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

facing his back, and spooning him. She took her underwear off, draped her leg around him, and fell asleep. They had a nap. When she woke, he had turned and was facing her, and the matching heavy, red velvet drapes were still drawn, so it was like night. He leaned in to kiss her, and she started to writhe around. She let her dress go up. She had kept shaving her peach. He looked at it a long time, then started kissing it. When he started licking it, she lost control; s

though she had no papers to prove it, she clearly looked like an Indian, so they let her cross the border. They were used to that. She rented the first apartment that had a sign in the window. He was only too happy to, since it had been empty for months. She applied for welfare, and used the money for rent and food. She told them the truth, and they believed her. Why wouldn’t they. All she had in her apartment were plants, the clothes he gave her, her papers, and a bi

Louise Mary Badd checked out of life. Maybe, it was the roller-coaster, the popcorn incident, the home birth, the hospital crying, or she didn’t like being alone; maybe it was just a crib-death, but she died. China always figured the baby knew he didn’t want her. China hated him for that. He made her adhere to the routine as soon as they got home. She cooked supper, sat with him while he ate, fed the baby, and cleaned up; she barely arrived with his popcorn in time. She

baby care, so she would know everything about taking care of a baby. Moreover, he was getting the idea that this was a problem for him too. She had collected the bottles, nipples, diapers, and rubber pants, so was ready for the baby. She was in the garden when her water broke. She thought she peed her pants. That was weird, so she changed, but soon thereafter, a pain started. She tended to the bonsai, fed the fish, meditated, read, cleaned, and cooked through it. The pa

the house, he got up and pointed. He preferred she didn’t go snooping around. For some reason, he didn’t like pork, so she substituted lamb for pork. She found out he didn’t eat pork when he threw a bowl of popcorn at her. They were on the couch, she had just done the dishes, and sat down beside him with that bowl of popcorn. It was precisely seven that she woke him. It was earlier on, so he was still talking to her, and she asked him if he liked the supper. She though

braced herself for the pain. She soared out over the glittering water, plopped into it, and nobody even saw her. It would just be the empty cart that rolled back in. Would he even remember that she was in it. He didn’t, and he didn’t care either. Might as well see stuff. They just walked around while they waited for her catch up to them. She was in big trouble Dan seethed to himself. She was like a dog off it’s leash. China sunk to the bottom. She had never been in

It took her over a year to get pregnant, and in that time, she learned to cook. China found a cookbook in the box but kept it under the deck. She cooked quiches, roasts, casseroles, and desserts. He never gave her trouble about getting the ingredients but he wouldn’t buy anything for the coming baby. She could tell he was happy, because he started to talk to her again, and he was getting fat too. She didn’t dare bring it up, even though he commented on her weight all the

The Zen Garden helped. She was obsessive compulsive about the painting; it relieved stress, so she did it in the garden, during the day, when he wasn’t around. He used to have to take care of the garden, but not now, as he had her, so she painted in the garden. He never went in it anymore, and he wouldn’t go get anything, so she used pots from the garage. China repaired, painted, and planted in them with stuff she found. She rooted the geraniums and saved the seeds of th

He watched as she did somersaults as she fell. She felt every jagged edge, but the pain was especially strong in her arm and foot. The fall had opened her foot back up, and broke her arm. At the bottom of the stairs, she just laid there. He thought she was dead. There was blood everywhere. Dan rushed down the stairs, and to her side. Her eyes fluttered open when he touched her. He was so relieved. ‘…I love you…I’m so sorry…this will never happen again…I love you so m

The place was a mess. The moist, wrinkled cranberries were stuck where they landed. Some were even on the fridge. She thought of his member, shivered, then jumped up, and ran down the hall in bare feet. She winced in more pain, this time from her foot. One of the glass bowls had broken. In the bathroom, she found bandages and put them on her foot. She looked in the mirror and recoiled. Her face was a chaos of bruises, blood, and swelling. She dabbed at it with a wet