ache1
before she became ache1 descended the stairs accompanied from below
by the not unfamiliar shift in pitch of Judas’ plaintive howl become jubilant
in recognition of that procured. In adopting what had traditionally been her
mother’s role of comforting their dog’s annual and witless inability to
accommodate daylight savings she understood herself to tread the very threshold
of her own too imminent maturity.
ache1
before she became ache1 (opening kitchen door): What’s all this
noise? Jude? What is all this noise for? Hiya.
Judas’
tail slapped happily at the linoleum flooring.
ache1
before she became ache1: Don’t you remember? Jesus God son it’s the
same every year. Don’t you remember, dummy? We haven’t forgotten you, it’s…
A
yawn opened up her face.
ache1
before she became ache1: We get up at the same time, okay?
It’s just the, it’s ahm, it’s just the sun that’s getting up earlier.
Don’t you remember anything?
with
established between them a certain easy solidarity growing up as the family’s
two youngest.
She
knelt and set aside E.T. to take Judas’ face in both her hands, shaking him
gently from side to side.
ache1
before she became ache1 (in her best French): Les deux
in-sig-ni-fi-cants,
carefully
enunciating each constituent syllable to make sure she got it right, the while
not even knowing if this was the correct word or even a word at all,
ache1
before she became ache1: c’est nous.
Wondering
just how long she would have before others could discern what she knew now for
fact, she rose to tuck the shirt of her pyjamas into its matching trousers.
Sprawled upon the carpet and content, Judas bit repeatedly at one of his paws.
She
sat down alongside, crossing her legs and cold enough at this hour to regret
not having wrapped up in her bathrobe before coming down. Her mother must still
be asleep.
Because
his constancy had rendered him damn near invisible to her, his recent critical
absence had been that much more remarked, and she addressed E.T. now as if what
she perceived as his betrayal had made them somehow unfamiliar to each other:
ache1
before she became ache1 (pleading): Where were you? Where were
you? Where were you when I needed you most?
Her
eyes closed, she tried to focus and conjure in her groin some slow movement, as
if just such an act of will was the simple requisite to prompt the flow of her
missing monthly purge. She hung her head and shook it, before turning again to
the dog,
ache1
before she became ache1: Well, maybe you can tell me this,
Jude: what sort of fucking moron puts cabbage out at a party?
