Category: Writing

Which detail from Nurse and Spy in the Union Army helps shape the central idea that finding one’s way out of difficult situations takes cunning and bravery? O The writer describes how the enemy came after her and “numerous saber strokes” were “aimed at her head.” O The writer notes that she “trusted in [her] resourcefulness to escape” when forced to join the Confederate Army. O The writer explains that after escaping the Confederate Army she “turned [her] attention to more quiet and less dangerous duties.” O The writer states that, if she was caught again, she would “consequently be hung up in the nearest tree.”

chapter 8 monday rashad from all american boys
1. Why was Rashad fascinated with The Family Circus? It was so different compared to the other comic Strips. A white family living a simple easy life. And the image it sho weed . 2. What is The Real Family Circus? It’s cartoons in that same style the Rashad drew himself. It would contain characters from his life, 3. “Why do you frame them in a circle like this” (147). What is Rashad’s reasoning with his decision? 4. Who is Shirley Fitzgerald? Why do you think the author introduces this character to the plot? 5. How was English handling all of the events going on? What do you think will occur from this? 6. On page 162, the author changes his structure for writing – the sentences are short and choppy. Why do you think the author made this decision?

How might the audio enhance a documentary about the Apache people? ild there be industrial sounds or sounds of nature? Would you expect
to a tribe member’s narration? What might the music sound like? Explain.

How might the audio enhance a documentary about the Apache people? ild there be industrial sounds or sounds of nature? Would you expect
to a tribe member’s narration? What might the music sound like? Explain.

Drag each tile to the correct location.
Match each sentence to the type of rhetoric it uses.
Ethos/ Logos / Pathos
1.The physical therapists at
our clinic will guide you
every step of the way.
2.With the new Zip 5005
motor, you can go from 0
to 20 mph in two seconds.
3.Adding Mel 555 to your
drink will give it the
benefits of Vitamin C.
4.Each time you use our
premium service, we
donate a dollar to charity
Identify each sentenceabove as Ethos. Logos. Pathos.

Read the article My Summer of Scooping Ice Cream by Shonda Rhimes  on the link below and answer the question:
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/10/my-summer-of-scooping-ice-cream
Questions on Meaning:
What would you say is Rhimes’s PURPOSE in this essay? Does she express her purpose in a THESIS STATEMENT, or is it implied?
Why did the author seek out a part time job at Baskin-Robbins? How do her circumstances hint at the deeper implications of her upbringing?
What DOMINANT IMPRESSION of the job does Rhimes create?
4. In what ways does the “tiny denim miniskirt” (par.6) serve as a symbol for Rhimes? What does it represent to her?

Reread the second stanza of “The Charge of the Light Brigade.” What do the soldiers now know about the mission to which they are riding? In light of what they now know, what is the meaning of the three lines beginning with Their, and how do these lines reveal a main theme of the poem?
The Charge of the Light Brigade BY ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON:
Half a league, half a league, Half a league onward, All in the valley of Death Rode the six hundred. “Forward, the Light Brigade! Charge for the guns!” he said. Into the valley of Death Rode the six hundred. “Forward, the Light Brigade!” Was there a man dismayed? Not though the soldier knew Someone had blundered. Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die Into the valley of Death Rode the six hundred. Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them, Cannon in front of them Volleyed and thundered; Stormed at with shot and shell, Boldly they rode and well, Into the mouth of hell Rode the six hundred. Flashed all their sabres bare, Flashed as they tuned in air Sabring the gunners there, Charging an army, while All the world wondered. Plunged in the battery-smoke Right through the line they broke; Cossack and Russian Reeled from the saber stroke Shattered and sundered. Then they rode back, but not Not the six hundred. Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them, Cannon behind them Volleyed and thundered; Stormed at with shot and shell, While horse and hero fell. They that had fought the jaws of Death, Back from the mouth of hell, All that was left of them, Left of six hundred. When can their glory fade? O the wild charge they made! All the world wondered. Honour the charge they made! Honour the Light Brigade, Noble six hundred!
(The second stanza has been underlined for you)

Write S if the statement describes good summarizing and N if not.
