RM Ahmose Fiction Writer

From Story One

"The Office Manager"

   “Oh, congratulations! I told you! I knew it! You are  a woman with brains. It didn’t take me long to discover that.”

   Kellie   had  been  a  little uncomfortable  with compliments,  especially highly  flattering ones, since   she   could  remember.

   “Well, if I were really  smart,  it  doesn’t seem to me that I’d be a  twenty-eight-year-old   divor-cee,  living  in  a three-room, pre-furnished,  stu-dio  apartment.” Kellie  was  now   standing   in  the  doorway entrance looking down three steps distance at the  young  woman who strode lithe-ly backward on the way to her engagements.

   “Oh,   that’s   just… for  now.  You’ll find your footing   again.  So,   look.  Are  you   going  to celebrate in any way?”

   “Well,  actually,” Kellie  replied   reflecting  on arrangements  made prior, “my neighbor across the   hall,  Meagan,  and  I have been saying for the past two weeks that we would do dinner out and  return   for   a   few   slugs   from   the  old  canister afterward. Have you met Meagan?”

   “Not really, but  I’ve  seen  her,  you  know, in passing.  Well,  if  it  appears  that  you’re back home around seven-thirty-ish or so, mind if I tap on your front door to join you?”

   “Sure!  That  will be great. As any ‘stranger in  a   strange   land’  will   tell   you,  three  merry-makers  are  thirty-three percent  more fun than two.”

   Monica  chuckled a musical little laugh, “You are so  funny…and  smart.  Well,  I’ll  see  you later, if you’re back when I get in.”

  “Looking forward to it. Bye-bye.”   (p. 20)

 From Story Two

"A Nice Family"

   “Well,  people  can be smart in different ways, Trina. Is she smart in the way that your teacher says you’re smart?”

   “Well…she  doesn’t know things for school…you  know…things   we  learn  for  school.  But she’s still smart, Mommy, I know she is--.”

   “Well,   I’m   glad  you  found  a  good  friend  at  school…such  a nice little girl—such a nice family. And  they’re  saving  us  a  little money too, Trina. Because  of  the  Nieses,  you don’t have  to be in after-school  care  for  an hour or so, before I pick you up.”

   “Yes,”  Trina  murmured reflectively, “…some of    the   after-school   children  don’t  like  me. They’re  always  saying I think I’m smarter than everybody…all the  children. But I….  Do I think I’m smarter than everybody, Mommy?”

   “Well, all  the  teachers  who know you at the school  say  you’re  very  smart,  which  is very good.  I  think   you   should   just  keep  being  yourself  and don’t worry about what the others think about you. Plus, you have a good friend at school, now.”

   “Yeah…I mean,  yes.  Faith-Marie  is so cool. I wish she could be my sister.”

   It  was  a  Friday  evening, and  a dark-yellow sun  moved  toward  the  horizon portending the onset of the  graying of outdoors. Mrs. Lark was putting   the  finishing  touches on  dinner, while Trina  looked  on,  making effusive conversation with  her  mother between the fanciful talks she conducted  with  the dolls and other characters at her play table. (pp. 211-212)