Stay Together

by Anne, Evelyn, Earnest, Henry, Patricia, Evonne, Lois, [Alice]

Good!  [Storyteller points and laughs.]  Two kids talking to each other.  They are playpens.  

[What is happening?]

It just went through the air.  Maybe there’s no glass in the two windows.  

[Who are these girls?]

On the left is Linda, on the right is Betty.  We’re putting them together [two storytellers set their pictures side-by-side].  

[What happens next?]

Heavy rain.  They are surprised, they weren’t expecting it.  

These aren’t your children; they are truly Japanese.  I might have a little Japanese running around if my son went to Japan and they set him up with some girls.  

[Are they concerned about the heavy rain?]

The way the water is approaching, coming into a shower all dressed.  Maybe they are looking to go in.  It’s been a long time since I had anything to do with when I was young.  I used to have some from school, I might have some from home, I don’t know for sure.  

[Tell me more about the water.]

The water is approaching very fast in Japan.  I couln’t tell you how fast.  Tsunami from the ocean.  I just read about it.  I didn’t really see it.  But I was pretty close to where the water was running.  I was working there.  

[What will Betty and Linda do about the Tsunami?  Do they have a plan?]

Betty and Linda should get together and make a group, that way they couldn’t split.  Stay together.  From the edge of the water, where the water splashes, the kids keep running around, and they don’t do no damage.  

I’m just going to put this in a photo album.  I’m not a big picture collector.  

Either am I [another storyteller agrees].  

[What happens next?]

Stay in a circle, close to each other.  

I have a friend, which reminds me, I am ashamed of myself.  She is Japanese.  She moved to New Orleans, and we became good friends.  We lost track of each other.  I’m going to call her.  She said her father hit her with a belt and insinuated that she had sexual relations with him.  What kind of father would do that?  She’ll be surprised when I decide to call her.  That’s not typical Japanese.  

[Are Betty and Linda safe now?]

Betty and Linda will hold hands in the water.  In a tidal wave it will be alright.  

[Another storyteller objects...] The last time I saw it, they wouldn’t allow holding hands.  They had to get this deep [the storyteller holds his hand up to chest] in water.  

[How will they stay together if they aren't allowed to hold hands?]

They put them in a room together by themselves.  That’s why they are in this room, I imagine.  I hope they get out, go up on the top, on a group in their age.  

[How does the story end?]

Tragedy.  The End.