1. Sean copied everything from the book.
2. Thomas extracted the key ideas in the text.
3. Kyle concentrated on the important details.
4. Brent looked for key words and phrases.
5. KC simplified ideas.
6. Rein revised the main idea.
7. To add more information, Grace added her analysis and comments to the ideas of the author.
8. Mary wrote down the general and specific ideas of the text.
9. Stephen added some of his related research to the information presented in the text.
10. Moira extended the message of the text and included some of her interpretations.
‘— Pretest: Kindly answer the following using what you know about summarizing. 1. Which of the following statements about summarizing is two? a. The summary is a thought that is true but is not in the passage. b. The summary is what the passage is mostly about. c. The summary is specific. detailed information contained in the passage. d. The summary is always found in the first sentence of the passage. 2. Which is NOT true about summarizing? Complete this sentence: Summarizing is an important skill because it helps you a. deepen your understanding of the text. b. learn to identify irrelevant information or key ideas. c. combine details or examples that support the main ideas. d. concentrate on the gist or main idea and key words presented in the text. 3. Which of the following is NOT a use of summarizing? a. reviewing a long text, speech or video b. writing an abstract c. preparing notes for a study guide d. creating a blog 4. In writing a summary, it should be . a. comprehensive, concise, coherent, and independent. b. comprehensive, concise, coherent, and intelligent. c. comprehensive. concise, considerate, and independent. d. comprehensive, complicated, coherent, and independent. 5. Who among the following is doing a good summarizing? a. Sean copied everything from the book. b. Rina revised the main idea. 0. Paul extracted the key points. d. Michael extended the message of the text and included some of her interpretations. Page 1 of 11 6. Which of the following is NOT a technique in summarizing a short text? a. Outline the text. b. Formulate a single sentence that summarizes the whole text. c. Write a paragraph (or more): begin with the overall summary sentence and follow it with the paragraph summary sentences. d. Rearrange and rewrite the paragraph to make it clear and concise. to eliminate repetition and relatively minor points. and to provide transitions 7. Which of the following is a technique in summarizing a long text? a. Outline the text. b. Formulate a single sentence that summarizes the whole text. c. Write a paragraph (or more); begin with the overall summary sentence and follow it with the paragraph summary sentences. of. Rearrange and rewrite the paragraph to make it clear and concise. to eliminate repetition and relatively minor points. and to provide transitions. 8. One tried-and-true method to help writers isolate important information is applying the strategy in summarizing. a. Magnet Summary b. Journalist Questions c. Somebody Wanted But So d. GIST Summary 9. This strategy helps writers generalize. recognize cause and effect relationships. and ?nd main ideas. a. Magnet Summary b. Journalist Questions c. Somebody Wanted But So d. GIST Summary 10. A summarizing strategy requires writers to pare down inionnation imo a 20-word summary. a. GIST Summary b. Somebody Wanted But So c. Journalist Questions d. Magnet Summary
Learning Task 2: Read the sample summaries below. Identify the format used in each summary. 1. In “My Favorite Shoe,” Treyvon Jones explains that Nike shoes are the best brand of running shoe for serious track athletes. Jones supports this View by pointing out that Nike shoes are more comfortable. last longer. and provide more cushioning for the feet. He notes that the statistics from sales and scientific evidence of how Nike shoes are better for the feet support his claim. In addition. Jones points out that most professional mnners use Nike and he tells his own story of how he won- Universities are continually baking at ways to better support international student populations, and therefore student support has become a focus for many researchers. Song and Petraochi {2015) studied ‘ntemational students in higher education. specifically focusing on how to best support intemational students in social work programs. They claimed that international students often have dif?cutties due to a lack of financial. emotional, and social support. Additionaliy. social work students have better outcomes when they are paired in a mentor—mentee relationship with a retired social worker. The survey results from 31 participants showed that the international social work students were ovemhelmingly interested in participating in a mentor—mentee relationship. and thus. such a program is recommended. An article published by Gallagher outlined how numerous researchers are exploring the ways in which bacteria present in the gut a the microbiome — can influence human thoughts and emotions. and thereby conditions such as autism. depression and neurodegenerative disease. The pioneering study (Sudo et al.. 2004. cited in Gallagher. 2018. para. 7-9} conducted at Kyushu University found a significant disparity between mice that had never encounter microbes and those that had. with ‘genn-free’ mice producing twice the amount of stress hormone. Since then. further research into the phenomenon has found. for example. that clinically depressed patients often have less diversity in microbiota. and that transferring microbiome from persons with Parkinson’s disease to mice significantly In?uenced the animals’ symptoms and behavior. The findings in extent literature indicate a positive direction for the future of both physical and mental health. with researchers now examining the role of microbiome in various diseases. including allergies. cancer and obesity (Gallagher. 2018)..

