Narration

Transcript

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Lee Kelly. Narrator This is from Goose Girl, by Joyce Carol Oates. Lydia wanted very much to know why. Yet she dreaded knowing why her son Berry, newly home from four months away, was avoiding her. Barry told Lydia, shamefaced that at the party Phoebe Stone, it come on pretty strong to him. He wasn't used to that sort of attention from older women. Heck, from anyone. She wanted me to make love to her. She, uh, didn't use that word. Exactly. She used other words. Lydia, look down at her own hands. Whitely clinched in her lap. How was this possible? Her bury her son recruited for a sexual adventure? You said yes. Lydia's voice was faint. I was flattered. I guess she's so beautiful and so glamorous. I couldn't say no. And now Lydia smiled Encouragingly, and now I'm not going. The words were a vow vehemently uttered, Lydia said, Well, I wouldn't think under the circumstances you would. Still, he stared at her, imploring her I can't call her. There was a pause. Lydia, now, knowing what was coming, began to shake her head. Berry pleaded. Mom, please, would you just call her and tell her some excuse Anything like I'm gone out of town had to go back to school. I'm not here. This is from risk. By CORNELIA Nixon MARGIN Webster needed a vacation after the year they had had after the year they had. They couldn't afford one, but that didn't worry them. Nothing further, they decided, was going to worry them. They got onto an aging D C 10 and flew to San Francisco, where an earthquake, possibly major, was predicted toe happen within five days. In those five days, they slept in a room on the 19th floor, drank in revolving bars atop tall buildings, floating on landfill and idled in traffic on the lower decks of freeways and I'm bridges over the bay. The winter before, Margie had left him for another man, and Webster had retaliated with a series of girls owe a great deal younger than Margie. Several times a day, they called each other up, shouting words they'd hardly ever used before. Likes Let Screw You and Kill Myself, held back and forth through phone lines. But now they were back together and happier than they'd ever been. Nothing else was going to worry them. Was that a mossy rock on the brink of a high waterfall. Let's just go over there and check it out. This is from Father's Day by Teresa Total. Mom was in the hallway before even got my key out of the door. Why was she home so early? Katie, Honey, I couldn't really see her in the super darkness of the hallway, but I could tell she was still in her white dental assistants uniform. Hi, Mom. How come you're Katie? I have great news. Any She was using her chipped China voice. I am cracked. There was a crash. Then, rattling in the kitchen, I stepped towards her, my heart, racing and pounding at the same time. Yes, that's right, honey, she said, nodding Your father's home. Let's go into the living room, Daddy, he found us.