Children’s story
Description
Vocal Characteristics
Language
EnglishVoice Age
Teen (13-17)Accents
North American (General)Transcript
Note: Transcripts are generated using speech recognition software and may contain errors.
When I was little, my Uncle Pete had a necktie with the barkeep. I'm painted on it. I thought that necklace was just about the neatest thing in the world. Uncle Pete would stand patiently before me while I ran my fingers over the silky surface, half expecting to be struck by one of the quoyles. Once he let me wear it, I kept looking for one of my own but could never find one. I was 12 when we moved from Pennsylvania to Arizona. When Uncle Pete came to say goodbye, he was wearing the tie. I thought he did, so to give me one last look at it and I was grateful. But then, with a dramatic flourish, she ripped off the tie and draped it over my neck. It's yours, he said, going away present. I loved that porky pine tie so much that I decided to start a collection. Two years after we settled in Arizona, the number of ties in my collection was still one. Where do you find a porky pie necklace in my cares owner or anywhere else, for that matter? On my 14th birthday, I read about myself in the local newspaper the family section ran a regular feature about kids on their birthday, and my mother had called in some info, the last sentence read as a hobby. Leo Berlocq collects porky pie necklaces. Several days later, coming home from school, I found a plastic bag on our front steps. Inside was a gift wrapped package tied with yellow ribbon. The tag said, Happy birthday. I opened the package. It was a poor occupy necktie to porcupines were tossing darts with their quills by. The third was picking its teeth. I inspected the box. The tag, the paper? No. Where could I find the giver sneaking? I asked my parents. I asked my friends. I called my Uncle Pete. Everyone denied knowing anything about it at the time. I simply considered the episode a mystery. It did not occur to me that I was being watched, that we were all being watched.