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She remembered placing herself in profile to the audience, so they would see what she was doing, raising her chin slightly as she took a bite, began to chew… This was the part that still gave her goose bumps. First, the shadow, or a feeling something was up there, right above her. Then looking up and seeing the alligator, its pale belly, its snout, its stubby legs moving in the water almost on top of her as she was swallowing the bite of banana, in that exact same moment, that’s why she choked and it got caught in her throat and she gagged, swallowing the banana but also a lot of water. She didn’t remember dropping her air hose until she realized she didn’t have it, but did remember not knowing which way to go. She saw the alligator’s tail fa
The next part she remembered even more clearly, because it was the actual experience.
Being underwater… okay, then just for like a few seconds seeing her body being pulled out of the water into a boat and the Kim who’d been working dry starting to give her mouth-to-mouth, seeing four mermaids in the water, their heads showing, seeing all this from way above looking down. Then it got dark and she was somewhere else that was like being underwater only she could breathe now.
Lea
No, because there wasn’t any shape to where she was that she noticed, or any light, just kind of a soft fuzzy glow. Like being way up in the sky as dusk turns to night except there was no wind as you might expect and it wasn’t cold, it was nice. Lea
Lea
The room where she opened her eyes that day was a different story. She said, “Where am I?” A nurse told her she was at Lykes Memorial in Brooksville, brought here close to death but now seemed to be doing okay. The nurse not too sympathetic or sensitive. So Lea
“I had an out-of-body experience.”
Big had hold of her hand lying on the covers, giving it pats.
“I did. I drowned, but it wasn’t time for me yet so I had to come back.”
He said, “I want you to quit that job of yours.”
Lea
“I have a brick ranch house in the country on five acres, an orange grove, all kinds of palm trees, laurel oaks that tell it’s spring with chartreuse leaves, orchids growing everywhere, a big screen porch…”
Lea
“You want to marry me I’ll put in a swimming pool, you can be my little mermaid.”
Lea
“I know you’re what I want.”
“Can I think about it? Right now there’s so much on my mind.”
“Have your own car. Go to big society parties in Palm Beach… Get some rest, sweetheart.”
Patting her hand, kissing her on the forehead.
He smelled nice of aftershave and wasn’t too bad looking. He was mature… She wouldn’t have to worry about her hair anymore or work in the gift shop or do the Birds of Prey Show, those huge things shitting all over the place. She wondered what the wife of a judge was called.
It was the next day Lea
Later on Lea
At the time the judge hovering over her, his presence so close she could see the blood vessels in his nose afire, a glow over his face that wasn’t healthy, Big saying:
“‘I be back when you wants me’?”
“That’s what she said.”
“And you think she’s from the spirit world.”
“She must be.”
“Well, if she knows how to get here from the other side, wherever that is, how come she doesn’t know how to speak good English? She looked like the same one as in your dream, that’s all.”
“It wasn’t a dream.”
“Listen, I have trouble telling one from the other myself, and I see them brought up before me every day of the year.”
She said, “If you don’t believe me…”
And he was all sweetness again.
“Honey, you’re my little mermaid. I want to take care of you, buy you nice things, make you happy.” He said, “Look,” and showed her pictures of his home in the country, all the trees, the orange grove, the flower gardens and grounds maintained by work-release inmates.
Lea
Big said, “Honey, you want it fenced off, I’ll have it fenced off. You want a little doggie, you got it, anything you want. Come home with me.”