Thursday, January 04, 2007

Entry #6

The Apartment
By Mike Miller


My new friends are teaching me to play soccer in the alley behind the building. I'm learning to use my left leg more often and scored a game winning goal yesterday.

I love this apartment. I never would have dreamed that we would live somewhere so nice. Sleeping on the couch and watching TV until I drift off is so much cooler than sleeping on the park bench hoping the winos don't steal my spare clothes.

Mom gives me $20 a day to run down to the grocery store to pick up food. I normally get Ramen noodles and cereal. I like the cheap food because mom lets me keep the change. I store it in a hole I made in the couch cushion. I'm saving to buy her a sweater for her birthday.

She deserves it. Mom works strange hours. She gets to work from home but is pretty much on call all day every day. I'm going to ask her if she wants to go to the movies after she is done with this client. I miss spending time with her. There is plenty in the couch to get us in if we share a popcorn.

I don't really understand why people are willing to pay her to spend a half hour talking to her in her room. There must be some really lonely people out there. But, I love this apartment and I love playing soccer when they come over to work with my mom.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

The naiveté of a child - and the sacrifices a mother makes for her children. Tugs at the ol' heartstrings, it does.

s.w. vaughn said...

Whoa. I think I used to live in an apartment complex with this lady...

Nice work!

Anonymous said...

Very nice way of going with this. A bit sad and yet sweet and funny at the same time.

BD

Anonymous said...

I love this story. Intriguing title that opens up to the plot's cold, dark magic.

Fran Piper said...

Nice voice. It's hard to sound like a child without sounding cutesy, but you did a great job. Very real.

Michele said...

I second Fran.

Jaye Wells said...

This was hard to read, but in a good way.

Joni said...

Beautiful.

Dafath said...

saw it coming, but enjoyed it anyway

Jeff said...

A nice combination of sweet and sad. Good writing!

Anonymous said...

Smooth writing, very nicely done.

Anonymous said...

Very nicely done, using the child's POV.

Esther Avila said...

oh my. what a sad little story, but good reading....the innocence of a child...well done.

Anonymous said...

What an evocative little story and the voice is really well handled. Well done!

Anonymous said...

Good use of voice in the 1st person. Seeing the situation from a position of innocence was a great idea. High marks for pacing.