Fumes
by Andrew Kenneally
He was choking on the fumes.
"Fumes? He was lucky there was fumes. You could live on fumes.
Fumes is something."
Yes, but he was choking on them.
"He was surviving on them more like. If you took away the fumes, what
would he be left with?"
great. more than a laugh. leaves me free to associate (which i love) and the two voices create a good tension. "Fumes is something" is hilarious. Choking confirms he's alive, right?
That's something like what the other fella seems to be claiming anyway, Finnegan, regarding the choking... though I try to keep the analytical side of things out of the writing process much of the time - easy enough when it's as small a piece as that; so your guess as to fumes and choking may be as good as, & maybe better, than mine.
Glad you liked it.
My first two weeks in New Orleans (years ago...) I survived on air and overheard conversations, so I get this piece.
Smooth, funny, this. Like how you have have used quotation marks only for one voice.
Good to see it travels, Matt. And thanks Ajay - yeah that quotes on one voice thing imparts hopefully an interesting odd effect - bit like a painter allowing the threads of canvas be visible... though now that I think of it, maybe only a bit like if at all.