Select the correctly punctuated sentence.
I plan to spend my vacation in Pine Bluff, Arkansas; I enjoy the scenery there.
I plan to spend my vacation in Pine Bluff; Arkansas, I enjoy the scenery there.
I plan to spend my vacation; in Pine Bluff, Arkansas; I enjoy the scenery there.
None
1 points
QUESTION 20
Select the correctly punctuated sentence.
I haven’t knitted in several years however; I still sew.
I haven’t knitted in several years; however, I still sew.
I haven’t knitted; in several years however, I still sew.
None
1 points
QUESTION 21
Select the correctly punctuated sentence.
Although she’s a photographer; there are no pictures on her walls.
Although she’s a photographer there are not pictures; on her walls.
Although; she’s a photographer there are not pictures on her walls.
None
1 points
QUESTION 22
Select the correctly punctuated sentence.
I really enjoyed diving; with the sharks, although I was really apprehensive at first.
I really enjoyed diving with the sharks; although I was really apprehensive at first.
I really enjoyed diving with the sharks, although; I was really apprehensive at first.
None
1 points
QUESTION 23
Select the correctly puncutated sentence.
I am planning on going scuba diving in Cozumel, Mexico; the fish there are beautiful.
I am planning on going scuba diving in Cozumel; Mexico, the fish there are beautiful.
I am planning on going scuba diving; in Cozumel, Mexico; the fish there are beautiful.
None
1 points
QUESTION 24
Select the correctly punctuated sentence.
After a hard day at work; I just want to take a nap before going out to party.
After a hard day at work, I just want to take a nap; before going out to party.
After a hard day; I just want to take a nap before going out to party.
None
QUESTION 25
Select the correctly punctuated sentence.
My friend and I applied for jobs at Reynolds; the company offers excellent employee benefits.
My friend and I applied for jobs a Reynolds, the company offers excellent benefits.
My friend and I applies for jobs at Reynolds, the company offers excellent employee benefits.
None
1 points
QUESTION 26
Select the correctly punctuated sentence.
The coral reefs; were beautiful, we had never seen anything like them before.
The coral reefs were beautiful we had never seen; anything like them before.
The coral reefs were beautiful; we had never seen anything like them before.
None
1 points
QUESTION 27
Select the correctly punctuated sentence.
Attending a meeting can be fun; it can also be educational.
Attending a meeting, can be fun, it can also be educational.
Attending a meeting can be fun it can also be; educational.
None
QUESTION 28
Select the correctly punctuated sentence.
The water was very cold, therefore; we decided to wear wetsuits.
The water was very cold; therefore, we decided to wear wetsuits.
The water was very cold, therefore, we decided to wear wetsuits.
None
1 points
QUESTION 29
My parents’ main concern _____ my grades.
is
are
1 points
QUESTION 30
In the back of the dining room _____ the five tables to be used for the banquet.
are
is
1 points
QUESTION 31
There _____ three children waiting to be inoculated for measles.
was
were
1 points
QUESTION 32
Each key on this ring _____ one of the doors in the dormitory.
fit
fits
1 points
QUESTION 33
One of the pieces of chalk _____ disappeared.
has
have
1 points
QUESTION 34
In a corner of the room _____ a stack of magazines, a pile of newspapers, and a small television set.
was
were
1 points
QUESTION 35
Either the bear or the mountain goats _____ on the trail.
is
are
1 points
QUESTION 36
Each entrance to the buildings _____ locked at midnight.
is
are
1 points
QUESTION 37
Arriving late _____ the mayor and his wife.
was
were
1 points
QUESTION 38
Each of the climbers in all four groups _____ an ice axe.
have
has
1 points
QUESTION 39
Although it _____ silly, I love walking in the rain.
seem
seems
1 points
QUESTION 40
Physics _____ been required in this curriculum for twenty years.
has
have
1 points
QUESTION 41
One Thousand and One Arabian Nights
_____ my favorite book as a child.
was
were
1 points
QUESTION 42
The toy store, overflowing with noise and kids, _____ unavoidable during the holidays.
is
are
1 points
QUESTION 43
Dimming the headlights _____ the decent thing to do when one is driving on the freeway at night.
are
is
1 points
QUESTION 44
A Farewell to Arms
_____ the selected novel for some literature classes.
are
is
1 points
QUESTION 45
Each of the women in the group decided that _____ wanted to join us.
