WEN: 096A33
Exhibitor Name: Daniella Smith
Division: Creative Writing--
Class: 04 Short Stories (
mower filling my ears, I barely heard the echo of a shout followed by a slam. Suddenly too frightened to spare a glance over to the source of the noise, I kept my gaze lowered and focused on the mower. It wasn’t until I heard the tapping of heels when I finally looked up. A lean, tall woman was attempting to exit Wyatt’s home, appearance ghostly. What struck me the most wasn’t her sudden appearance or the odd way she held herself up, as if her knees were injured, or her haste to leave. No- it was how she presented herself. Even though I lived in a town miles away from Las Vegas, as did Wyatt, this woman looked like she spent her entire life riding in stuffy Volvos through blazing neon skies. Whispy, silver hair was held up in a meticulous bun; porcelain skin hid behind opaque makeup; cocktail dress above knobby knees. She had only managed to get as far as the edge of the porch until Wyatt grasped her by the arm - although surprisingly, it didn’t look forceful - which startled her so badly her knees nearly gave out. Taking that single moment of weakness to his advantage, Wyatt pulled her body back into the house and shut the door. I thought that would be the end of it, but Wyatt instead repositioned his lawn chair so it was blocking the door, and he sat on it, nursing his beer can. Wiping my gloved hands on my flannel, I went back to work. 11 Aug 1994 - 1800 hours Marie was a sweet woman who lived in the house across Wyatt’s. Thus, her home became a safe haven after long hours of excruciating lawn work in the searing sun. All but foul, her witty sarcasm made conversation amusing. The two of us sat at her elegant dark wood table, which was stark against the soft ambiance of her kitchen’s pale yellow walls. I was nursing a cold cup of tea, drinking but not tasting, basking in congenial conversation in which Marie and I mused over everything and nothing.
“What’s Artie having you do today?”
I cocked my head, looking out the unusually large window behind Marie that revealed an empty blue sky.
“Lawn work.”
“Mowing?”
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