Synopsis of Short Story- "Rescue TuTu"

Lauren C. LePoidevin

Synopsis of Short Story

          My short story will be narrated from the heterodiegetic narrator, or third persons, point of view.

This story takes place in Tampa, Florida and has 1 central character and 2 minor characters. The central character's name is Carol and she is in her mid 20's, is a full time student, and works part time. Carol is best friends with Paul, the 2^nd character, and they spend most of their time together in a platonic way. Although their friendship is solid and just a friendship, their has always been some underlying feelings for both of them. The third character is Emily. Emily and Carol met working at the mall together and decided to become roommates. Emily is young, only 21, and she is a serial dater. From one boyfriend she received a boxer puppy. After the arrival of the puppy, conflict begins between Carol and Emily. First Emily makes a move on Paul and they begin to date, leaving less time for Carol and Paul to spend time together like they used to. Paul lives 45 minutes away and Emily rarely comes home anymore to take care of her dog. Carol now has to pick up Emily's slack by taking care of Tutu; feeding her, walking her, taking her to the vet, buying food, cleaning up after her messes. Carol starts to keep track of the length of time Emily neglects Tutu and confronts her after about a year of taking on her responsibilities as a dog owner. Carol had to give up her own dog in the past to her mother because she did not feel she had enough time to dedicate to her dog and did what was best for her. Now that she has been taking care of Emily's dog, she feels she could have been taking care of her own dog instead. Nevertheless, Carol forms a deep bond with Tutu and starts to despise Emily for not only neglecting her dog, but taking away her best friend Paul. Emily treats Paul like just another boyfriend to toss aside whenever she is sick of him, and this too causes tension between the girls. Emily dumps Paul and starts dating someone else, again neglecting Tutu. Carol has finally had enough and reminds Emily each day she needs to come home and own up to her obligations and priorities. Emily is immature and only ever argues with Carol about the dog and claims she does take care of her and if Carol does not want to help then not to worry about Tutu. Carol explains that at the end of that years lease she would be moving out and asks if she can have ownership of Tutu. Emily denies her ownership and Carol is left to wonder about Tutu's welfare after she is gone. Carol moves in with Paul temporarily while she finds a new apartment and the two of them start to devise a plan to rescue Tutu from Emily.

The Number 6 and a Side of Crab Ran-goon

Lauren C. LePoidevin

The Number 6 and a Side of Crab Ran-goon

          Chinese food is a rare craving for me. I can never seem to get the thought out of my head that I might be eating a cat. The thought of a poor kitty falling victim to the dreaded Chinese restaurant owner makes me cringe and slightly depressed. I know it wont happen, at least in Wisconsin, but the urban legend still lingers in my mind. I always get the same thing – crab ran-goon, sweet and sour chicken, and white rice. I tried an egg roll once and I thought I had eaten decayed vegetables and grease. Gross. After that I decided not to stray away from my usual order, they are the only items on a Chinese menu that wont make me hurl.

          I walked through the front door of the empty restaurant. It had the usual decorations; a giant photo of the Great Wall in a golden dragon frame and bamboo center pieces at each cheap food court table. I was greeted at the front counter by a nice Asian man and what I assumed was his wife. They were speaking to each other when I came in, but I haven’t the slightest idea what they were saying as they both looked at me. I always feel judged when people are looking at me and speaking another language. I never know if I should be offended or just go with it. So I went with it. He said something to me, I assumed it was hello and I responded by saying hello back.

          He said, “No, how tall are you?”

 
          “6 feet even.”

          “Wow! You must be basketball player.”
  
          I hate when people assume I play basketball because I am a woman and unusually tall. I tried not to make it obvious that I was offended and let out a fake chuckle so the situation didn't become awkward.

          I said, “No, I actually play golf and tennis.”

          People tend to react disappointed that their assumption is completely wrong and unimpressed with the sports I actually participate in. I don't think people who ask me if I play basketball realize that height is also an advantage in these sports. I actually hate basketball. Its about as interesting as a sewing contest. Before the Asian man could respond I blurted out my order.

