My Heart Was Neither Open Nor Vulnerable
with a surrealist spirit and a beret- but I only have so many middle fingers
- carrying a rubber dinosaur between them
- connected to a 1948 zoo escape
- —that particular blend of anticipation and fear
Tune in next time part 647 Click Here for Earlier Installments
My heart was neither open nor vulnerable, so my attempt at a new surname came with a surrealist spirit and a beret (of the imaginary variety).
“It is not possible to marry three such distinct names verbally,” I said. “I will use the medium of hand gestures, but I only have so many middle fingers, and you’ll need to imagine I am carrying a rubber dinosaur between them.”
As I flipped off the assembled crowd under the guise of a shadow puppet recounting of the gory escapades connected to a 1948 zoo escape, I backed toward the door. Chartreuse and Hildegard raised their own hands, attempting to imitate my motions, while everyone else stared open-mouthed –that particular blend of anticipation and fear that only a good zoo escape story can bring.
As I was about to dart into the corridor and make my getaway, I remembered where I’d seen Dr Ferguson before. I slapped myself on the forehead, and Hildegard and Chartreuse followed suit. Dr Ferguson’s lips twitched.
bonus points for using them in order