she
they
1 points
QUESTION 46
Neither of the girls remembered to take _____ umbrella.
her
their
1 points
QUESTION 47
Does either of the applicants have _____ college degree?
his or her
their
1 points
QUESTION 48
The policeman, in addition to the councilwoman, believes in _____ approach to speeding.
his
their
his or her
1 points
QUESTION 49
The man, along with his wife and two daughters, vented _____ rage.
his
their
his or her
1 points
QUESTION 50
The team wants new jerseys for _____ championship game.
their
its
1 points
QUESTION 51
Does either of the suspects have a tattoo on _____ left arm?
their
his or her
QUESTION 52
At CTC, everybody must pay _____ registration fees.
his or her
Their
1 points
QUESTION 53
Every student in the gym has on shoes given to _____ by Nike.
him or her
them
they
he or she
1 points
QUESTION 54
One of the local agencies gave _____ employees a raise.
their
its
1 points
QUESTION 55
The family goes to _____ cabin in West Virginia each year in July.
their
its
1 points
QUESTION 56
Let’s listen to the CD _____ Clarence bought.
that
which
1 points
QUESTION 57
Each runner in the marathon must pay _____ entry fee before the start of the race.
his or her
their
its
it’s
1 points
QUESTION 58
If a physician or a lawyer came to this town, _____ would make a good living.
he or she
they
1 points
QUESTION 59
Neither Thoreau nor Whitman lived to see _____ works read widely.
his
their
1 points
QUESTION 60
Mathematics has _____ roots in the Middle East.
their
its
1 points
QUESTION 61
Either the Browns or Sam Ray will lend us _____ hedge clipper.
their
his
1 points
QUESTION 62
Select the misspelled word.
occurrence
strenuous
interupt
conscience
1 points
QUESTION 63
Select the misspelled word.
suspect
exceed
ambiguous
thier
1 points
QUESTION 64
Select the misspelled word.
certain
vowel
calender
grammar
1 points
QUESTION 65
Select the misspelled word.
conscience
caffeine
controling
unbelievable
1 points
QUESTION 66
Select the misspelled word.
professional
annual
instance
auxilary
1 points
QUESTION 67
Select the misspelled word.
guidance
pamphlet
bureaucracy
tradegy
1 points
QUESTION 68
Select the misspelled word.
miniature
seperate
recommend
similar
1 points
QUESTION 69
Select the misspelled word.
address
fulfill
harass
paralell
1 points
QUESTION 70
Select the misspelled word.
conscious
vigilance
gague
written
1 points
QUESTION 71
Select the misspelled word.
calendar
similar
prescription
currancy
1 points
QUESTION 72
I like shopping online, I do not have to get dressed.
A.
Complete sentence
B.
Sentence fragment
C.
Comma splice
D.
Fused/Run-on sentence
1 points
QUESTION 73
Bertha wants to work for a legal firm this summer, I hope that she can.
A.
Complete sentence
B.
Sentence fragment
C.
Comma splice
D.
Fused/Run-on sentence
1 points
QUESTION 74
Because we knew that Todd was waiting for us.
A.
Complete sentence
B.
Sentence fragment
C.
Comma splice
D.
Fused/Run-on sentence
1 points
QUESTION 75
The electrician will repair the outlet, until then, you can use a different one.
A.
Complete sentence
B.
Sentence fragment
C.
Comma splice
D.
Fused/Run-on sentence
1 points
QUESTION 76
Although we were not ready to present the material to our boss.
A.
Complete sentence
B.
Sentence fragment
C.
Comma splice
D.
Fused/Run-on sentence
1 points
QUESTION 77
I am going on vacation, I have three weeks coming to me.
A.
Complete sentence
B.
Sentence fragment
C.
Comma splice
D.
Fused/Run-on sentence
1 points
QUESTION 78
Mr. Smith, a family friend, is joining us for lunch.
A.
Complete sentence
B.
Sentence fragment
C.
Comma splice
D.
Fused/Run-on sentence
1 points
QUESTION 79
Birds shooting through the air, darting up through the sky, drifting with the wind.
A.
Complete sentence
B.
Sentence fragment
C.
Comma splice
D.
Fused/Run-on sentence
1 points
QUESTION 80
Our city’s number of houses that burned down having doubled in the last decade.
A.
Complete sentence
B.
Sentence fragment
C.
