ONE-EYED GIRL and the limping man

Paul-Newell Reaves

More than once, Gloria forgot she could fly.  You see, she was born with one eye, meaning she couldn’t perceive distance.  Sometimes, she would forget how far she was from the ground, and would fly away.

The first time, she forgot she could fly ‘cause the big kids picked on her.  Her father took off his glasses and cautioned her, don’t let them make you feel bad, just cause you have only one eye.  You’re my special one-eyed girl.  Sometimes dads just don’t get it.  But she stopped flying, anyway.  She stopped for so long she forgot how.

Forgetting is like that.  Something that otherwise perfectly exists on it’s own accord, just doesn’t exist for whomever forgets it.

DANGNABIT— Gloria’s dad cursed, and scratched his bald head.  Another overdue parking ticket.  I must be losing my memory entirely!

Gloria didn’t think so.  Her dad was old, but not that old, not old-old.

Now, Gloria, in a few years you’ll be old enough to drive, and you will park in illegal places, and you will get tickets, but you’re my special girl, and you may park wherever you please.  But always pay your parking ticket in 30 days, or else you’ll have to pay twice as much, because the fines will double!  30 days, or else, double the fines!

Whatever, dad.  She didn’t want to drive or get tickets or pay fines.  That’s when she decided to investigate.

Her dad always parked by the curb in front of their building, so she staked-out his parking spot.  She staked-out, and she staked-out.  She really didn’t have anything better to do, anyway. Until, suddenly, a tough-looking lady with a slight moustache marched up to their car.  Gloria looked up at the building, but her dad, he was watching the game, which meant not a good time to talk to him until after his nap.  The tough looking lady left the ticket on the windshield, and hustled-off.

Then she noticed something.  Behind the lady came walking a man who disrupted her plane of vision.  It startled her to see this man walk.  She must have forgotten, or worse, been made to forget.  He very carefully placed his left foot forward, then pitched his shoulders to that side before swiftly moving his right foot forward.  He limped to their car and took the ticket away. 

Cool Hand Luke strikes again, he cried aloud.

Gloria forgot how far she was from the ground and hovered a few feet off the ground, the better to see.

You scared me, you silly flying girl.  Go away, shoo, shoo.

Gloria did not like that kind of talk at all.  NO, she shrieked, you’re the one who scared me.  You go away.

The man spread his teeth in a grimace of pain…

I am sorry I scared you, silly girl.

I’m not silly!

You are very silly, indeed, to be so easily scared.

And that’s how Gloria solved the mystery of the overdue parking tickets.  She decided she would rather swim than fly, and won a silver medal in butterfly crawl at the Olympics.

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One Response to “ONE-EYED GIRL and the limping man”

  1. Defenestrationism.net » Blog Archive » Complex Fairy Tales: introduction Says:

    […] ONE-EYED GIRL and the limping man […]

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