Before long, she was completely naked. He described his penis, and the feeling of it in his hand. China imagined it was her. She writhed. Romeo said he was tasting her. He said she tasted like salted pomegrant. She liked that. It made her writhe more; she told him. She pressed, and jiggled her own button, but imagined it was him. She backed off to make it last longer. He described her as elegant, blond, and svelte. Like her picture; like she saw herself. She descri

She planted patches of Sweet Box and Snow Drops, because they would bloom all winter. Somebody gave her those with a couple of big rocks. People from the community donated lights. China fixed them, and strung them throughout the garden. Then she trimmed, but didn’t cut down, and cover up, the Grasses Cedars, and Red Dogwood. She cultivated the garden, used a mulch she got for free, and made shapes out of the stones she found. Someone on the internet gave her two Holly

from Quebec. It was as glamorous as she could imagine. After Guido and Ginger were fed, and the dishes were done, there would still be a couple hours before Hildi came over, so she would go online. It was a glamorous, full life, but she never told a single soul about it. On the weekends, she hunted for Guido, took care of the gardens, went to the barbecue, and went to church. Hildi still came over in the evenings, but now she brought homemade soup from lunch. China’s

didn’t. They asked her about the aquarium, and she said Al and Liz gave it to her, because she was thinking of buying some goldfish when she got back home. They took her sticks, moss, and rocks away from her. They said there might be insects living in them. That’s probably what he was eating, because he wouldn’t eat any of the steak she was giving him. China told them everything she did, and ate, in every detail, and whether or not, she liked it. She even told them abou

for that. She had water in the trunk. In jugs. There was lots. China had to carry one. She guessed that the criteria must have had something to do with their hierarchy, because there were four, she carried the heaviest one, and Liz carried none; she made all the decisions and barked anytime someone strayed from the road. Liz kept harping that if the store-guy came looking for them, and if he was going to find them, then they would have to stick to the map. It was hot.

problem. They ate the hot dogs and laid back down. The brothers fell asleep, and started spooning. Al adjusted the angle of the umbrella a couple times to cover them with shade. China laid very still. There was herbed pork tenderloin and noodles, with sweet, buttered peas, homemade by Liz for supper. Of course, there was a tofu version of the pork for China. California was proving to be a great place to shop for veggie items. Liz didn’t have any trouble at all. The next

They had the same thing for breakfast the day they drove into Hollywood, to tour the Paramount Studios, as they did before. Always a hearty breakfast, and no lunch. They were good’n hungry by the time supper rolled around, and they always came back to eat at Liz and Al’s. It started with them holding hands; she caught them pulling away from each other, as if they were worms, and somebody had just turned the lights on, when one opened the door, and the other may not have kn

were the greatest thing of all. China didn’t care; she told Liz she was peckish. Liz told her to wait for supper, they were almost done, and that they would decide where to go tomorrow. Liz was right; from there, they went back to the bus stop. Dinner was a pie made out of the leftovers and a salad with homemade Sour Cream Ranch Dressing. Liz made a small pie for her out of the tofu turkey that she was asked to leave. She made it perfect, and everybody received a perfect

Kentucky, an’ Tennessee on the way back…see a lot of the USA…trip ‘o a lifetime…’ They pulled apart, and finished their coffees at the same time, asked for more, and loaded them up with cream and sugar. They were close, China observed, they even looked like each other. China let her brothers and sister-in-law decide where to go; where ever they decided would okay with her, after all, Al and Liz were paying. They chose to drive to Hollywood everyday, but the first day they

and Liz’s place, she went to the bathroom, and right to bed. Tomorrow, she was going to meet her two other brothers for real. The next morning, she woke up listening for the voices of her other brothers. She would recognize them from the previous calls. China was so excited. She rushed down the stairs to find that they were still in bed. They had driven all night, arrived late, had something to eat, and they always slept-in anyway. So, she glumly ate the breakfast off

