Patron Saints of Nothing

by Randy Ribay

However, the puppy would not drink the milk.

“One thing dies, and another is born.

My brother and my sister resumed the card game of Speed they’d been playing. My dad and Lolo returned their attention to their bottles of San Miguel. My mom gave my shoulder one last squeeze and then went over to the outdoor kitchen to help Tita Chato, Tita Ami, and Lola finish preparing lunch.

Division of labor

grateful for the chance to escape from everyone without being by myself.

Not that I have anything against it. My desire to smoke has not yet surpassed my fear of getting caught.

Fear is a character trait - also that he can be persuaded over time

“Come on, man. They weren’t completely out of reach. Solid GPA and test scores. Plus, student government.”

Exposition time oh yeah

My brother, Chris, still hasn’t responded.

Seth and I have been friends for a long time, but we never get too deep into things.

If I had tried to get him to talk about it, it would have made things worse.

But I don’t. I messed that up a long time ago.

Guilt

Much to my relief, Seth finally lets the college thing go

Suggests narrator is the one keeping the relationship shallow

this first-person shooter we like to play.

Didnt get the rights to Halo

at the sock store.

I need to know aboutf the sock strore

I’m pretty sure this is probably going to be about college or something

no genre awareness - dads clearly bout to drop some heavy news

I mean, how did he . . .” I can’t say the word. He sighs. “It doesn’t matter.”

That is a weird response. Betting Jun died in somE way they want to keep secret from Jason or others

How do you mourn someone you already let slip away? Are you even allowed to?

I mirror the disturbing calm of my father, as I always do. We share the space, the silence. But on the inside, I’m a plane with failing engines.

Possible origin of js intimacy avoidance

“He’s gone,” Dad repeats after some time. “That’s it.” And then a nervous laugh escapes his lips.

like the roots of a plant in too small a pot.

Odd metaphor for the character

What did his last one say? I don’t even remember. But this I’ll never forget: I left it unanswered.

Tito Maning didn’t allow him or his sisters to have social media or even their own email accounts.

the one dated the December when we were fourteen, shortly before Jun ran away from home.

But I’m not ready to re...

Plot nees to extend mystery until after exposition

his face floats in the paper just beyond his words where he swam in the kind of feelings and thoughts most people spend their lives trying to mask from others or from themselves.

Show dontg tell argh

Things were pretty rough between us for a long time.

Y

imagine her tangled in the sheets, blurry-eyed and stretching. “Um.

Thatis ur sis u perv

Someone like Jun. I find Seth’s number, but decide against it.

I guess because him figuring out the hidden depths to Seth has been scheduled for act 2

Yeah, Jun and I wrote each other. But then we didn’t.

No u stopped replying

I don’t want to be another one of those people who just pretends like they don’t know about the suffering,

sorry to annoy you with yet another letter. I am thinking that maybe you do not want to do this anymore. If you do not reply, it is okay. I will leave you alone. But know that I would like it very much if you responded.

Jun my heart my poor baby you deserved better

I search his words for clues that might reveal what my dad left unsaid, that might point toward one of the grim ends Em guessed. But the letter says no more than it says.

Uhh sounded depresedx to me

There are a few texts from Seth from last night that I ignore.

Im maaaaaybe beginning to understand why he's not clse to anyone

Her blond hair—which I definitely didn’t inherit—is

Biracial?

“Hey, Mom,” I say, looking a mess in my wrinkled clothes.

Pov skew

“So we’re just going to act like this didn’t happen? Like Jun didn’t even exist?” After a beat, she turns around to face me and crosses her arms. “If that’s what’s best for his family, then yes.”

She sighs. “You aren’t going to let this go, are you?” “No.” “Just like your father . . .” she says quietly. Except her comment confuses me because he lets everything go.

“Isn’t that illegal?” “The government determines what’s legal.”

us didn’t even say shit when we saw someone slap the books out of a kid’s hands in the hallway. In fact, the most outspoken supporter of the idea during the discussion was a kid who did that kind of dumb stuff all the time and thought it was hilarious.

But I’m left to wonder, did my parents’ silence—and mine—allow Jun’s death in some way?

his death tallied as an improvement to society.

Truth is a hungry thing.

No thats curiosity . Truth is what its hungry for. Who editedd this

It was like he used all his compassion on strangers and ran out by the time he came home.

How I’m feeling? I don’t know. Why does it matter?

need to do something, not sit around talking about feelings.

Will come back to bite him

I’m not sure if there’s an audible gasp from my peers, or if I just imagine it.

Im sure cthey all know ypu are the main characte of tge universe

Much as I want to be alone, Seth stays with me.

Dang why does everyone love j so mkuch

Seth follows. “I’ve read about that guy Duterte.

Does s onky know this for plot reasons or to highlights js ignorance

I walk away, regretting that I opened up even as little as I did.

I’m binge-watching old episodes of Steven Universe

Seems out of character

the system in which police officers earn certain amounts of money for killing specific types of suspects, creating an economy of murder—especially since there are no bonuses for arrests.