@@@@@ Every time I dipped for it, all I came up
@@@@@
Every time I dipped for it, all I came up with was
peligro, the Spanish word for danger
I decided there was one thing I did need before
calling Minnesota
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I left the phone on the overstuffed couch, limped
to the bedroom (using my crutch now; I and my
crutch were going to be inseparable until bedtime),
and got RebaOne look into her blue eyes was
enough to bring Pam's name back, and my heartbeat
slowedWith my best girl clamped between my side
and my stump, her boneless pink legs wagging, I
made my way back to the Florida room and sat down
againReba flopped onto my lap and I set her
aside with a thump so she faced the westering sun
"Stare at it too long, you'll go blind," I said
"Of course, that's where the fun isBruce
Springsteen, 1973 or so, muchacha
"I should be upstairs, painting that," I told her,
"Doing fucking art for fucking art's sakeReba's wide eyes suggested to the world
in general that she was stuck with America's
nastiest man
I picked up the cordless and shook it in her face
"I can do this," I said
Nothing from Reba, but I thought she looked
doubtfulBeneath us, the shells continued their
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wind-driven argument: You did, I didn't, oh yes
you did
I wanted to go on discussing the matter with my
Anger-Management DollInstead I punched in the
number of what used to be my houseNo problem at
all remembering thatI was hoping to get Pam's
answering machineInstead I got the lady herself,
sounding breathless"Hey, Joanie, thank God you
called backI'm running late and was hoping our
three-fifteen could be-"
"It's not Joanie," I saidI reached for Reba and
drew her back onto my lap without even thinking
about itAnd you might have to
cancel your three-fifteenWe've got something to
talk about, and it's importan