Bad Girl Punished
"Susan," I said "we're going to go have a cup of coffee."
She grunted. I looked over at her: Stirrup pants, bare feet, a sweater, and hair like a wet mop. That's my girl, I thought to myself. Did she know how pretty she was, I wondered?
"Don't grunt." I said, "It just makes you sound like a pig."
Now she consciously snorted like a pig. I was partly angry, but found myself hiding a loud laugh with a smile.
"Enough!" I said, after I regained my composure-but I couldn't quite keep the amusement out of my voice "And do up your seat belt."
"Okay," she replied, suddenly quiet and pensive. She stayed that way until we reached Barilko's, a doughnut-and-coffee place by the highway. As she hopped out of the car, I noticed that her toes, usually hidden by heavy Doc Martens, were bare, and that the nails were painted pink. This display of gaudy plumage on a bird that was deliberately hidden and drab struck me as a positive sign. (more...)