          “Can I have a number 6 with white rice, crab ran-goon, and extra sweet and sour sauce?”

          “Okay, number 6, white, crab ran-goon, extra sauce. It will be done in 15 minutes. You sit and I bring to you.”

          “That's okay, I'll wait outside.”

           I don't like to wait inside where there are no other customers, it's weird. I paid him, walked outside and lit a cigarette. As I stood there smoking, I thought about cats again and watched a squirrel try to cross the two lane road. He succeeded after about 7 tries. My squirrel observation became interrupted when this guy walked out of the barber shop next door. His pants needed a belt, his hair needed less product, and his cologne needed to be seriously toned down. He lit a cigarette and had his phone glued to his ear. He was about 10 feet away, far enough to not have to say hello and close enough to hear him talking to a friend that I assume was a carbon copy of him.

           He said, “Hey man, what's good? That girl won't stop texting me, how do I get rid of her?”

          He was quiet for a moment and he sat down on a bench.
  
          “She's only good for one thing,” he said. “ And she cooks me dinner like every night. She's so desperate for a boyfriend, its pathetic.”

          I rolled my eyes and pretended I couldn't hear his stupid conversation.

          He then said, “If that girl didn't give it up every night, I would kick her ass to the curb. She's boring and needs to lose 10 lbs. She thinks we are dating just because we hang out and have sex. I never let her spend the night, when is she gonna get the hint?”

          I couldn't believe my ears. Everything this guy was saying just kept getting dumber and dumber. Not to mention more disrespectful as the minutes passed. Out of the corner of my eye I could see him staring at me. Ugh! What a creep. I kept praying he wouldn’t try to talk to me. I am not as blind or nice as the girl he apparently “courting”.

          “Hey, let me call you back. There's a chick out here, I'm gonna go say whassup.”

           Jesus Christ! I thought, my lucky day. He walked over to me and made a sad effort to strike up a conversation.

          “Pickin' up some dinner?”

          “How did ya guess?”

          “What's your name?, he asked.

          “Tabitha.”

          I never give my real name to people I don't feel are worthy to know it. Tabitha was the first thing I could think of. All the thoughts of cat meat in my Chinese food made me think of tabby cats.

          He said, “Oh that's a real pretty name. You go to school around here?”

          “Nope.”

          “Oh, well can I get your number and we can get something to eat sometime?”

          “Um – not gonna happen.”

          Just then the little Asian man brought my food outside in a white plastic bag with a smiley face on it. I never thought I would be so happy to see him again.

          I said, “Thank you so much.” With a cheery smile and tone.

         “Your welcome, come again.”

          I put my cigarette out and started walking to my car. The tool was following me. I turned around and looked at him.

          I said, “ Are you serious, take a hint buddy.” I got into my car and drove away while he stood dumbfounded on the sidewalk.

Animal/Environment Sketch Edited

 Animal/Environment Sketch Edited

          After a day of jam-packed obligations, I finally pulled into the driveway. As the garage door closed, I heard clawing coming from behind the once scratch-less wooden door. As I turned the knob and opened the door he jumped to his hind legs to give me a hug. I used to be able to pick him up with one arm and carry him like a baby; a furry baby. These days he stands up and rests his paws on my shoulders, gripping them so he can lick my face. He gathered his composure and we headed into the kitchen. Boesky stayed attached to my hip while I made some coffee and a peanut butter and raisin sandwich.

         I opened the squeaky basement door and headed down the stairs to get some homework done. Before I reached the last step, a giant black and white arctic fuzzball flies passed me. He made his less than graceful landing on the concrete floor and lost his traction. He was running in place like Tom chasing Jerry around a tight turn. After he regained his footing, he started a game of “let me see how many things I can run into”. He ran as fast as he could through the gym equipment, under the stairs, into the studio, and around and around again, occasionally making U-turns and sliding into storage bins. I egged him on by giving chase until he crashed into my easel, knocking it and a canvas to the floor. I didn't scold him because the accident was my fault. So I picked up the easel and sat in the corner of my studio.

