoe on the ground. He picks it up and hands it to her.
It’s still warm sort of.
He smells it.
Well. He can’t have gotten far. You want to hold onto this? I wish we had a dog or something.
Just then they hear something muffled from beyond the trees and see the child wandering toward them, crying softly.
They walk toward the child and she hands the shoe to him, lifts the child in her arms.
There there my love. It will be all right.
She dries his tears.
It’s okay sweet thing. It’s okay my darling. We’ll get this straightened out.
She wipes his face with her sleeve and they carry the child back to the house.
solitary bees, 34
A child wanders onto the property, wandering and crying. She can hear it through the window. He isn’t home, and the child is in the garden, sniffing and wiping its nose. She can’t quite get up to see the child but can hear it.
When he gets home she tells him about it.
He wonders where it was going, what direction it was headed.
I couldn’t tell. Sound is weird, but it sounded like it was going in that direction.
I should go out and take a look. You want to come with me?
She nods.
He gets her untied and finds a coat.
something, 12
A one man walking tour on stilts piloted by a paddle for a left-handed person. Mom got so mad! She didn’t even ask. Ken and Carl would be there a few more days so they didn’t really involve themselves. Ken made a sandwich with someone else’s meat.
Mom
solitary bees, 33
He comes home and hears her talking.
Yes. That’s accurate. Mid to late twenties. Sandy hair. Medium build. Armed and dangerous? I don’t think so. A little disturbed maybe. Yes. Some county road. I don’t know exactly where. Can you find out where this call is coming from?
He walks into the room. She cups her hand over the mouth of an imaginary phone and looks at him.
Hold on. He’s standing right here.
She extends her arm to him.
Crestfallen, he walks out of the room.
