63. The Entourage.

It was freeing to be out, but she felt guilt regardless. Her usual entourage, clamouring. sticky hands, needy voices, attention seekers, were missing. In the brief time away from them she felt good, independence lent itself easily to her. But her thoughts would stray, what they were doing, what they were eating, were they missing her. She stemmed the guilt and bought them new socks.

62. Exit

It looked forbidding even at her petite 8-year-old stature. The “Do Not Cross This Line” spelled “Go” to her as it crossed her eyelevel delineating right from wrong. Of course this just made her want to do it more. This attitude would come in handy as an adult. As a child, she was a rebel, who made her poor mother exasperated.

61. The illusionist

They were all taken in by him. He knew that and took full advantage of his talent to have his audience in a trance. Though his own mind often drifted; what he would eat after the show, was the costuming congruent, were the musicians with him or against him. But he never flinched or let that escape show. It was amazing what you could convince people of with smoke, lights and the drone of a rhythm he thought. As he scanned the audience with an intense stare, he decided definitely fried chicken tonight.