        This space is one of five corners and is about as comfortable as it is going to get. My chair is an old ottoman with an oversized pillow leaning against the wall. The cold brick foundation is concealed by mismatched drapes and the studio wall is still unfinished. The insulation is covered by a plastic tarp stapled to wooden beams. At least 25 charcoal drawings are secured to the tarp with safety pins and serves as my own personal gallery. The space heater is just barely enough to keep me from going back upstairs, even with wool socks and a loose fitting sweat shirt.

         Boesky kept himself busy playing with his toys while I wrote my paper. He buried his head into his toy basket and pulled out a giant tire toy that could be the spare on a Honda Civic or a Smart car at the least. He shook it violently and tossed it up into the air just to jump up and catch it; I think he believes it's alive. After testing and defeating that toy, he buried his head back into his toy basket to find his next victim. Just as I finished my paper, Boesky stood in front of me staring blankly. I think he expected me to know what he wanted. I could have called out any one of the fifteen words in his tiny little brain and he would have reacted the same way. Nevertheless I took him upstairs to go outside.

          I clipped him to his cable line and he took off like a maniac for about thirty feet before he started a revolving circle of imaginary bunny chasing. I bet myself it would only take about fifteen seconds before he wrapped himself around the tree. It only took ten. He always thinks the only way to escape is to chew through the tree for a few minutes and then sit and wait for an adult. When I freed him from his own stupidity, he acted like I just saved his life. He jumped from all four legs to his hind legs, back to four legs and started twirling in circles. He followed me back inside and I prepared my second cup of coffee.

         The two of us headed back to the basement and I returned to my studio to sketch some ideas for paintings I might never get around to painting. My table is covered in dry paint, charcoal, dirty rags, and unfinished projects. Half-done paintings sit with dust and stacks of drawing studies are taking over. I tried to organize a little bit before I sat down with my sketchpad and then I started craving my nicotine. After my fix I sipped my coffee, sharpened my pencil, and put on some quiet music. Just as I made my first mark on the page, my husband walked in the door. Boesky acted like he hadn't seen him in decades and knocked over my coffee during his little outburst. After throwing a few dirty rags on the spilled coffee, I put the pencil down and returned to the above ground world to start dinner. I'll try again tomorrow.

How to Prepare - Revised

Preparing for Tropical Storms and Hurricanes

We are the ants running for the hills when Mother Nature extends her wrathful hands. The history of our blue planet has revealed there is no geographical place on Earth where humans and animals could live and escape the tragedies of natural catastrophes. Storms are unforgiving and being prepared gives life better odds. In the game of survival, Mother Nature has the home field advantage, and in order to win, one must know the incredible force they are up against.

Tropical Storm

     A Tropical storm like hurricanes is determined by its wind intensity. The minimum wind speed of a this storm is 39 miles per hour with a maximum wind speed of 73 miles per hour. These winds howl and carry any debris it can hold waiting to throw it into your path. Street signs violently shake side to side as if the metal post will be ripped from the ground, and if it does you can be sure it wont just fall limp. Sea levels can rise creating what is called a storm surge causing the shore line to pound dry land, dragging anything not secured down back to the turbulent waters. It is rare, but not impossible, for tornadoes to develop during these winds only causing further concern for safety.

Category 1 Hurricane

     A tropical storm becomes a category 1 hurricane when winds reach 74 miles per hour. The maximum speed of this hurricane is 95 miles per hour. These winds are dangerous and can absolutely cause significant damage to property and life. Roof tiles fly like the cards from a dealers hands and the sky grows black as soot. Storm surges grow stronger and rain pounds the Earth in all directions making the risk of flood grow nearer and nearer. Tornadoes start to form, leaving trails of destruction like a toddler with a permanent marker. Trucks can be pushed right off the road like hot wheels and street lights swing until a cord snaps and it crashes to road below.

