The opening of my contemporary gothic horror, LIFE"S WORK.
I walked into a wall of noise, massive and unintelligible. My first steps onto the factory floor nearly overwhelmed me and I resisted the urge to clamp my hands over my ears. Clangs, squeals, and clatters all competed for attention. The variety of unwholesome smells encasing me defied immediate description. I shuddered from sensory overload. The cacophony of the factory was a dirge for my half-sought dreams.
Dad put his arm over my shoulder and leaned close to my ear so I could hear him. “I know you don’t think you want to be here, son, but you tried college and it didn’t pan out. Give Cass a chance, this place didn’t let your great-grandpa down during the Depression; it gave your grandparents a good living and put food in your mouth every day since you were born.” He squeezed me around the neck. “If you do your job, the plant will take care of you. There’ll be a good living for you and my future grandkids.”
I’d heard this before and suppressed my eye roll. Dad was so excited I was working here; he might be happy with a blue-collar paycheck, but I wanted more.
__________________________________________________________________
A bit from a story in TRAVELERS IN THE WILDERNESS OF THE WORLD
When I tell people that I have a friend who is an elephant in Thailand they tend to look at me like I’m a little nuts. I can understand this, because elephants are not prone to casual friendships and I was only in Thailand for a few months.
I was teaching on the island of Guam in the Western Pacific and had planned to come home to Ohio during the summer vacation, but some friends wanted to go see Thailand. Since Thailand was actually closer than Ohio, I thought it was worth a visit.
My old Dad was flabbergasted when I called to tell him I wouldn’t be home to help put up fence that summer. He still tells his friends, “She said she was going to run over to Thailand, like you or I would say, I’m running out to town for groceries.” Dad never really understood my world traveling.
I met the elephant, Penume, when I was in the village of Pai near Thailand’s northern border with Myanmar. Her owner, Thom, ran a small resort that used elephant’s to take tourists for rides through the jungle.
Penume had been a working girl most of her life. She was born in an elephant camp, and had worked as a four legged bulldozer moving trees and carrying logs on steep mountainsides with her partner, Thom’s father. She was part of Thom’s family, so when Thom’s Dad retired Penume did as well. She was only forty at the time, and quickly became bored with retirement. When Thom started a tourist business Penume became the star attraction.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A bit from the first chapter of EXPECTANT CHARLATAN
“Ariel Land,” said the nurse who was too perky for words. I’ll bet she’d been the prom queen at her high school.
I got up and dutifully followed her into the doctor’s private office.
Doctor Rush bustled in not long after I sank into his cushy guest chair. He wasn’t as bland as the room. He had that friendly doctor look, which should have got him a spot on a soap opera. He held a file folder and flipped through the pages while he settled behind his desk.
“Well Miss Land, it doesn’t look like you have any infections.”
“You could have told me that at the hospital when you came to see Myra,” I said. I was a little exasperated. I had to pay for a cab to get to his office.
“Well, I understand you were kidnapped seven weeks ago.”
I got the full-on hundred watt kindly doctor smile.
“Yes, but what does that have to do with my tests?”
“You had a rape kit done?”
“They did one. I wasn’t raped.” I was genuinely puzzled.
The doctor had a nice smile when he looked relieved. “Then I have some good news for you…you’re pregnant.”
“I’m what!” My mind wasn’t processing the words. The room seemed to spin and I was grateful I was sitting down.
“You’re going to have a baby.”
“But, how can I be pregnant?” My mouth fell open so I could get more air.
The doctor tilted his head and smiled. “Well, when a man and a woman have a special –“
“Yeah, yeah.” I made a face and rolled my eyes like a teenager.
“You have some options,” the doctor said. He wasn’t smiling now. “I can give you some pamphlets.
“No, that won’t be necessary.” My hands slid protectively to my stomach. I knew what he meant, but I’d never consider abortion.
“Do you have any idea when you might have become pregnant?”
I thought back to the night with Craig. “I guess the only chance was a couple of months ago. Just before I was kidnapped.”
“Let’s do an ultrasound and see exactly how far along you are.” the doctor said. “Do you want to call the father to come in?”
I shook my head. “He’s not available.” Was I even going to tell Craig? I’d have to think long and hard about that. We’d only talked a few times since he went back to Cleveland. He was recuperating from the knife wound he got trying to save me. I certainly wasn’t going to drop the baby bomb on him over the phone.
