Reality Fanfic: Parte IV

It was late at night in the warehouse and the workers were all playing tapes and CDs to help them stay awake.

Victor played a tape of Pedro Infante songs that reminded him of the type of Mexican music his late father used to play when he was still alive. He had hoped that some of the other Mexican co-workers would enjoy it as well -- especially Monica, who was always kind to him and who seemed to share the same taste in music.

However, after he had played the tape, Monica came up to him and told him that her father used to play the same type of music every time he got drunk and beat Monica's mother.

Victor never played any tape of Mexican music after that.

Reality Fanfic: Parte III

Somewhere on the other side of town, there is a woman glancing through the classified section of the newspaper for the umpteenth time.

She’s wondering if she is brave enough to answer a certain ad.

And wondering if she has a choice.

In another part of town, another woman is wondering how she’s going to pay her rent money next weekend.

Should she listen to the friend who told her about this new job she just got at a local club?

Or should she just tough it out another week and try to get a more respectable job?

In yet another part of town, a woman is wondering if she’ll make enough money that day to pay her house fee.

And her day care.

And her electric bill.

And still have money left over to buy groceries.

She wonders what she has to do to elicit a tip from the gentleman in the corner.

And what she would have to do to convince him to buy a dance.

And what she’d have to do to make sure he’s willing to pay for another.

Of course, it’s not just one woman in Dallas who has such problems.

Not do such things just happen in Dallas.

Nor are such women unusual.

You probably walk by such women in the supermarket all the time and never realize it.

And if you’re asking yourself why I’m so sure of this, all I have to say is: you’re asking the wrong question.

Reality Fanfic

Reality Fanfic: Parte I
Reality Fanfic: Parte II
Reality Fanfic: Parte III
Reality Fanfic: Parte IV

Reality Fanfic, Parte II

Her name is Lily. She is ten years old.

Her mother is nearing forty but she still plays soccer like a teenager. She broke her arm last year trying to block a kick and spent hours in the emergency room trying to get a cast put on her arm.

Lily likes her mom sometimes but then sometimes she doesn’t. Her mother likes to yell at her when she’s out with her friends. And yell at her some more when she’s not out with her friends. She cries at night when she thinks Lily’s asleep. And frowns whenever Lily mentions her father.

Lily’s father doesn’t come around as much as he used to. Last time he did, he called Lily’s mother a whore. Lily’s father has a new girlfriend who’s far younger than her mother. She’s still old, but she’s not real old like her mom.

Her mother always frowns when Lily’s father brings his girlfriend around. Lily’s mother frowns about a lot of things.

She winces every so often and rubs her side. But she never says anything to Lily. Perhaps she wants to make Lily think she’s brave. But more likely, she’s just stubborn.

Lily’s father once took her away from her mother’s place. He picked her up after school one time and took her over to the duplex he shared with his girlfriend. Lily could tell the girlfriend wasn’t all that eager to see her but she pretended to be so that Lily’s father wouldn’t slap her upside the head the way he used to do with Lily’s mother.

Eventually he gave Lily back to her mother and her mother hugged her really tight as if she had thought she’d never see Lily again. At the time, Lily had felt embarrassed. Later, she thought she understood. But then her mother started yelling at her for not doing the dishes and Lily started wishing she was back with her father again. At least her father never yelled at her.

But then her father wasn’t a whore.

At least she thought he wasn’t.

Reality Fanfic: Parte I

Vanessa’s sister April lives in a big house that she can’t afford. In order to afford the big house, she has to work a lot of hours. Hours that keep her away from her two sons.

Vanessa’s mother also lives in a big house that she can’t afford. Moreover, Vanessa’s mother is in debt to Vanessa’s grandparents for the money she needs to keep the big house she can’t afford. Plus Vanessa’s mother charges her rent.

"You used to be nice," Vanessa’s sister April tells her eldest son. "What happened?"

The son just looks at her.

The son hits his little brother. The son hits his mom. The son hits his grandmother and he hits his aunt Vanessa. But the son won’t hit his dad because his dad might hit back.