It’s
no secret that I’m a big EJD fan. So, I was all too excited to read this short
story of his and I was not disappointed. Here’s the thing about reading short
stories in general. They must hook readers from the start, weave a compelling
story then leave readers with a bang or a surprise twist at the end. With that
being said, let’s take a look at how EJD worked his magic in writing this short
story which was previously published in the 2006 anthology Voice from the Other Side.
From
the very beginning, when readers are introduced to Harlem, we see a killer who was
“boxed up and shipped” to a mental facility after beating a murder charge due
to insanity. He spent his time reading newspapers, Shakespeare, and Iceberg
Slim. He was drawn to Daphane, a nurse whom he described as a “cute, caramel-flavored,
thin sister, who always gave a sincere smile back” at him. She was also one of
two women of color in the facility. The other woman, Phyllis, Harlem didn’t
like much and described her as a “funny-shaped sister with the atrocious, rough
skin that made her look like a nappy-headed Gila monster.”
Harlem
was plagued by nightmares of beatings as a child and so he would lash out in a
violent way. All this came out in therapy with Dr. Brewster whom Harlem
described as a “fat-assed, cigarette-smelling, Grizzly Adams-bearded, Bozo-bald
counselor.” Harlem hated Dr. Brewster and in the back of his mind, Brewster would
become his next “one eighty-seven.”
Fast
forward and we see Daphane sharing personal details about her life and wanting
to get away from her husband. She then proposes to run away with Harlem and
plans his getaway. And that’s where things turn interesting and ends with a
twist that completely blindsided me.
EJD
created a multi-layered character who was funny yet dangerous. Overall, this thrilling
short story had me hooked and honestly, I wouldn’t mind reading a full story
about Harlem.
Two thumbs up!
Here
are my favorite lines:
Doc
Brewster was trying this hypno bullshit on me. I was supposed to regress, go
way back into my past, and see what else has me so jacked up that I behaved the
way I did now. He kept calling me Ronnie, and they knew how I felt about that
name. If I didn’t have these thick leather strap on my arms, I’d choke the life
out of him. But I couldn’t, because whatever shot they just gave me left me too
weak. I was fading.
“Ronnie?”
“My
name is Harlem. Can’t you remember? Harlem. H-A-R-L-E-M. Harlem.”
“Right,
right. I apologize, Harlem. I’m sorry; I was reading off your charts.”
“That’s
all right. I’m sorry for going off in front of you, Daphane.”
Daphane
smiled. “That’s okay, Harlem. Don’t be too mean today, okay? I had a rough
night last night. Just do what Doctor Brewster asks, and I’ll sit down with you
and we’ll look at yesterday’s newspaper.”
Rating:
5 stars
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