Reid MacDonald 109,300 words 553 Valim Way Author’s personal draft Sacramento, CA 95831 Printed on 11/5/14 (626) 354-0679
[email protected] THE TANGLE OF IT by Reid McFarland THE TANGLE of IT by Reid McFarland ⁂ For Vickie We’ve been apart for some time now I don’t know how to navigate these waters I love you and hope we can find some calm harbor ⁂ Herein tells a story where not all times and places match Forgive me those who are in the know So goes the way of memory and invention ⁂ McFarland / The Tangle of It Chapter 1. FRANNY'S CANDIES “I roll the Kettledrum candy in my mouth.” Franny pictures herself chewing on Boston Fruit Slices and her jaw flexes automatically. “Chewy wedges taste lemon and lime and go BOOM-bah-BOOM when I bite into one.” She adds, “When I unwrap a second Kettledrum out of its tight parchment, I examine the sour and sugar-copper rind. They are better enjoyed in pairs. Tomás, why aren’t Kettledrum candies hard? Like Lifesavers or Butterscotches? When they clink against your teeth, they could sound like a snare or a top hat. I can hear a soft bass rumble a tympani symphony deep within me. I swear, the Kettledrums make my voice go baritone when I sing BOOM-bah-BOOM after eating one. It’s true: I’ve tried it!” Franny confesses this to me under her gummy-bear breath and I agree unconditionally the way a best friend must. We come here because most of her schoolmates do not make their way down the block to Doña Dolce.