e
n
L
i
e
XT
e
L
i
n
l
e
i
T
T BODY T
c ec I l e Mon TgoM e ry, 19 53 -2 0 07
she watched from the shadowed corner, crying silently,
each tear scorching her cheeks until she knew they had be-
come glowing, round embers. she should have reached out
for her son, freed him from his father. but by habit, she did
not.
he said he just wanted a turkey sandwich, and maybe an
apple, and was that too much to ask, dear old dad? he had
not been changed the way his father would have him change
– the way god would have him change – and for that he twist-
ed his forearm harder.
When he saw the unwanted tears filling up the corners
of the boy’s eyes, he asked why gay boys cry all the time. he
said he didn’t know, dad, choking on the salty phlegm that
chugged its way through his words.
Garrett snatched his arm back and fled through the back
door, his longtime escape route, slamming it behind him and
whispering something inaudible to his hiding mother.
her husband remained still at the top of the stairs, icy
sweat rolling down his forehead. Then he took the bible
out of his shirt pocket, and mumbled something to himself
slowly. his voice quickly became a chant that grew louder as
he stepped down each cedar stair, until he shouted the final
words of 1 corinthians 6:10, the heavy back door echoing
behind him.
she stood in the corner all night until it was no longer
a dark space. her fried, yellow hair remained uncombed,
and her twig legs quaked, the occasional spasm keeping her
from shutting her eyes. she waited for garrett to come back
through the door, so that he could feel safe again. his father
blue moon 5
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171