Comma splice
D.
Fused/Run-on sentence
1 points
QUESTION 81
When the ballots were counted, some improprieties were found.
A.
Complete sentence
B.
Sentence fragment
C.
Comma splice
D.
Fused/Run-on sentence
1 points
QUESTION 82
Soon the semester will be over I can then transfer to the university.
A.
Complete sentence
B.
Sentence fragment
C.
Comma splice
D.
Fused/Run-on sentence
1 points
QUESTION 83
The passengers, who thought the boat was capsizing.
A.
Complete sentence
B.
Sentence fragment
C.
Comma splice
D.
Fused/Run-on sentence
1 points
QUESTION 84
Hard work, which makes all the difference in school.
A.
Complete sentence
B.
Sentence fragment
C.
Comma splice
D.
Fused/Run-on sentence
1 points
QUESTION 85
Our consumption of electrical power having doubled every ten years.
A.
Complete sentence
B.
Sentence fragment
C.
Comma splice
D.
Fused/Run-on sentence
1 points
QUESTION 86
You skipped several questions, but you correctly answered all you attempted.
A.
Complete sentence
B.
Sentence fragment
C.
Comma splice
D.
Fused/Run-on sentence
1 points
QUESTION 87
Because the ballots were declared ineligible.
A.
Complete sentence
B.
Sentence fragment
C.
Comma splice
D.
Fused/Run-on sentence
1 points
QUESTION 88
Classical music which she played over the ship’s loud speaker.
A.
Complete sentence
B.
Sentence fragment
C.
Comma splice
D.
Fused/Run-on sentence
1 points
QUESTION 89
Many readers know Holmes through reading Doyle’s stories in addition, the character of Sherlock Holmes has appeared on stage, on television, and in DVD.
A.
Complete sentence
B.
Sentence fragment
C.
Comma splice
D.
Fused/Run-on sentence
1 points
QUESTION 90
Most students work hard to succeed, they want to earn a degree and get a good job.
A.
Complete sentence
B.
Sentence fragment
C.
Comma splice
D.
Fused/Run-on sentence
1 points
QUESTION 91
Select the clear, concise sentence.
It states in the student handbook that no one can carry firearms on campus.
The student handbook states that no one can carry firearms on campus.
1 points
QUESTION 92
Select the clear, concise sentence.
Julie told Sue, “You are mistaken.”
Julie told Sue that she was mistaken.
1 points
QUESTION 93
Select the clear, concise sentence.
In the paper, it tells about the state’s budget surplus.
Today’s paper has an article about the state’s budget surplus.
1 points
QUESTION 94
Select the clear, concise sentence.
John reminded Franklin that he had done the project last year.
John reminded Franklin, “You did the project last year.”
1 points
QUESTION 95
Select the clear, concise sentence.
When Jane brought the dog into the vet’s office, he was livid.
The vet was livid when Jane brought the dog in.
1 points
QUESTION 96
Select the clear, concise sentence.
Despite occasional comparison, Emily Dickinson and Jane Austen were quite different.
Emily Dickinson is sometimes compared with Jane Austen, but they were different, and they lived in different countries, and they wrote different things.
1 points
QUESTION 97
Select the clear, concise sentence.
The students read three analyses of the economic indicators, which they found encouraging.
The students read three encouraging analyses of the economic indicators.
QUESTION 98
Select the clear, concise sentence.
Mother told Sue that she was mistaken.
Mother told Sue, “I was mistaken.”
QUESTION 99
Select the clear, concise sentence.
I grilled hot dogs at the picnic because I know my friends enjoy them.
Knowing that my friends enjoy hot dogs, I grilled them at the picnic.
QUESTION 100
Select the clear, concise sentence.
While we stood by the horse barn, they started neighing.
The horses started to neigh as we stood by the barn.

Give an arguable thesis for this short story “Recognition” by Victor LaValle. And briefly summarize the short story and its key important points.
KEGOGNIIION By VICTOR LAVALLE A short story from The New York Times Magazine’s Decameron Project. Not easy to ?nd a good apartment in New York City, so imagine ?nding a good building. No, this isn’t a story about me buying a building. I’m talking about the people, of course. I found a good apartment, and a great building, in Washington Heights. Six-story tenement on the corner of 180th and Fort Washington Avenue; a one-bedroom apartment, which was plenty for me. Moved in December 2019. You might already see where this is going. The virus hit, and within four months half the building had emptied out. Some of my neighbors ?ed to second homes or to stay with their parents outside the city; others, the older ones, the poorer ones, disappeared into the hospital 12 blocks away. I’d moved into a crowded building and suddenly I lived in an empty house. And then I met Mirta.
