Fiction

Reading, Responding, and Writing
Do I remember the first story I ever heard? Of course. "This little piggy went to market....."
I can still feel the tickle on my toes as mom told me the story of the piggies. I remember smiling with pleasure and also waiting in anticipation and fear of that last little piggy that would go "wee, wee, wee, all the way home" and how she would twist my little toe back and forth. I also remember the stories Grandpa would tell about his life before children, his experiences in the war, and amazing adventures he realized. I only truly came to appreciating those stories when he was gone from our lives and how I wish I could hear him tell those long stories again.
"The Elephant in the Village of the Blind", a Buddhist story over two thousand years old.
"20/20", by Linda Brewer
"Cathedral", by Raymond Carver
"A Conversation with my Father" by Grace Pauley
These were all part of our assigned reading for class by Jan. 23, 2007. I truly enjoyed the micro-stories and the richness of the characters along with the stealth of the story-telling and development of conflict and plot. But, my favorite was Cathedral.
I had such vivid visions of the characters as they were introduced into the story. The rich description of a relationship between a man and his wife, though it wasn't overt. Rather, the details of the events and the small quick exchanges of conversation between them....almost as if they were barely putting up with each other until they had one of the many "drinks" that flowed throughout an evening of interaction. I noticed the repetition of the drinks. I felt the narrators fear of meeting someone new (conflict) and actually having him in his home. Like company is just too much of a hassle. Especially since it was a friend of his wife...an old friend. They shared pleasantries, the narrator had sheepish thoughts. Robert, the blind house guest, was warm and unassuming. And, Robert even smoked some marijuana with his hosts, which undoubtedly made the husband feel more at ease....share my drug, share my home. And, the wife kept suggesting to their house guest that it was bedtime, but Robert just wanted to hang out. So, she was clearly a bit drunk and then with the added smoke, became quite tired and napped right in the living room between the men. That's when a miracle happened. The blind man taught the host/husband about blindness, seeing, and "vision." They drew a Cathedral together...and touched the form of it on the paper.....the host keeping his eyes closed per the house guests request, so they could share in sightless vision. Humanity, art, commonality, and separateness...each has something to contribute to this charming tale of a night at home with an unlikely house guest.