The Ice at the Bottom of the World by Mark Richard

Author:Mark Richard [Richard, Mark]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-8041-5054-5
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Published: 2013-05-21T16:00:00+00:00

GENIUS

GENIUS THINKS HIS BIG BELLY fits Carol’s lumbar the way the Gulf Stream runs hot and close up the back spinal curve of the Carolina coast. Genius thinks Carol is the hot semitropics and he is the jislike filament of sun-broiled current running snug inshore. Genius pretends the air in his lungs is the southeast trades that blow the Gulf Stream in to the beach, turning water toeclear neck-deep. Genius likes to dog-paddle past the clear-breaking waves to where the bottlenose dolphins play. Fish-drunk and curious, the dolphins slap happy against Genius’ big belly before arcing out to sea in the Stream.

Genius is waking fat and happy until he kicks off the top sheet and sees it’s not Carol the semitropics. Instead of Carol the semitropics he has Barbara the frontdesk clerk. Genius can’t think beyond mud flats at low tide when he looks at Barbara from the front desk. Genius goes out on the balcony of his room in the motel where Barbara works and hands his big belly up on the balcony railing. The real Gulf Stream looks like cut gray ribbon out past the breakers and Genius is downspirited. I have deceived myself again in my sleep, says Genius to himself. It downspirits me to think I am not the Gulf Stream. Genius holds his big belly in both hands and squeezes it like he wants to shoot something out of his belly button. A big belly takes energy away from even being flotsam today, he thinks. Genius goes back into his motel room to consider mud flats at low tide.

The last time Genius saw any part of Carol was when her fist came rushing up to his right eye and didn’t stop and came right on coming. Genius saw part of her pretty pastel Easter skirt as he flipped over the railing on his way to the sidewalk, but Genius doesn’t think that counts. It was Easter and they had been to the Easter parade. Carol had on her new pretty pastel skirt and the round straw Easter bonnet Genius had driven all the way to Williamsburg to get. The round straw Easter hat had a blue silk sash that matched Carol’s eyes. After Carol had punched Genius out and he sat leaning against the gutter curb feeling skin puff out from his cheek, Genius saw the round straw Easter hat with the sash that matched Carol’s eyes sail over his head like a Frisbee. It sailed over his head and out into the street where it got run over flat by a car full of people who had come to see the Easter parade and were now going home.

The lifeguard on the beach is waving a red flag that matches his red lifeguard swim trunks. He is waving the flag and blowing a whistle for Genius to come in from so far out. Genius is floating on his back out past the breakers, out even farther than the good swimmers go. Genius floats and watches the lifeguard wave the red flag from his lifeguard stand.

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