Let x
by Chad
Let x equal the moment just after he tells her he’s starting a club for people who know something about computers.
It is summer, 1984, and this is their grade school playground. She is idling on a swing over a patch of scuffed earth. He stands just off to the side, one hand on the chain of the swing next to hers.
Let y equal her laughter. Her laughter sounds like a prank phone call at three a.m. It sounds a little evil.
She throws her head back, and even though he is hearing the y of her laughter in the wake of that moment x, he can’t stop staring at her hair. He can’t believe how black, how shiny, how perfect it is.
She stands up out of the swing and asks, “What do you know about computers?”
It is 1984. Nobody at this elementary school—or in Monmouth , Illinois
Let z equal the face he makes. The face is not a reaction to her question but to her laughter.
He was trying to impress her with this computer club. He knows she is smarter than he is. He knows that she was, in fact, smarter than everyone in the entire fifth grade, and that next year, when they start pre-algebra, she will be the smartest person in the sixth grade, too.
He can’t help the z of his face. He feels humiliated. His ears are tiny fires, and her hair and face, both of which he finds beautiful, has always found beautiful, are beginning to blur together. She has stopped laughing, but he can still hear the ghost of it as he searches for a variable that might make it as if none of this ever happened.
In a moment she will step closer to him, recognizing in some way his humiliation, and wanting to make him feel better, but he will think she is about to say or do something even worse than she has already done, and he will misinterpret her gesture. When she gets close to him, he will kick her in the stomach—harder than he has ever kicked anyone.
He will regret this before she even begins to cry. She will double over, gasping for breath, and look up at him with dry eyes, and he will know that the hurt he has just inflicted upon her is at least equal to but probably greater than the hurt caused to him by the y of her laughter.
He will feel terrible, and he will immediately think back to x, the variable that started this whole rotten equation.
Let x equal not the moment just after he tells her about the computer club, but the moment just before it.
Let x be his saying nothing about this club and instead telling her something he’s always wanted to say.
Let x be a different gesture altogether. Something honest. Tender.
9 comentarios:
I liked the story a lot! I think is a really good way write a story, really innovator and unexpected. I think that minds work in this way, thinking too much. But the thingh i like the most is that the author tells us a story about theories, about something that never happened.
People shouldn't have to think too much in cases like this. Sometimes planning and calculating every step isn't positive. That's what I understood.I liked the story, more than "The children's Factory". Bye!
I agree with Alan, because if he had begun showing his feelings to her, instead of planning every step, the story would have had a happy ending. In my opinion, the kick really happened. I liked this story. Bye!
Giselle
On one hand, I agree with Alan, because you should'n think and calculate all the things you want to do. I guess that is more interesting to be spontaneous, so you will enjoy more your life.
On the other hand, I don't agree with him, because I liked "the childen's factory" more than "let x".
Finally I found Guadalupe's point interesting, when she compared Theories with things that never happened in the reality...
Hi guys,
I´ve found the author´s note in a website. Quite interesting!
“This story was originally written on a napkin and published at the Esquire Books Blog, not all that long ago.It is a kind of apology to a girl I used to know named Julie Jenks.”
By the way, I liked your comments and I also think that this idea of bringing in elements of math or science and using them to structure a story is wonderful.
Fernanda
I agree with Giselle, the knick has really happened. In my opinion the story shows us that it’s impossible to revert our actions. I think he is fallen in love of her but he feels also very insecure. Does love and envy go together? He feels that she’s perfect, better than him, smarter than him, he tries to surprise her but he fails...and finally he can’t stand it.
I think the story is interesting. I agree with my fellows about that It´s imposible to control each step we take, but It´s also important to think before you speak or act, so no to hurt people. I liked to know that it was a kind of apology to a girl he use to know. If it´s truth, we should weit for her answer.
Gabriela R.
I really liked this story. I think it's very original, very creative. As most of you, I think that he shouldn't be so strict with his feelings, he should try to get carried away with his thoughts and feelings. Anyway, I liked this story more than The Children's Factory, but just because it's easier to understand the hidden meaning, I mean the metaphor. byeee!!
Clarisa
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