@@@@@I took it, though, when he handed it 363
@@@@@I took it,
though, when he handed it over
It was Julia Wireman in miniatureThat same dark
hair, framing a pale, perfect faceThose same
dark solemn eyes
"Esmeralda," Wireman said"The other half of my
heart
"Esmeralda," I saidI thought the eyes looking
out of this photograph and the eyes looking up at
Candy Brown in The Picture were almost the same
But maybe all children's eyes are the sameMy arm
began to itchThe one that had been burnt up in a
hospital incineratorI scratched at it and got my
ribs
Wireman took the pictures back, kissed each with a
brief, dry ardor that was terrible to see, and
returned them to their transparent sleevesIt
took him a little while, because his hands had
picked up a trembleAnd, I suppose, he was having
trouble seeing"You actually don't even have to
412
watch those old numbers, amigoIf you close your
eyes you can hear them falling into place: Click
and click and clickSome guys just strike lucky
Hotcha!" He popped his tongue against the roof of
his mouthThe sound was shockingly loud in the
little sedan
"When Ez was three, Julia signed on part-time with
an outfit called Work Fair, Immigration Solutions
in downtown OmahaShe helped Spanish-speakers
with and without green cards get jobs, and she
helped start illegals who wanted citizenship on
the right roadJust a little storefront outfit,
low profile, but they did a lot more practical
good than all the marches and sign-wavingIn
Wireman's humble opinion
He pressed his hands against his eyes and drew a
deep, shuddering breat
