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Model #3 by Annam Manthiram
She came into the biz because of a cactus she'd named Joe. Joe sat on her nightstand. She'd bought him at a garage sale. The people were moving, and where they were going the climate was not conducive to this particular variety of plant. They didn't even know what the thing was called, and as ugly as it was, they practically gave it to her for free. She spent some time online and found its name, "Hamatocactus setispinus." Joe seemed like a better name for him. He was round with needles about two inches long and feathery yellow outshoots she'd dubbed his privates. He had yet to flower, but he'd grown several large pink berries. They were pretty, and Joe matched her bedroom's wall paint of yellow. One night, she had brought home a man from a work/happy hour thingy. She was not really drunk, but he was pretty drunk. She had run out of people to fuck at her office, so she became acquainted with the office next door and went to their parties instead. This was Gordon, an accountant who looked like Batman except he had a mustache. Gordon was a little inexperienced and highly agitated, so while they tangled together in her bed, her elbow landed square into Joe's midsection. A crop of needles stabbed her in the arm, and her throat immediately began to close up. When she woke up, she was in the hospital. She had suffered a severe allergic reaction to Joe, Gordon told her. The person in the bed next to hers was a photographer. He took pictures of models, and even with the rash on her face and arms, he said she was a beauty. He gave her his card. When she found Joe in the trash the next day (damn Gordon), she called the photographer. He told her he could make her forget all about Joe, and he did. All content in SmokeLong Quarterly copyright 2003-2012 by its authors. Annam Manthiram is the author of two novels, The Goju Story and After the Tsunami, and a short story collection (Dysfunction), which received Honorable Mention in Leapfrog Press' 2010 fiction contest. Her work has recently appeared in the Chicago Quarterly Review, the Cream City Review, the Concho River Review, Straylight, Blink | Ink, the Grey Sparrow Journal, and the anthology, Daily Flash: 365 Days of Flash Fiction (Pill Hill Press – December 2010), and has been nominated for the PEN/O’Henry Prize and inclusion in the Best American Short Stories anthology. A graduate of the M.A. Writing program at the University of Southern California, Manthiram resides in New Mexico with her husband, Alex, and son, Sathya. Read the interview. Robinson Accola creates artwork for SmokeLong Quarterly as needed. Issue Twenty-Nine (September 29, 2010): Bearded by Patrick Allen Carberry «» Hip by Kim Chinquee «» Our Littlest Brother by Dan Crawley «» LAX by Michael Czyzniejewski «» Bathroom Jesus by Kelli Ford «» Boy With Cherries by Adam Golaski «» Dancer by Peter Grandbois «» Aeroplane by Alex Haber «» Feral by Joe Kapitan «» Gorillas by Ben Loory «» Model #3 by Annam Manthiram «» Working Halloween for Christmas Money by John Minichillo «» Claire by Nick Ripatrazone «» Guard by James Robison «» Sixteen by Laura Tanenbaum «» These Three Things That Noah Doesn't by J.A. Tyler «» Snake Walk by Ajay Vishwanathan «» Dive by Dawn West «» Bedtime in Thorpe Village, Leicestershire, England by Sue Williams «» Thank You, I'm Sorry by Caroline Zilk «» Interviews: Patrick Allen Carberry «» Kim Chinquee «» Dan Crawley «» Michael Czyzniejewski «» Kelli Ford «» Adam Golaski «» Peter Grandbois «» Alex Haber «» Joe Kapitan «» Ben Loory «» Annam Manthiram «» John Minichillo «» Nick Ripatrazone «» James Robison «» Laura Tanenbaum «» J.A. Tyler «» Ajay Vishwanathan «» Dawn West «» Sue Williams «» Caroline Zilk «» Cover Art "Sara Serengeti" by Marty D. Ison «» Letter From the Editor |
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