I really enjoyed this story, particularly the character of Lucretia: “It was a hideous thing to behold, Lucretia's empathy, a minor atrocity committed on the very concept of sincerity.” What a great line. And I love the twist the tale.
Thanks so much Hannah I really appreciate your comment. The character of Lucretia is partly inspired by Ms deBauchery in the Boots Riley film Sorry to Bother You, a wonderful fake-empathetic boss.
But thinking about it a little, maybe not so much - it was her Auntie who was in the Villages.
What reveals who they are, IMO, is the thought that they never even invited Mannie to their wedding, just dropped him like an awkward part of their past.
A story that is so lively and lives. The unsettling but lovely song is a nice addition too. I had to chuckle and nod to the lines: "In those days it was easier to lose touch with people. There wasn't the awkwardness of today, the sending of unread texts and the guilty ghosting, the jaggedy edges of lost contact. It was simpler then: just don't meet up. Forget that home number, don’t call, and draw apart into your apartness." So relatable!
My skin crawled because it was so relatable. I can't count the times I evaded long-lost familiars out of awkwardness. Chrissie did the right thing by coming clean. I guess it's a personality-type thing.
For whatever reason, it's the Squaklin' bit that puts this whole story 17 degrees off of center for me. From there it just zig zags to a 'somethings really not right here' place that's hard to pin down but every sentence leading up to wherever you are has been the oblivious patter of your disaster tour guide as the cruise ship is sinking.
Was trying to find the right mix of off-kilter, funny, near-horror and icky. Still working to get the balance right but when I get there I'm hoping for an experience like a Haneke or early Lanthimos movie.
I really enjoyed this story, particularly the character of Lucretia: “It was a hideous thing to behold, Lucretia's empathy, a minor atrocity committed on the very concept of sincerity.” What a great line. And I love the twist the tale.
Thanks so much Hannah I really appreciate your comment. The character of Lucretia is partly inspired by Ms deBauchery in the Boots Riley film Sorry to Bother You, a wonderful fake-empathetic boss.
Great, great line.
there’s so much to love here but whoa that reference to the villages really solidified who these people are
But thinking about it a little, maybe not so much - it was her Auntie who was in the Villages.
What reveals who they are, IMO, is the thought that they never even invited Mannie to their wedding, just dropped him like an awkward part of their past.
I guess you can’t judge people by their aunties
Thanks for your comment EJ, I’m pleased you enjoyed it.
Always nice to see someone survive their birthday/death day 😉
It's nice when it happens which is why the cake should really come on the day after
A story that is so lively and lives. The unsettling but lovely song is a nice addition too. I had to chuckle and nod to the lines: "In those days it was easier to lose touch with people. There wasn't the awkwardness of today, the sending of unread texts and the guilty ghosting, the jaggedy edges of lost contact. It was simpler then: just don't meet up. Forget that home number, don’t call, and draw apart into your apartness." So relatable!
Thanks so much Nadia! I very much appreciate your thoughts.
Loved this story, Murph! I was there in the booth behind Chrissie and Barry. The awkwardness was so palpable.
Lucretia was a great character.
Thanks, if I didn't make your skin crawl at some point or other I wasn't doing it right
My skin crawled because it was so relatable. I can't count the times I evaded long-lost familiars out of awkwardness. Chrissie did the right thing by coming clean. I guess it's a personality-type thing.
For whatever reason, it's the Squaklin' bit that puts this whole story 17 degrees off of center for me. From there it just zig zags to a 'somethings really not right here' place that's hard to pin down but every sentence leading up to wherever you are has been the oblivious patter of your disaster tour guide as the cruise ship is sinking.
Was trying to find the right mix of off-kilter, funny, near-horror and icky. Still working to get the balance right but when I get there I'm hoping for an experience like a Haneke or early Lanthimos movie.
Your janky music an interesting part of that mix
When they say Jerk I like to Jank