Birthday

 

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November 12th, 1999

B. November 12th, 1999

“This isn’t working anymore.”

Bebe stared at the girl walking away from her, in her turtleneck and bellbottom jeans. She felt warmth in the bottom of her chest, almost suffocating as she dragged her eyes up to dusty trail.

“Charlie,” she calls, almost desperately—trembling, worried; “what’s not working? Charlie, Charlie, wait up!”

“WE’RE NOT WORKING, OKAY?”

Charlie, much more calmly, starts to speak again.

“I’m getting married, Bee. To a really nice guy.”

“Aren’t we together? Even though we can’t get married, I can take care you.”

“No you can’t! He can take of me—my parents like him, not you. This wasn’t even normal from the start—so how can you act like it was?”

--

H. November 12th,1999

“I like you.”

Haji looked at Sen—surprised to say the least. His lips trembled and he stared into his eyes. “Can you repeat that?” he asks, reaching out to hold his hand—the crispy autumn air had done nothing to calm his heart.

“I like you, I want to be your boyfriend. I want to be yours.” Haji wondered then, did kisses ever feel as real as they did then?

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April 16th, 1992

B. April 16th, 1992

Bebe is a very strong girl—she likes to think so.

She always got into fights, something her father hated. “Baba, it’s not my fault! This girl called Sasquatch and pushed me down!” although he had hated seeing his only child come home from school with bruises, he’d always smile and tell her it wasn’t her fault.

“Baba’s sorry for giving you his height.”

“It’s okay Baba. Mrs. Moore said I’ve grown enough for my whole life.”

“Is that so? Well then, you shouldn’t care much about what those other kids think, right?”

 “Yeah.”

--

H. April 16th, 1992

Haji gained something new today—a father.

He had always wanted one; all the kids in class had one. Theirs’ always came to school events and to PTA meetings, meanwhile his grandmother mainly went in the place of his mother who’d been working. Every night she’d come drenched in strange perfume. Tonight had been an exception—a man came with her. They were giggling, having fun as they stumbled in. Haji stood in the hall way of their tiny apartment, looking at them as they took off their shoes. His mother glances over him in her shimmering dress and crouches in front him.

“Haji, guess what?” he looks over at the smiling man, seeing him wave.

“What, Mama?”

“Jun and I are getting married—that means he’ll be your new daddy.”​

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January 3rd, 2000

H. January 3rd,2000

          “Since I fell in you with you, everything became so clear.” In the clearness of day, they laid as if they had been glued together.

“Haji—you sound so corny; you know that right?”

“Isn’t that why you love me?” His laugh fills the room—it was a constant reminder that he wasn’t alone anymore.

“We should leave before your parents come home—your old man had an important dinner today, right? Why didn’t you go?”

“You should know I don’t fit in those snobby people. Whenever someone tries to get close me I get sick to my stomach.” Laying on Sen’s chest, Haji his eyes as would as child—listening to the sound of his breathing.

“I wonder if anything, will we stay comfortable this way?”

--

B. January 3rd, 2000

In the process of drinking herself sick, Bebe was found a sign in the newspaper discarded on her bedroom floor. She was clutching my phone, limply—contrast to how she was hours ago, desperate calling her, hoping she would answer the phone.

Her apartment wasn’t anything special, mostly just a place to sleep. The apartment she used to have was too big—since it made for cohabitation.

A bright pink ad caught her eye—not actually that bright, more like a soft bubblegum pink.

‘Make 100 an hour as a masseuse. No experience needed.’

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June 30th, 2002

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July 1st, 2002

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June 26th, 2002

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July 1st, 2002

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July 2nd, 2002

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July 3rd, 2002

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July 7th, 2002

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August 1st, 2002

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July 1st, 2001

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~

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