What Never Happened

by Rachel Howzell Hall

Of course I don’t trust her.

Their History points to this decision.

Jesus bugs.

Water Striders possibly?

Guilt is irrational, Dr. Tamaguchi has told me several times. Guilt demands ransom even though you’re broke, and it demands that you keep it company even though it’s fused to every molecule in your body. Guilt makes you scream, “What more do you want?” even though it’s already taken everything, including your happily ever after.

“Don’t ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up.” I squint at her. “Wow. Yours?” She sucks her teeth. “Girl, that’s Robert Frost.”

“Use your enemy’s hand to catch a snake.”

Excellent advice.

People tend to disregard us old ladies—they think we’re only good for sewing robes and making hot chocolate, that we’re crazy since we can no longer bear children. But we’re smarter than everyone because we don’t have distractions anymore. No kids. No husbands for many of us. We always knew the evil that men did, and we still do. Just now, no one believes us.”