linda (at her mother's vietnamese 'staurant, a solstice)
		----------------------------------------------------------

		do you want
		to be
		immortal?  -- *yes!*  me too.
		(you know -- how kid's eyes sparkle)
		(the mouth half-yawns stretches a diamond latex glove)
		(well!  i *am* only ten!!!) (it is past eleven.)
		(when you are done (how do you pronounce this?)
		(and this?  (and -- this?))
		do you want -- or did linda say -- would you like

		to help me check my homework?

		i'd love to.  i'd love to.

		we already have enough lawyers.  suppose we want you
		to be someone else than a lawyer.
		i want to be a lawyer -- abraham lincoln
		was a lawyer.
		why don't you be an ambassador?  or an astronaut or a cook?
		ambassadors get assassinated.  so do lawyers and
		that's only on teevee.  you won't get assassinated
		by the time you are an ambassador.  (*silent no thanks.*)
		do you want to help rich or poor people?  (*smile*)
		it's important.  (you know, half-yawn.  stretch.  it is

		past eleven.

		i wanna go to whitney-young.
		why can't you?  *incomprehending stare*.
		what's stopping you?  (you know, how a kid's eyes sparkle.)
		i am not in 6th grade yet.  (replay, later, in my head:
		oh, you're locked up.  we have much in common.)

		please don't get bored.  you'll lose your smarts if you
		get bored.  i'm not gonna (you know, how a kid's eyes

		sparkle.

		you wanted to do math.  i already did math by myself.
		we'll do other stuff next time.  *silent ok.*  don't forget
		to put it in your fridge -- thank you -- so you can eat it

		tomorrow.


			Marek Lugowski
			22 December 2000
			USA