“Do you believe in past lives?” We were in the lobby, waiting for the elevator. This was right after the lockdown started. She asked, but I didn’t say anything. Which isn’t the same as saying I didn’t respond. I gave my tight little smile while looking down at my feet. I’m not rude, just fantastically shy. That condition doesn’t go away, not even during a pandemic. I’m a Black woman, and people act surprised when they discover some of us can be awkward, too. “There’s no one else here,” Mirta continued. “50 I must be talking to you.” Her tone managed to be both direct and, somehow, still playful. As the elevator arrived, I looked toward her, and that’s when I saw her shoes. Black-and-white pointed oxfords; the white portion had been painted to look like piano keys. Despite the lockdown, Mirta had taken the trouble to slip on One of the things my dad sent me was 32 rolls of toilet paper. I slipped back down to the fourth ?oor and left three rolls in front of Mirta’s door.
a pair of shoes that nice. I was returning from the supermarket wearing my raggedy old slides. I pulled the elevator door open and ?nally looked at her face. “There she is,” Mirta said, the way you might compliment a shy bird for settling on your ?nger. Mirta might’ve been 20 years older than me. I turned 40 the same month I moved into the building. My mom and dad called to sing “Happy Birthday” from Pittsburgh. Despite the news, they didn’t ask me to come home. And I didn’t make the request. When we’re together, they ask questions about my life, my plans, that turn me into a grouchy teenager again. My father ordered me a bunch of basics though; he had them shipped. It’s how he has always loved me — by making sure I’m well supplied. “I tried to get toilet paper,” Mirta said in the elevator. “But these people are panicking, so I couldn’t ?nd any. They think a clean butt is going to save them from the virus?” Mirta watched me; the elevator reached the fourth ?oor. She stepped out and held the door open. “You don’t laugh at my jokes, and you won’t even tell me your name?” Now I smiled because it had turned into a game. “A challenge then,” she said. “I will see you again.” She pointed down the hall. “I am in No. ” 41. She let the elevator door go, and I rode up to the sixth ?oor, unpacked the things I’d bought. At that time I still thought it would all be over by April. It’s laughable now. I went into the bathroom. One of the things my dad sent me was
32 rolls of toilet paper. I slipped back down to the fourth ?oor and left three rolls in front of Mirta’s doon A month later, I was used to logging in to my “remote of?ce,” the grid of screens — all our little heads — looked like the open of?ce we once worked in; I probably spoke with my co-workers about as much now as I did then. When the doorbell rang, I leapt at the chance to get away from my laptop. Maybe B’sMirta. I slipped on a pair of buckled loafers; they were raggedy, too, but better than the slippers I wore the last time she saw me. But it wasn’t her. It was the super, Andres. Nearly 60, born in Puerto Rico, he had a tattoo of a leopard crawling up his neck. “Still here,” he said, sounding pleasant behind his blue mask. “Nowhere else to go.” He nodded and snorted, a mix between a laugh and a cough. “The city says I got to check every apartment now. Every day.” He carried a bag that rattled like a sack of metal snakes. When I looked, he pulled it open: silver spray-paint cans. “I don’t get a answer, and I got to use this.” Andres stepped to the side. Down the hall; Apartment 66. The green door had been defaced with a giant silver ‘V.” So fresh, the letter still dripped. ” ‘V.’ For ‘virus’?” Andrés’s eyebrows rose and fell. “Vacant,” he said. “That’s a nicer way to put it, I guess.” We stood quietly, him in the hall and me in the
apartment. I realized I hadn’t put on my mask when I answered, and I covered my mouth when I spoke. “The city is making you do this?” I asked. “In some neighborhoods,” Andrés said. “Bronx, Queens, Harlem. And us. Hot spots.” He took out one of the cans and shook it. The ball bearing clicked and clacked inside. “I’ll knock tomorrow,” he said. “If you don’t answer, I got the keys.” I watched him go. “How many people are left?” I called out. “In the building?” He’d already reached the stairs, started down. If he answered, I didn’t hear it. I walked onto the landing. There were six apartments on my floor. Five doors had been decorated with the letter ‘V.” No one here but me. You’d think I would run right down to Mirta’s place, but I couldn’t afford to lose my job. The landlord hadn’t said a word about rent forgiveness. I went back to the computer until end of day. I felt such relief when No. 41 hadn’t been painted. I knocked until Mirta opened. She wore her mask, just like me now, but I could tell she was smiling. She looked from my face to my feet. “Those shoes have seen better days,” she said, and laughed so joyfully that I hardly even felt embarrassed. Mirta and I made trips to the supermarket together; two trips to the store each week. We walked side by side, arm’s length apart, and when we crossed paths with others, we marched single ?le. Mirta talked the whole time, whether I was next to her or behind her. I know some people criticize chatty folks, but her chatter fell upon me
