Last night I doubled back to my room for my jacket. I noticed 500 pesos on the floor. I knew it was not my bill. Miguel, who’d been alerted by my indecision and his own about asking me to borrow a razor, asked me what was happening.
I told him I’d found the money and I was giving it to him. He said no. He was sure someone would ask for it. I said I was sure that, had I lost it, I wouldn’t think to ask him for it.
He was clearly shaken by the quantity. He confessed that he’d asked Mari for a small loan for bus money that same morning.
This morning on my way out the door, I asked whether anyone had tried to claim the money. He said no. He wondered out loud what he should do. I said, as far as I was concerned, it was his.
He seemed relieved and said that I’m not just an angelito (a little angel), I am an angelote (a turkey-sized one)!
In the park, I was aware of being turkey-like and thus was unsurprised when a hungry white dog got too close. I could see him licking his jaws at the thought of a delicious thanksgiving.
When he wasn’t trailing me, I kept my eye on him. He even pursued pigeons and a pile of trash.
We both spotted the small girl with the pink lunchpail at the same time. She’d be succulent, like veal.
As he was quickly approaching, she sensed his laser focus from a few feet, and she darted in front of her mother. I nearly applauded her survival instincts.
It is 9AM now. Rowdy schoolchildren surround the fountain and a gang of wild dogs of assorted sizes barges into the park, howling their alarm.
Shadow, my little white dog, listens for a second and then decides he needs a safer spot. I agree.
- So many things to be afraid of… Check out how Jody Gladding takes on fear with door-to-door evangelists, or salespeople, in the prose poem 1-800-FEAR:
We’d like to talk with you about fear they said so
many people live in fear these days they drove up
all four of them in a small car nice boy they said
beautiful dogs they said so friendly the man ahead
of the woman the other two waiting in the drive I
was outside digging up the garden no one home I said
what are you selling anyway I’m not interested I
said well you have a nice day they said here’s our
card there’s a phone number you can call anytime
any other houses down this road anyone else live
here we’d like to talk to them about living in fear
many people live in fear these days they drove up
all four of them in a small car nice boy they said
beautiful dogs they said so friendly the man ahead
of the woman the other two waiting in the drive I
was outside digging up the garden no one home I said
what are you selling anyway I’m not interested I
said well you have a nice day they said here’s our
card there’s a phone number you can call anytime
any other houses down this road anyone else live
here we’d like to talk to them about living in fear
As Miguel feared his fortune, what are fears your characters face?