Category 2 Hurricane

     At 96 miles per hour a hurricane has reached category 2 and its wind speed hits its maximum at 110 miles per hour. One who does not fear these winds is a brave soul. Waves bludgeon the shore with incredible violence. If a st orm surge encounters a sea wall, the splash generated can reach 100 feet into the air if it has not already buried the wall beneath the sea. This storm surge now swallows up to a 10^th of a mile of shore line, drowning once land plant life into a temporary marine world. Hundreds of Millions of dollars in damage will occur in the path of this hurricane. The outside world becomes incredibly unstable when winds tear through homes like a derailed train. As street signs are plucked from the ground with such ease they end up landing somewhere with deadly force. Trees shake like an umbrella after one comes inside from the rain. They can have been rooted for 60 to 100 years and in an instant be ripped from the Earth, becoming weapons against the community.

Category 3 Hurricane

     At 111 miles per hour, a category 3 hurricane is born. The maximum wind speed is 130 miles per hour. These winds leave a devastating after math; some will not survive. As in the previous two categories, storm surges are eminent, tornadoes will beat the ground and destroy property, lakes will be swallowed by floods, and the wind will carry debris for miles before it conveniently thrusts objects into your home or car. The winds scream with anger, and the sounds of metal can be heard as debris meets debris. Palm trees bend with incredible resilience and just when you think its going to crack, the oak next to it becomes uprooted. When a tornado is near, you might think a locomotive is on your door step ready to end it all. Do not underestimate the power of this hurricane. To go outside would be like blowing dust from a shelf; you would be the dust.

Category 4 Category 5 Hurricanes

     These categories are incredibly dangerous and are a real threat to survival. The winds produced during these storms leave catastrophic damage and no one is safe. Billions of dollars in damage will absolutely occur. Category 4 wind speeds start at 131 miles per hour and maximize at 155 miles per hour while a category 5 wind speed has only a minimum of 156 miles per hour; there is no recorded maximum speed for a category 5 hurricane. These hurricanes can wipe entire cities off the grid and leave thousands dead or homeless. These hurricanes are essentially tornadoes bigger than entire states. Homes can be torn from their foundations, warehouses leave only a few steal beams giving the impression some large structure used to be there, and once resilient trees snap like tooth picks. Buses, boats, cars, and semi truck trailers are found high in the trees, miles away from where they were parked or docked. Floods will bury neighborhoods and when it is all over, the world around you will look like Armageddon.

Evacuation

     For category 4 and category 5 hurricanes it is highly recommended that you evacuate. It is possible to survive these storms without injury and relatively minimal property damage, but the odds are against you. If you live within 10 miles of a coastline or you live in a mobile home you should absolutely evacuate. For category 2 and 3 hurricanes you may want to consider evacuating if you live within 6 to 8 miles of a coastline and if you live in a mobile home you should still absolutely evacuate. Mobile homes are at risk of becoming debris in these wind conditions. For category 1 hurricanes those living in mobile homes should strongly consider evacuating and coastline homes should hold up fine. Those not living in the above mentioned parameters are able to ride out category 1 through 3 hurricanes with proper planning.

      If evacuation is eminent, try to leave town at least 2 days before the storm makes land fall to avoid a possible grid lock. To better prepare for evacuation scenarios you should have at least 5 routes out of town prepared in the event of grid lock and/or bridge/road closures. Once wind speeds exceed 45 miles per hour bridges close and at around 75 miles per hour causeways will also close. Have road maps, a first aid kit, and if possible a GPS in your escape vehicle at all times. Pack at least 3 weeks worth of clothing, returning home may not be an immediate option after a hurricane has passed. If you need to evacuate, having a file folder with your most important and valuable documents ready to go is a good idea. Some documents cannot be easily replaced. Examples of important and valuable documents would be birth certificates, social security cards, titles, deeds, bonds, emergency credit card, insurance information etc. Having these items makes getting life back to normal a little easier in the event your home and all of your belongings have been destroyed. Keeping this folder in a fire and water proof safe is most ideal even if you do not have to evacuate. Finally, even though food and water will be available where ever you decide to seek refuge, it is recommended that you have 5 to 6 gallons of water and a weeks worth of food available.