like a nourishing rain. She came to New York from Cuba, with a short stay in Key West, Fla., in between. She’d lived in Manhattan, from the bottom to the top, over the span of 40 years. She played piano and idolized Peruchin; had performed with Chucho Valdés. And now she gave lessons to children in her apartment for $35 an hour. Or at least she had done that, until the Virus made it unsafe to have them over. I miss them, she said, every time we talked, as four weeks became six, and six became 12. She wondered if she’d ever see her students and their parents again. I offered to help set up remote piano lessons. I’d use my job’s account to set up free chat sessions for her. But this was three months in and Mirta had lost her playful ways. She said: “The screens give the illusion that we’re all still connected. But it’s not true. The ones who could leave, left. The rest of us? 10 We were abandoned.” She stepped off the elevator. “Why pretend?” She scared me. I can see that now. But I told myself I’d become busier. As if I’d transformed. But I ?ed from her. We were all living on the ledge of despair, so when she said it — “We were abandoned. Why pretend?” — it was as if she spoke from down in that pit. A place I found myself slipping into often enough already. So I went to the store by myself, and I held my breath when the elevator passed the fourth ?oor. Meanwhile, Andrés continued to work. I didn’t see him. He knocked on the door each morning, and I knocked from the other side. But I saw evidence of his work. Three apartments on the ?rst ?oor marked with a “V” one week. Next 11
time I went to the store the other three were painted. Four on the second floor. Five on the third. One afternoon I heard him kicking at a door on the fourth floor. Shouting a name I hardly recognized through the muzzle that was his mask. I left my place and walked down. Andres looked shrunken at the door of No. 41. He kicked at it desperately. “Mirta!” he shouted again. He turned with surprise when I appeared. His eyes were red. The ?ngers of his right hand were entirely silver now; it looked permanent. I wondered if he’d ever be able to wash off the spray paint. But how could he, if the job was never done? “I left my keys,” he said. “I gotta get them.” “I’ll stay,” I said. 1′) He sprinted down the stairs. I stood by the door, didn’t bother knocking. If that kicking didn’t wake her, what could I do? “Is he gone?” I almost collapsed. “Mirta! Were you messing with him?” “No,” she said through the door. “But I wasn’t waiting on him. I was waiting around for you.” I sat so my head was at about the same level as her voice. I heard her labored breathing through the door. “It’s been a while,” she ?nally said. I rested the side of my head against the cool door. “I’m sorry.” She sniffed. “Even women like us are scared of women like us.” I lowered my mask, as if it were getting in the way of what I truly needed to say. But I still 1’:
couldn’t ?nd the words. “Do you believe in past lives?” she said. “That’s the ?rst thing you ever asked me.” “When I saw you by the elevator, I knew we met before. Recognition. Like seeing a member of my family.” The elevator arrived. Andres stepped out. I raised my mask and got to my feet. He unlocked the door “Be careful,” I said. “She’s right there.” But when he pushed the door open, the hall sat empty. Andres found her in bed. Dead. He came out carrying a bag, my name written on it. Her black- and-white oxfords were inside. A note in the left shoe. Give them back when you see me again. I have to slip on an extra pair of socks to make them ?t, but I wear them everywhere I go. 14 Illustration by Kyutae Lee Spot illustrations and lettering by Sop/1y Hollington ‘0’ VictorLaI/Zzlle is the author of seven works of ?ction. His most recent novel is “The Changeling.” He teaches at Columbia University. Kyulae Lee is an illustrator and animator from Seoul, South Korea, who recreates scenes using light-handed drawing. Sop/1y Hollinglon is a British artist and illustrator. She is known for her use of relief prints, created using the process of the linocut and inspired by meteoric folklore as well as alchemical symbolism.