NELLY REIFLER

n Friday evenings during the school

year, Julia. uncle Maurice-

Julian walked out of the kitchen and went to

fIerzl's brother—came over with his

kneel next to Peter, who was inspecting a Frank

son Peter. This visit would be their first since

Zappa record he'd taken out of a faded card-

May. The doorbell rang at eight o'clock. Herzl

board jacket. Julian remembered Peter prying

was resting upstairs in the bedroom. Julian ran

open a clamshell once -on a trip to the beach,

down the front hall in his socks, sliding the last

forcing it open to see the live clam. Julian had

few feet. He opened the door and let in his uncle

been content to look at the pretty outsides of

anclconSin: Uncle Maurice
was divorced, and he
_ .

the shell. Peter liked to open things up and

was :religious . 'He -

.Peter: wore crocheted

touch them.

Peter handed the record to Julian and said,

es,- w "ch were held in place with bobby
- - -
.
ice bent dirt-on-'''-16-*"hug Julian, while

"Remember when we went with your dad to the

Peter leaned back into the shadows near the door.

radio station?" Julian nodded. Herzl's friend Al

Nelly Reifler's stories

He was twelve, and he had recently experienced a

was a DJ at WROC. They went the night Al did

growth spurt. He was covered in a new padding

a phone interview with Frank Zappa, and Peter

have appeared in

of flesh, and his black hair hung down to his chin.

had gotten to ask a question on the air. As he took

He • wore his shirt untucked, had fancy suede

the black vinyl disk from Peter, Julian saw his

sneakers, and carried a leather backpack. He said,

own slender, bony hand, with its thin skin and

"What's_ up?". to Julian. His voice was husky.

just a few silky blond hairs—and he saw his

Photo by Rossa Cole

The Florida Review,

Exquisite Corpse, Bomb,

Post Road, Black Book

and the anthology

1 10 Stories:

Julian took Uncle Maurice's hand and pulled

him into the hot, humid kitchen. The window to

forehead on her sleeve, then - turned to receive

His voice came out high and flutey, like a far-

Uncle Maurice's hug. Rebecca's hands were coat-

away child's.

ed in lentil loaf batter,. and Julian watched them

caked in 'a' drying brown dust.

There was a big rectangle cut out of the wall

After September 1 1.

"Julian" appears in her

"Where's your dad tonight?" asked Peter.

-- "Taking a nap," Julian said. "He'll wake up for

dinner."

"Let's go up to your room."

between the kitchen and the living room. Julian

could see Peter kneeling on the rug, flipping

• The walls- of. Jillion's. room were covered in

through' Herzl's 'record collection-.

posters from Nationalograpkie World, mostly

first collection of stories,

See Through.

nails, and two skinned knuckles.

"Do you want to play?" Julian asked his cousin.

.

New York Writes

cousin's hand, his thick fingers, tough, chewed

the garden was-steamed over. Rebecca wiped her

the air .behind his uncle. :They were

16

Rebecca began.

"How is he?" Maurice was asking Rebecca.

fish and frogs. There was also a souvenir picture

"I don't know, something happened this .after-

from the Nutcracker Suite that

noon. He was in the backyard with Julian—"

NATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR JEWISH CULTURE

had- rnegpvto

take down before his cousin came over. He knew