Page 13 - Contrast2003

Ethreal Untitled oil on canvas by Kathy Yi

by Holly Armecoet surrounding the articulate drawing.
Like always, we planned a l7athroom,
'Mommom always told us f:1Uilding and a dining area, with a ta171eand
forts wasn"t lady-like; she gave us chairs. We planned a wall, for
handkerchiefs and fussed about us protection and privacy, of course.
under her breath, l7ut it didn"t And we planned tunnels, lots of
matter. All are under age eight, we them this year, winding beneath the
just didn"t see things her way. My floor of straw. Most importantly
three sisters and I would come however, we planned to dig a trap
sweating and dirty onto her porch, pit, which was proving to l7e the
where she would sweep up off with most work of all. The golden l7ales
the I7room while we discussed the were heavy; some took two, or even
days work. Mommom told us how three of us to lift. This was proving
we shouldn"t l7e in the straw barn, to l7e the most work of all. The
with all the dirt and germs of golden l7ales were heavy; some took
floating around. "The l7arn is no two, or even three of us to lift. This
place for ladies," she would always was a project that took time,
say. something we all had plenty of, now

I stood outside the next
morning, coughing and spitting and
1710wingmy nose. "Get l7ack in here,"
my sister"s voice was muffled as
she yelled from l7ehind the partially
constructed wall of straw. The dust
was suffocating inside the stuffy
barn, l7ut that"s the way it was and
there was nothing that we could do
al70ut it. The fort had to l7el7uilt. it
was our duty to get it done-- a
place for all the cousins to play for
the rest of the summer.

The hot June sun danced on my
stained skin. I wiped the dirt and
sweat from my face with the tail of
my shirt, took a I7reath of clean air,
and headed l7ack into the l7arn. We
had drawn out a plan which was
clumsily pinned to a l7ale with a
tWig. It hung cockeyed, covered in
dust, with stains and smudges

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