"Well, son, some of these big brave

Interview... heroes don't-uhneed wives.

"Daddy?"

"Um? What?" "What's a fairy?"

"What! Where did you hear that word? What kind of gang are you running around with? Has someone tried to do something nasty with you? When did it happen? What's his godam name!" "Who?"

"This-this fairy's!"

"Oh, fairies! Can they fly or are they like gnomes?"

"You don't pronounce the g. It's silent like little boys should be when their dads are trying to read the paper. I thought you were talking about something else."

"Can they, Daddy?"

"Um? Can they what? Oh, fly? Well, I suppose so. It depends upon what kind

you mean.

99

""

"Why not? Aren't you big and brave?" "Men vary, my boy. These heroes have more important things to do than just fly around after girls all the time."

"Then you can fly and not be a fairy? That's all mixed up. Then what do fairies do special that nobody else can?"

"Oh, they're not all special. In fact, some you can hardly tell at all." "I see."

"You do not. You don't see at all! Stop bothering me." "Daddy?" "Um?"

"Airplane pliots fly. Are they-." "My boy, are you baiting me, by any chance?"

"Gracious no! What's baiting?"

"Where do you get this gracious stuff? Say gosh no or hell no, if your mother's not around. Don't you want to be a big, brave, rugged man someday?"

"Oh, yes! Know what I decided to be when I grow up?"

"No, what? No, don't tell me. Son

"What's funny, Daddy?" "Uh-this cartoon here.' "Well, I mean the kind that don't like don't say it!" girls."

"Doesn't like girls. . . What?" "Like Jack Frost. He can fly but I never hear tell of no Mrs. Frost."

"Of course there's a Mrs. Jack Frost! There must be! All men have wives. Who the hell writes these kid stories anyway?"

"Not all men, Daddy! Hoppy doesn't and Jack the Giant Killer and Peter Pan and Long John Silver and Gulliver and the Tin Woodsman and Robinson Crusoe and--."

"I want to be a big, brave, rugged FAIRY!"

"You get the hell out of here right this minute and don't come back for at least ten years. Can't you see I'm trying to read the paper?"

"Okay."

"And if you see your mother, tell her I want to have a little talk with her soon."

Elizabeth Lalo

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