Home Supplies

     Basically the majority of supplies you will need are based on the likely event of a power outage. Power can remain down for a few hours up to a few weeks depending on the severity of the hurricane. Power can even be out for a few hours up to a few days after a tropical storm. The following list of supplies will enure your survival in a power outage:

• At least 1 flash light per person
  • Do not use candles – they are hazardous and rescue wait time will be increased or impossible
• Radio- for weather updates i.e. tornado warnings and flash floods
• Batteries
• Cooler and Ice- to preserve cold food as long as possible
  • If you choose not to get a cooler, try not to open the fridge. Each time the fridge is opened, cold air escapes and food starts to perish.
• 3 weeks worth of dry and/or canned foods
  • cereal, raisins, bread, peanut butter, crackers, etc.
• Generator
  • Never ever use a generator indoors. Generators produce carbon monoxide and is deadly if inhaled.
  • Generators should be stored indoors during the storm and only used outdoors after the storm has passed while you are awaiting power to be restored.
    • Generators need to be stored indoors during the storm because they become hazardous debris if left outdoors.

      In addition to the above mentioned supplies you will want to have at least 12 gallons of bottled/jugged water on hand in the event your water source has been contaminated.

Preventing Injury and Property Damage

     Two of the most important things to have for your home are a strong roof and hurricane proof windows. If your home was built before the year 2000 you may not have hurricane proof windows. It is in your best interest to invest in hurricane proof windows and a solid roof. If this is not possible, hurricane proof shutters can be installed for a lesser amount than new windows. If installing shutters is also unaffordable there is a cheaper option, but it is less effective. Drill screw anchors into the exterior of the house around the perimeters of each window and/or sliding glass door. Use either aluminum sheets or plywood to secure to the anchors. This will prevent most debris from breaking your windows. Putting tape on glass will not protect it from any debris, not even a pebble.

      you have any outdoor potted or hanging plants, you should bring them all indoors. These plants can easily become dangerous debris; putting yourself and others in danger. Any thing on your property that is not secured to a foundation should be brought indoors to avoid creating more deadly debris. If you have the opportunity, buy sandbags to place on the interior of your entryways to prevent light flooding.

     Do not park cars under trees if at all possible. You never know what tree is going to fall or which way it will fall. Anything you can do to prevent your own property damage will save you from future headaches and financial loss. If you live under large oak trees, you might want to consider evacuating for the same reason you wouldn't park a car under a tree.

     Lastly, do not go outside during a tropical storm or hurricane. It may seem thrilling, but it is in fact a quality of a Darwin award winner.

Analyze- "Cathedral" by Raymond Carver

     The “Cathedral” by Raymond Carver is a very descriptive story about a man awaiting the arrival of his wife's blind friend and the events that take place on the blind mans first night as his guest. His concrete language describes his thoughts on the future arrival of Robert, the blind man, and his reservations with having him come to his home to visit his wife. The protagonist in the story “Cathedral” only went by the name “Bub”. I can only conclude that this was not his real name, but an affectionate nickname given to him by Robert the blind man. As this story began, it became clear that Bub was not thrilled to have another man in his home that had a history with his wife, the history did not matter, but even more intimidated by the thought of a disabled man in his home. Bub was bitter when describing his wife's history and ex husband, but goes on to explain his worries of having a blind man around. Bub describes what the life of a blind man must be like and what it must be like to be married to a blind man. His words were judgmental and had Robert known his initial thoughts, he might have been hurt or offended by Bub's opinions. Bub did not know what to expect, how to act, or what to talk about. At first he does not care the least if he has anything in common with the man or if he is even comfortable as a guest. Bub's stereotypes of blind people proved to be wrong upon meeting Robert and he admired his ability to comprehend his environment. Late into the night of Robert's visit, they have loosened up with some drinks and cannabis (referred to as a “number”) and relax by the television. Bub is watching and Robert is listening as an Englishman narrates stories about cathedrals. Bub asks Robert is he even knows what a cathedral is and attempts to explain its visual properties, but stops when he realized language is not helping a blind man visualize anything at all. Robert suggests Bub draw a picture and he will hold his hand and follow along to visualize what a cathedral is. It is at this time that Bub finally relaxes and feels comfortable with Robert, even closing his own eyes, and they have a moment of bonding.