Monday, May 03, 2010

3. Martin

I like people with gaps between their front teeth. I always wished I had one. Strange, it never occurred to me that Carolyn might not have been so keen on her gap. So that dedicating a book to ‘the girl with the gap’ might actually have been kind of cruel.

She was always making fun of the braces on my teeth. Maybe she was jealous? Maybe she wanted to deflect attention from her own troubled teeth? Also, she might have been frightened all the time—living on the edge—knowing that there must come a moment when I realised that I had the perfect comeback. I never did though.

It’s like that boy, Martin, in fourth grade, who used to think my name was funny. Moriarty. It’s so close Mori-farty! He was always laughing and calling out, ‘Hi there, Jaci Mori-farty’. I could never think of a response. I just gave him withering looks. And his name was Martin.

*

The good people at Café Zo Zo added Charlie’s medicine to his strawberry milkshake for me. He drank the whole thing without a clue.

Funny, the things you can get away with when it’s a kid.
Imagine if you went to a café with a friend, and asked the waiter — in an urgent, surreptitious whisper — if this dropper full of gluggy, white liquid could be slipped into your friend’s cappuccino, please.

8 Comments:

Blogger Unknown said...

Hahahaa, today's was a funny one, Jaclyn!

And I never knew your name was pronounced Mori-arty! Is it like more-y art-y? I had always thought it was like "More I are tee" except, ya know, pronounced faster and emphasis on the I.

Hmmm. :)

5:17 p.m.  
Blogger Ellen Osborne said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

9:01 p.m.  
Blogger Ellen Osborne said...

Haha ^ I always have that problem with authors too Elleira.

I remember the time I found out how say to Moris Gleitzman's names (the gleit is like "night").

Awesome. Anyway, I'll endevour to comment as much as porrible J, that seems to motivate me to post more. Not that you need more motivation, but every bit helps I guess.

:) E

9:02 p.m.  
Blogger Jaclyn Moriarty said...

Well, your comment was pretty funny too, Elleira - I like how you explain the name issue. And a lot of people think it's 'More I are tee', which I don't mind, I like the sound of that. Ellen, I'd be very, very glad for as many comments as possible. Thank you!

9:51 p.m.  
Blogger Libby's "Mirandaings" said...

LOL I very much identify with that one. I was so glad to change my name when I got married because my maiden name was Guthrie which all the boys at primary school turned into Gut-three, then later it was futher bastardised into "three gut". Ah the cruelty of children!

Also love Cafe ZoZo so for anyone out there who hasn't been - go there!

9:24 a.m.  
Blogger Jaclyn Moriarty said...

Guthrie's a great name, Libby. I'm thinking of Arlo Guthrie, for example. Those boys, eh. And yes, Cafe Zo Zo is fantastic.

5:00 p.m.  
Blogger TopCat said...

I like people with imperfect teeth. It makes their face a bit more interesting.

I don't like Carolyn though. She sounds like a bully and sometimes things that happen to you as a child can stay with you.

My headmistress said to me 'You will always be the plainest person in the room'. I'm still trying to let that go. She was right as well. I have a face like dough with no features.

You are a good person for someone to be so mean and be able to redeem themself with one kind act. I'm going to be more like you and not hold grudges

11:54 p.m.  
Blogger Jaclyn Moriarty said...

TopCat, I am so angry with your headmistress. What a thing to say! I can't stop thinking about it! I am astonished. (Also, I just looked at your blog and if those are pictures of you, the headmistress was wrong on every level - and you are wrong to have believed her! But she was a headmistress, so of course you would believe her! I am angry again! But listen, it's all nonsense - you are beautiful.) I am going to write more about this in the month of May.

1:25 p.m.  

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