CLABBER

The Fireball 500       Spencer drove a 1972 Ford Pinto. He called it The Fireball 500, because it was the model that often burst into flames in minor accidents. Ralph Nader lobbied to get Pintos removed from the highways. Ford had better lawyers.       Spencer had lived on peanut butter sandwiches and mac-and-cheese for a year to save the money to buy it. The Fireball 500 was not in pristine condition, but its imperfections made Spencer love it even more.      The speedometer was broken so Spencer followed the flow of traffic when he drove. When there was no traffic he counted hash marks. When there were no hash marks, he estimated his speed by watching the pavement through the hole in the floorboard by the passenger seat.       The air conditioner had transformed itself into a heater months ago, so he rolled down the windows. He enjoyed how the wind fluffed his red hair into an afro. When he exited the car, his thin frame and scarlet afro made him look like a mutant dandelion. Passers

Sunday Dinner Daniel Drewry wished he could sail away with the clouds that drifted by the airplane window. But there weren’t enough clouds in the sky to erase the pain of the past year. The year began with the loss of his left kidney to cancer. The stress caused a resurgence of his manic depression, a disease he thought he had left behind in college. His trip to the mental hospital stripped him of his job, his dignity, and his faith. He felt empty and alone. He decided to visit his family. Their lies and abuse drove him away years ago. But he still yearned for a closer connection, or at least a resolution of past differences, so he could get on with his life. He called his mother, Trudy, before he bought his ticket. Trudy was the family matriarch. If she said it would be okay, it would be okay. “ Hey, Mama. It’s me, Danny.” “ Danny? Is it really you?” “ Yes, Mama.” Trudy did not reply for a moment. Daniel knew she was thinking of how to recapture him in he