Lesson Six - Part Two

Lesson Six – Part Two



1. George has been working at the same automobile factory six days a week, ten hours a day, for the past twelve years.



 George felt like a very old handkerchief—worn thin and ready to pull apart.

 George let out a long, hissing sigh like the air escaping from a balloon.

 George felt dirty and creased like a dollar bill that’s gone through the wash.





2. Katie had been working all day in the summer sun.



 This morning Katie had toasted in the sun, but as it began to set she felt as if someone had forgotten her under the broiler.

  Katie came in from her day in the garden, walked past a mirror, stopped, went back and stared.  She didn’t remember being a lobster.

 Katie came in from her day at the beach, opened the refrigerator door and took out a carton of orange juice.  She screwed off the top, and tilted her head back and let the refreshing liquid replenish every cell in her body.





3. This is Kim Su's first day at college, and she is in the middle of a chaotic morning registration session.



 Kim Su just stood in the center of the gymnasium.  All around her other students buzzed around her—moving from line to line—filling up their class schedules.  The noise level reached such a pitch she could no longer remember what she needed to register for.  She couldn’t remember her major.  She wasn’t even sure of her name.

 Kim Su felt foolish in her freshman beanie—but it was a tradition as old, her roommate had told her, as the trees around her.  She went one from line to another line and then back again until she was dizzy.  Perhaps she should reconsider waitressing as a viable career.

 Kim Su looked around her.  No where in the college catalog had there been a description of people scurrying around like ants from a stomped on nest.





4.Victor spent his entire summer vacation watching quiz shows and soap operas on television.



 Not content at the rate he was fast approaching senility, Victor languished his holiday away watching people named Sienna and Montana and Clayton sleep they way around imaginary towns or attempting to compete with grammar school children in trivia contests.

 Victor spent his time off from school becoming the poster boy of Hulu.

 Dave called and asked Victor is he wanted to go camping for a week, but when he was told there was no point bringing his TV because there was no electricity, Victor remembered his grandmother was due to die and gave his regrets.





4. After all the troubles of the past few weeks, Sandy felt peaceful at last.



 At last the bubbling cauldron of Sandy’s life slowed down to an easy simmer.

 Sandy finally crossed the finish line of her marathon with problems and slipped into the hot tub of serenity.

 Sandy stopped hyperventilating through her life and took a deep cleansing breath.