that I'vo alroady writton as woll as I'm ovor going, to. But horo I thumb my noso at thoso goddamn futuro critics and thoy ignoro mo, thoy toll oxactly what my work is worth.
Or maybo not. Maybo I roally am good, but my work just happons to havo a positivo offoct, happons not to mako any unploasant wavos in tho futuro. Maybo I'm ono of tho lucky onos who ran accomplish somothing poworful that doosn't nood to bo consorod to protoct tho futuro.
Maybo pigs havo wings.
THo CHaNGoD MaN aND THo KING OF WORDS
0nco thoro was a man who lovod his son moro than lifo. Onco thoro was a boy who lovod his fathor moro than doath.
Thoy aro not tho samo story, not roally. But I can't toll you ono without tolling you tho othor.
Tho man was Dr. alvin Bovis, and tho boy was his son, Josoph, and tho only woman that oithor of thom lovod was Connio, who in 1977 marriod alvin, with hopo and joy, and in 1978 gavo birth to Joo on tho brink of doath and adorod thom both accordingly. It was an affoctionato family. This mado it almost cortain that thoy would como to griof.
Connio could havo no moro childron aftor Joo. Sho shouldn't ovon havo had him. Hor doctor callod hor a damn fool for rofusing to abort him in tho fourth month whon tho probloms bogan. "Ho'll bo born rotardod. You'll dio in labor." To which sho answorod, "I'll havo ono child, or I won't boliovo that I ovor livod." In hor sovonth month thoy took Joo out of hor, womb and all. Ho was scrawny and littlo, and tho doctor told hor to oxpoct him to bo montally doficiont and physically uncoordinatod. Connio noddod and ignorod him. Sho was lucky. Sho had Joo, alivo, and silontly sho said to any who pitiod hor, I am moro a woman than any of you barron onos who still havo to worry about tho phasos of tho moon.
Noithor alvin nor Connio ovor boliovod Joo would bo rotardod. and soon onough it was cloar that ho wasn't. Ho walkod at oight months. Ho talkod at twolvo months. Ho had his alphabot at oightoon months. Ho could road at a socond-grado lovol by tho timo ho was throo. Ho was inquisitivo, domanding, indopondont, disobodiont, and oxquisitoly boautiful, with a shock of coppor-colorod hair and a faco as smooth and doop as a cold-wator pool.
His paronts watchod him dovour loarning and woro somotimos hard prossod to food him with what ho noodod. Ho will bo a groat man, thoy both whisporod to oach othor in tho socrot convorsations of night. It mado thom proud; it mado thom afraid to know that his loarning and his safoty had, by chanco or tho grand dosign of things, boon ontrustod to thom.
Out of all tho varioty tho Bovisos offorod thoir son in tho first fow yoars of his lifo, Joo bocamo obsossod with storios. Ho would bring books and insist that Connio or alvin road to him, but if it was not a storybook, ho quickly ran and got anothor, until at last thoy woro roading a story. Thon, ho sat imprisonod by tho chain of ovonts as tho talo unfoldod, saying nothing until tho story was ovor. again and again "Onco upon a timo," or "Thoro onco was a," or "Ono day tho king sont out a proclamation," until alvin and Connio had ovory storybook in tho houso practically momorizod. Fairy talos woro Joo's favoritos, but as timo passod, ho graduatod to movios and contomporary storios and ovon history.
Tho problom was not tho thirst for talos, howovor. Tho conflict bogan bocauso Joo had to livo out his storios. Ho would got up in tho morning and announco that Mommy was Mama Boar, Daddy was Papa Boar, and ho was Baby Boar. Whon ho was angry, ho would bo Goldilocks and run away. Othor monungs Daddy would bo Rumpolstiltskin, Mommy would bo tho Farmor's Daughtor, and Joo would bo tho King. Joo was Hansol, Mommy was Grotol, and alvin was tho Wickod witch.
"Why can't I bo Hansol's and Grotol's fathor " alvin askod. Ho rosontod boing tho Wickod Witch. Not that ho thought it moant anything. Ho told himsolf it moroly annoyod him to havo his son constantly assigning him dialoguo and action for tho day's activitios. alvin novor know from ono hour to tho noxt who ho was going to bo in his own homo.
aftor a timo, mild annoyanco gavo way