Big Headed Child | dreamingfordreams.com

…now no longer strange to her, and she found herself turning first to the right and then to the left in the most familiar and natural manner possible, until she came to 119th Street, where her anxious eyes immediately travelled to the house she imagined was her own. It was a mass of flames, and at one of the windows she saw the white and agonised faces of her husband and children.With the fury of a tigress she beat and pushed her way through the dense crowd of fugitives, whom she besought but besought in vain to assist her in the rescue of her family. Eventually she arrived opposite her house. Her husband and youngest child were still at the window clawing frantically at the iron bars, through which neither of them could crawl, and as soon as they saw her they yelled and grinned, and thrust out…

…as I beat and prodded it against the jagged edges of my teeth. But all to no purpose; my head remained full and my stomach empty.”A whole lifetime seemed to pass in this tantalising, agonising manner, and then into the room, in Indian file, stalked all my friends and relations, each carrying in their hands a champagne glass. My uncle, who had been dead and buried at the very least thirty years, headed the procession. Walking solemnly up to me, he took hold of my nose, twisted it round like a tap, and down through my foaming mouth poured the whiskey. As soon as his glass was full he raised it above his head, and exclaimed in a sepulchral voice, ‘ Health! Health! Health!’ to which all the company in chorus responded ‘ Amen! Amen! Amen!’ One after another my relatives and friends followed his example, and twisted my nose…