grass to pretty them up. They were so colourful. She ate them, then threw the boat down, like she was told. It broke. Repairing pottery/Embracing the Imperfect-Kintsugi was the name of, the next, and last workshop she took. He provided the glue, paintbrush, and gold colored powder; participants provided the broken pottery. Everybody’s was different. It wasn’t full, like the sushi one, because most people wouldn’t break their china, but not her; she had total faith in hi

relationship to the deceased…names…birthdates…last time China saw her alive…what did Sophia have to eat …was she on medication…what kind of medication was she on…did she have anything to drink…did China drink…was there a will…which funeral home did China want them to take her…’ China answered every question truthfully, and she cried throughout. Her ordeal was almost over, they felt so much pity for her, all there was was the funeral, and she had to tell her brothers and sis

China got tired of Sophia, and besides that, Spring was coming, so she decided to ger rid of her. It would be easy, and she wouldn’t have to do any heavy lifting. All she had to do was give her her medicine when she asked for it, then the authorities would haul her away. Really, Sophia would be doing it to herself. Besides, China had her brothers now. She knew Sophia would ask for medicine tonight, so she decided to do it then. It was Sunday, so everything would be open

bugging her about the cat. He said she would have to get rid of it. He said he would come in, take it, and euthanize it. She was distraught; she loved that cat. Turns out, he was in the wrong about the cat, and the rent too. The community told her so. A precedent had been set when he hadn’t said anything about Thomas living there, and other people had pets too. He threatened to make it a ‘no pets’ building, then they all have to get rid of their pets, and now they will

Hilda. The cat responded to her words immediately, but left her knee-highs in shreds. Hilda went home in a heugh and cleaned up her bleeding ankle. China turned to the cat, which had not run back in bedroom, and under the bed, and decided to have a talk with him She said out loud, ‘so you think you have won, eh. You stood your ground alright, but I’m gonna throw you out if you do that again. Don’t bite people. You get one more chance. Maybe you hate your name. Fine, I

She wrestled with mattress, and laid it, bloody side, down. Monday was garbage day. They see the blood was at the head, but what did they know; they don’t know what’s up or down or who sleeps where. The garbage men would assume some lady ruined a mattress with her period. She would sleep on the couch in the meantime. Even though she got to sleep late, she went to church anyway. People asked about him, so she started her story that he left her, right away. It was basic

threw the E-string in too, even though the blood was dry, she knew it could be tested for his. She used the sheet to move him, dragging him across the floor, then pulled him down the hall, and hauled him through the kitchen up to the cellar door. There she took a rest. Thank God for sheet. He was heavy. She went back to the bedroom. The only dirty things there, were the mattress and the crumpled-up sheet, so she grabbed the sheet, and went back to the kitchen. China unl

Thomas played the guitar all day and into the night. A string broke. He didn’t even replace it; just left it there. It was the E string; the thinnest one. She put tape on both ends. That song bugged her even more; China knew he wrote it for Eve. She told him that because he was down lately, she would get bottle wine, and cook him something special. He told her that he it just because he didn’t have a job, and he was going out looking on Monday. She knew it wasn’t tru

false teeth by saving up, and got surgery to remove the decayed ones. The government covered that. She took very good care of them, and took them out every night. He loved oral sex without them, but still wouldn’t return the favour. She was cleaning them when she dropped the bottom plate. It broke. She was devastated. It completely changed her looks, but not what she ate, nor him. He still followed her around, listened, and asked for sex every night. He said nothing

he didn’t. When they woke, it was after dark, so she made dinner. It was Creamed Pearl Onions, Baked Potatoes with Melted Cheddar and Black Beans, and Buttered Broccoli. He thought it was delicious, but wanted dessert, so she made raw Chocolate Brownies. She always made dessert after that. They went to bed, and made love again, but he still didn’t do that thing with his tongue. Thomas lost his job that same week, but his daughter was coming to visit that weekend, so that w