I walked into a wall of noise, massive and unintelligible. My first steps onto the factory floor nearly overwhelmed me and I resisted the urge to clamp my hands over my ears. Clangs, squeals, and clatters all competed for attention. The variety of unwholesome smells encasing me defied immediate description. I shuddered from sensory overload. The cacophony of the factory was a dirge for my half-sought dreams.
Dad put his arm over my shoulder and leaned close to my ear so I could hear him. “I know you don’t think you want to be here, son, but you tried college and it didn’t pan out. Give Cass a chance, this place didn’t let your great-grandpa down during the Depression; it gave your grandparents a good living and put food in your mouth every day since you were born.” He squeezed me around the neck. “If you do your job, the plant will take care of you. There’ll be a good living for you and my future grandkids.”
I’d heard this before and suppressed my eye roll. Dad was so excited I was working here; he might be happy with a blue-collar paycheck, but I wanted more.
__________________________________________________________________
A bit from a story in TRAVELERS IN THE WILDERNESS OF THE WORLD
When I tell people that I have a friend who is an elephant in Thailand they tend to look at me like I’m a little nuts. I can understand this, because elephants are not prone to casual friendships and I was only in Thailand for a few months.
I was teaching on the island of Guam in the Western Pacific and had planned to come home to Ohio during the summer vacation, but some friends wanted to go see Thailand. Since Thailand was actually closer than Ohio, I thought it was worth a visit.
My old Dad was flabbergasted when I called to tell him I wouldn’t be home to help put up fence that summer. He still tells his friends, “She said she was going to run over to Thailand, like you or I would say, I’m running out to town for groceries.” Dad never really understood my world traveling.
I met the elephant, Penume, when I was in the village of Pai near Thailand’s northern border with Myanmar. Her owner, Thom, ran a small resort that used elephant’s to take tourists for rides through the jungle.
Penume had been a working girl most of her life. She was born in an elephant camp, and had worked as a four legged bulldozer moving trees and carrying logs on steep mountainsides with her partner, Thom’s father. She was part of Thom’s family, so when Thom’s Dad retired Penume did as well. She was only forty at the time, and quickly became bored with retirement. When Thom started a tourist business Penume became the star attraction.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A bit from the first chapter of EXPECTANT CHARLATAN
“Ariel Land,” said the nurse who was too perky for words. I’ll bet she’d been the prom queen at her high school.
I got up and dutifully followed her into the doctor’s private office.
Doctor Rush bustled in not long after I sank into his cushy guest chair. He wasn’t as bland as the room. He had that friendly doctor look, which should have got him a spot on a soap opera. He held a file folder and flipped through the pages while he settled behind his desk.
“Well Miss Land, it doesn’t look like you have any infections.”
“You could have told me that at the hospital when you came to see Myra,” I said. I was a little exasperated. I had to pay for a cab to get to his office.
“Well, I understand you were kidnapped seven weeks ago.”
I got the full-on hundred watt kindly doctor smile.
“Yes, but what does that have to do with my tests?”
“You had a rape kit done?”
“They did one. I wasn’t raped.” I was genuinely puzzled.
The doctor had a nice smile when he looked relieved. “Then I have some good news for you…you’re pregnant.”
“I’m what!” My mind wasn’t processing the words. The room seemed to spin and I was grateful I was sitting down.
“You’re going to have a baby.”
“But, how can I be pregnant?” My mouth fell open so I could get more air.
The doctor tilted his head and smiled. “Well, when a man and a woman have a special –“
“Yeah, yeah.” I made a face and rolled my eyes like a teenager.
“You have some options,” the doctor said. He wasn’t smiling now. “I can give you some pamphlets.
“No, that won’t be necessary.” My hands slid protectively to my stomach. I knew what he meant, but I’d never consider abortion.
“Do you have any idea when you might have become pregnant?”
I thought back to the night with Craig. “I guess the only chance was a couple of months ago. Just before I was kidnapped.”
“Let’s do an ultrasound and see exactly how far along you are.” the doctor said. “Do you want to call the father to come in?”
I shook my head. “He’s not available.” Was I even going to tell Craig? I’d have to think long and hard about that. We’d only talked a few times since he went back to Cleveland. He was recuperating from the knife wound he got trying to save me. I certainly wasn’t going to drop the baby bomb on him over the phone.