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.He wasn’t here for the entertainment, anyway, but now he wondered if his grandmother’s ability to change things was because she had the gift or if this was how it was for everyone on the other side.“But I think the other Ethel fits in here better,” Tim’s grandmother said and the guy named Mark singing “Great Balls of Fire” as Ethel Merman in drag was back on stage.“Come and show me the rest of the fair.”They headed east and every few minutes Tim ran into someone he knew.People called out his name from booths where they were selling beer or autographing glossy flyers promoting their latest porn film.And Tim saw some of the same strangers here every year… the bronze-colored man with oiled-up skin dressed only in sneakers and a cock-ring.He stood stroking his shiny brown penis for tourists’ cameras all day long.There was the obese drag queen in gingham pleats and pigtails.A woman in high-collared Victorian lace led another naked woman around on a leash.A herd of men wore nothing but pig snouts and hooves with tails coming out of their asses.Once inside the paid entrance gates, you might see almost anything at the Folsom Fair.Tim found a lot of it to be downright silly, but he wasn’t one to judge others’ proclivities.“Whatever turns you on,” was his attitude about sex between consenting adults.Still, he wondered where all of these characters hid during the rest of the year.And he was embarrassed at his grandmother seeing all this.As sophisticated as she appeared to be, it still must be shocking.Tim glanced over at her to gauge her reaction and she’d changed again.Now she was dressed in spike-heeled boots to above the knee, a leather skirt and black lace bustier with silver chains around her neck.She’d slung a cat o’ nine tails over one shoulder and grinned at him.“Do I fit in here better now?”Tim couldn’t help laughing.“You look kinda hot for a girl, to tell you the truth, but I still have so many things I want to ask you—““I know, I know… I saw your list.” Tim blinked and she’d changed back into the simple blouse and jeans she’d been wearing before.“Okay… question number one: All religions are the same over here.They don’t matter.Religion is redundant when you live with… I don’t know quite how to put this…”“God?” Tim asked.“What are your thoughts about God, Timmy?”“Well, I don’t think he’s some big angry white man sitting on a cloud, stroking a long beard and sending down lightning bolts and hurricanes or diseases as punishment, just because someone is gay, that’s for sure.”“Good.”“So what is he? Is God a he or a she or what?”“Not exactly.God is good, that’s all.God is everything that is good.In everything that is good.You’ll understand when you get here permanently.Most so-called religious people on your side of life are too stubborn and narrow-minded to see that humans are all a lot more alike than they are different.Does that help?”“Sort of…”“Question number two: Scientists are making great discoveries right now.They’ve already found some cures, but they don’t know it yet, and when they’re ready to announce them, the pharmaceutical companies will fight them hard because the cures will cut into their profits…”“So I take it you saw my whole list, huh? How often are you watching me?”“You’re such a silly boy! I only see you when you conjure me up—when you’re thinking about me first—and even then you’re not always clear.Sometimes I just sense the mood you’re in.I don’t listen in on your every thought.““Well, that’s a relief… I guess.”She put one hand on Tim’s shoulder.“I always know when you look at that picture of us—the one you keep beside your bed—from Powderhorn Park on the Fourth of July.I like it when you remember me.”“I like it too.” Tim hugged her.“Let me see.What else? Number nine: Madeline Kahn is delightful.She loves it when you and Nick watch her old movies, especially when she makes you laugh.She says to tell you she thinks Nick has a wonderful laugh.”“He does, Grandma.He has the best laugh.” Tim stopped himself.“It seems funny to call you Grandma when you look so young.”“I wish you wouldn’t, Timmy.When you and your cousin Dianne first learned to talk, you both called me Nana.My given name was Lana, so either is fine.”“Lana… that’s nice.Most everyone just calls me Tim nowadays, except Nick calls me Snowman sometimes… from my last name, Snow.”“Okay… I’ll call you Tim.What else? Hmmm… Yes, good dogs do go to heaven.I think that was number five.I may have gotten them out of order.Sorry.”“That’s alright.What about Mrs.Bertelsen? Why did you send her?”“Because I didn’t want you wasting your gift on those phony Paulson people.”“But…”“Okay, there’s more to it than that.I should tell you the whole truth; that’s why I’m here, after all.You weren’t supposed to have the gift in the first place.It was supposed to go to your Aunt Ruth’s boy, the baby that was stillborn.”“I didn’t even know about any of that until I was grown up.I always thought Dianne was my real cousin [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]