See a sign on a light pole, "Make your mark on Snowchester. Money Walk." An art contest. If you win, they engrave your design on the sidewalk. Cool. Write down the information.
Got the runs, so they take me off Lithium, and put me on Normalcil.
Nedwina, my case manager, recommends a club, Operation Food. I can eat lunch and dinner, do chores, go to movies and picnics, play pool or bingo. Work units.
It's a mansion five times bigger than West House. Ten staff and a hundred members, ages eighteen to eighty, all types of dress. Den rides a motorcycle and wears a black leather jacket. He has a hot girlfriend. Sherri is hot too. She has a boyfriend too. He also wears a leather jacket. The big secret. Sandy is adorable. The hot ones never like me.
Mostly people just smoke and eat.
A miracle happens. For some reason I hit it off with Rosa. We talk and laugh. I don't feel self-conscious! We sit on the lawn. Talk and laugh. I'm relaxed and having fun with a girl. Holly the bookkeeper comes over and tells us, "You can't do that." Thanks a lot, Holly.
Went to a party when I was ten. Too shy to dance at first, but I talked myself into it. Eventually I built up enough courage to walk on the floor and dance. It was fun for a moment. The song ended. The party was over.
Over the years I had girls who liked me, but for some stupid reason I didn't jump their bones.
Julian announces, "We can't eat until someone takes mopping." He used to play pro football. The staff nags for ten minutes before Jerry volunteers. Always the good people. He looks like Bob Hope.
Theresa prepares to raise her hand. She has short black hair and wears a sweater. She adjusts her body and makes vocal sounds. She speaks loud, "I... can... do... the napkins."
"Thank you Theresa."
Theresa continues, "I like... to mop. I mop... all the time... at home."
"We need someone to sweep upstairs. We can't eat until someone volunteers for upstairs."
Leonard's voice is high-pitched and choppy. "I'll have to do it."
"Thank you, Leonard."
Leonard giggles. He's young, thirty, bald.
Theresa chimes up again, "Are we going... to Albany... again ...this year.?"
Robert looks like a banker. He answers, "Luis has the sign up sheet."
Theresa, "Good. Good. Oh I love going to Albany."
Leonard, "Maybe we'll see Governor Pataki." He emphasizes the tak in Pataki. Julian, "Oh Leonard, go do your chores."