Hey, everybody. I did my usual of looking up the Word of the Day on Merriam-Webster before starting on some projects, and my brain pushed this one out. It’s not as long as the typical stories, but it was just a quick burst I needed to get out. I may come back to it in the future for something extended.
Today’s Word of the Day for April 6th 2021 from Merriam-Webster is Hoosegow. Enjoy!
The bus ride was rickety the entire time, making me feel like I was back in grade school on a field trip. No matter where I sat on the bus, I was bouncing in my seat, swaying from side to side as it made sharp turns and abrupt stops. Whenever I closed my eyes to try and forget where I was for even just a brief moment, my memories would play back to my grade six field trip to the city aquarium; the bus ride was really the only enjoyable part.
As a small child, being able to see a handful of sea creatures up close was an amazing thing to see. We’ve learned about the vast amounts of life that dwells within the deep blue sea by reading them in books and watching documentaries. Thousands of varieties of fish, massive bodies of whales on display, the ferocious jaw of sharks attacking on a video loop, that trip was suppose to be one of the greatest times of my life. My friends and I talked for two weeks about all of the different exhibits and bits we were going to see in our short time there. We even took one of the pamphlets and drew out plans beforehand about the order of which exhibits we were going to.
But my mother ruined that experience.
“Elizabetha, don’t go running off.”
“Elizabetha, make sure you don’t touch anything.”
“Elizabetha, don’t get too close to those teeth, they’re sharp.”
“Elizabetha, make sure not to soil yourself, go use the bathroom.”
“Elizabetha, you’re like this shrimp, always hiding from plain sight.”
I’ve never heard my name be called so many fucking times in one day.
“Alright, Eliza.”
I snapped out of my daydream and looked forward on the bus, “It’s Elizabetha, pronounce my full name.”
From behind the iron mesh grate, I saw the guard’s face twist in emotion, going from a calm and relaxed composure to one of disgust, “I’ll call you what-the-fuck-ever I want, you’re the one going to jail.”
“Are you sure about that? Because from my point of view, you’re the one behind the iron grate.”
“Well, aren’t you just a smart-ass.”
I couldn’t help but give the guard a sly smile, “I just have a great sense of humor.”
“So do I, and it’s going to be a funny time seeing you walk through those big iron doors of the Manshire Hoosegow, and going into solitary.”
I shrugged and tilted my head to the side, still smiling, “Walking through those gates will be my own personal red carpet. With how much people have been talking about me, I feel like a fucking celebrity in this town.”
“A woman who kills her own mother is no celebrity to anybody.”
“Bitch had it coming. Shouldn’t have pissed me off and lie to my face. She deserved it.”
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Copyright © 2021 by Luka Tatsujo
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