Aphelion Issue 301, Volume 28
December 2024 / January 2025
 
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The Disposary

by Michael Dority


I 7 yeers age but not thenk so gud. Thenkin iz hard. I forget some timz. No go to skool cuz teecherz test me but I didnt pas. Papa home skool whil Mama werk. Papa tot me to plus numberz.

But one dey Papa telz me I cant lern to minus numberz. He tri. I tri. Not lern.

***

Mama and Papa fite bout me. I cant here em most timz, but I can tel. I feel it any wayz. Mama iz angre agin, and Papa iz sad. Itz cuz of me.

When I can here ‘em talk, she sez itz not fair. Hez a perzun to and itz not hiz falt if he cant do nuthin gud. Sometimz she yelz at Papa like he cant here, but he can. Evun whizpurz.

Papa talkz lo and calm. I no that, he sez. But we tryed hard and faled. I know hez rite bout tryin. We did fale.

Then he sez reel soft and flat, but thail come for him. Therz nuthin moor we can do. Itz the law. Testin him wuz the law to. Whut elz cud we do?

***

One dey Mama and Papa argu reel loud. I sneek down the stare case and peke arown the cornar.

Papa iz holdin a leter with a fishal seel on it. Mama sez, well jus leve evry thin and go! Take him some plaz elz. Any plaz!

Papa putz hiz hand on Mamaz shouldr and sez, theirs noplaz to run. We cant hid. You no hou it iz. Thingz wood olny get wurz.

But Mama cryz and cryz. Well tri anyhou, she sez. Jezis, we haf to do sum thin. We cant let thim taik him to the spozery. Hez our sun!

Then Papa putz his armz rownd Mama and squezis her tite, like he holdz me when I mes up. You win, he whisperz. Ill hep you pack.

***

I dont get it.

Thai sai their uze to be lotz of chanelz on the 3D vizifon. Now therz just 1. But itz plane and simpl talk. I like that.

It telz uz hou we can be gud sitizenz and naborz. We can folow e-z rulz and be saif. Az long az we al obay. Peeple hoo brake the rulz put us al in danjr. Their bad and must be reportd, for the grater gud.

From evry mount inside…

Mama and Papa are nise to me. I luv thim. But thai sai the rulz are rong and dont obay.

I just dont get whi thai do it. Mi hed hurz. Mi hart to.

But I no what I hav to do.

I rech for the vizifon. Tap tap, tap, 9-1-1.

Let fredm reng!

***

I no the 3D iz rite. Itz alawayz rite. Mama and Papa luv me but their rong. I know Im no uze and no gud to othurz. I be long hear at the spozery. Itz betur thiz way.

Now I wauk doun the big hal to the plase I recev fredm and justiz and mer see. 2 min and 1 wimin wauk with me. One man wearz black robz, askz me if I haf sind. Im confuzd and ushamd. Whut duz he mene?

I sai no not to maik a fus. Cuz I dont get it.

A door openz on 1 side of the hal. I see Mama and Papa on charz. Thai arg u with 2 min in sootz. Mama seez me wak bi and skreemz. Then reel quik the dor shutz tite. I cant see or here thim no mor.

Moma uze to yel at me like that when I tri croz the stret bi misef or tuch the stov. Duz she worn me?

Whi?

…And whi are Mama and Papa hear? Their not dumb lic me. Their norml. So whi are thai hear, arguin with the min? Bout whut?

Thai leed me to anuthr dor. It openz and I wak thru.

Itz saif hear.

I be long.


© 2020 Michael Dority

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