キャミー・タング著「戌年」連載小説 プロのドッグトレーナーであるマリ・ムトウは、厄年を迎えている。 犬小屋と訓練所の改築をしながら、いつも不服そうにしている家族と同居することになった。母と姉に言わせれば、犬の毛とよだれかけにまみれる仕事は、家族にとって恥ずべきものだという。彼女は元カレを説得し、数ヶ月間犬を預かってもらうことにした。しかし、彼の兄は、数週間前に彼女が誤って車に追突した、怒り狂ったセキュリティ専門家であることが判明する。 アシュウィン・ケイトウは十分な問題を抱えている。叔母が玄関先に現れ、同居を希望している。彼は彼女にすべてを借りているので、断ることができません。母親が家を出て行った後、ネルおばさんはアシュウィンと弟を引き取り、愛のあるキリスト教の家庭で育てた。しかも、弟のダスティもアパートを追い出され、居場所を求めている。しかし、彼は犬を飼っている。そして、その犬の飼い主は誰だと思いますか? しかし、旧友でオアフ島のノースショアでデイスパを経営する私立探偵のエディサ・ゲレロから依頼を受ける。マリの施設で奇妙な破壊行為があり、3年前に失踪したエディサの妹の財布を発見する。エディサはマリが危険な目に遭っているのではと心配する。警備の専門家であるアシュウィンがすでにマリを知っていることを知ったエディサは、忙しい若い女性を密かに監視することを彼に依頼する。 アシュウィンは、活発でのんびりとしたドッグトレーナーに不本意ながら惹かれていく。彼女は、幸せそうな母親を思い出させる。その母親の裏切りによって、彼は人と距離を置くようになったのだ。マリは、アシュウィンの冷たい外見を見抜き、彼が家族に忠実な男であることを認める。彼は、彼女のキャリア選択を批判するだけの母親や姉とは違う。 マリのバラバラな家庭とアシュウィンのバラバラな家庭の中で、過去を隠そうとする人たちから、彼らの周りに危険が迫ってくるようになる。彼らは、影で動く秘密に光を当てることができるのか? 過去に発表されたパートへのリンクはこちら。 *** 第8章 - 恐ろしくも真っ白な不動産書類 『みんな仲良くできないのかな?』 マリは無用に力を込めて箱に本を投げ入れた。最近、なぜ彼女は人生の中で全員と言い争いをしているのだろう?もしかすると、これは本当に悪いアイデア
Captain's Log, Stardate 10.06.2009
So one reason I haven’t been blogging much the past week or so has been that I’ve been sick. I got sick right after I returned from the ACFW conference, and then the past 5 days I’ve also been fighting something.
I don’t know why this is, but whenever I’m sick, I have the strangest dreams, and they always involve toilets.
If this is too TMI for you, stop reading right now. But I also know lots of you guys are mothers, and nothing I can say could be as bad as changing diapers, cleaning yak up from your couch, and washing creamed spinach and macaroni and cheese out of a child’s hair.
Anyway, some psychoanalyst will probably say there’s some deep seated insecurity from my childhood involving toilets. I think it’s because when we were kids, my brother kept barging into the bathroom even if I was on the can because he was too impatient to wait for me to finish before he could brush his teeth or take a shower.
There’s also the fact that I was a biologist and I’m a bit of a germophobe when it comes to toilets. I mean, I grew bacteria and cancer cells for a living. To me, a toilet is just a cheaper germ incubator than the ones I used at work.
So I dreamed last night about toilets. And accidentally dropping things in toilets, which, even if the water is clear, is rife with disease in my mind.
And today, thanks to the TV show Glee, I have “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey playing through my head.
Yes, I am very messed up.
So one reason I haven’t been blogging much the past week or so has been that I’ve been sick. I got sick right after I returned from the ACFW conference, and then the past 5 days I’ve also been fighting something.
I don’t know why this is, but whenever I’m sick, I have the strangest dreams, and they always involve toilets.
If this is too TMI for you, stop reading right now. But I also know lots of you guys are mothers, and nothing I can say could be as bad as changing diapers, cleaning yak up from your couch, and washing creamed spinach and macaroni and cheese out of a child’s hair.
Anyway, some psychoanalyst will probably say there’s some deep seated insecurity from my childhood involving toilets. I think it’s because when we were kids, my brother kept barging into the bathroom even if I was on the can because he was too impatient to wait for me to finish before he could brush his teeth or take a shower.
There’s also the fact that I was a biologist and I’m a bit of a germophobe when it comes to toilets. I mean, I grew bacteria and cancer cells for a living. To me, a toilet is just a cheaper germ incubator than the ones I used at work.
So I dreamed last night about toilets. And accidentally dropping things in toilets, which, even if the water is clear, is rife with disease in my mind.
And today, thanks to the TV show Glee, I have “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey playing through my head.
Yes, I am very messed up.
Comments
I don't dream of toilets often but I have a huge toilet problem. I fear getting old and ending up in one of those facilities where all the toities are for handicapped people--in other words, high-rise.
Even now, when I am forced to use one in a public restroom for lack of a nice low-rise toilet, my feet dangle four inches off the floor and it's just not right.
Camy, I hope you feel better soon!
Lucy, doorknobs are probably just as if not more dirty than toilets, because my husband tells me that the majority of men who use the bathroom don't wash their hands.
Winnie--OMG that would freak me out, I'd be so scared of wetting the bed!
Jeanette--LOL my partner in weird dreams.