Turn 185 of 233

Tell Kimo to say goodnight to his grandparents and head home. Sleep on the balcony together like we always do

Lena holds the phone toward Kimo and the holding is the thing that puts the speaker near his mouth and his mouth is the thing that Janet and Samuel are waiting on. The banana residue is still on his chin and the chin is the thing that does not get wiped because wiping is not the thing that happens on the pad.

"Say goodnight to Gampa and Ganma, buddy," Lena says.

Kimo looks at the phone. The looking is the thing that is the studying and the studying is the thing he does before he speaks. His mouth works the shapes — the lips, the tongue, the thing that is the forming.

"Bye Gampa," he says. "Bye Ganma. Night night."

The three phrases come out in a string and the string is the thing that is the sentence and the sentence is the thing that is the closing and the closing is the thing that is the word for the people and the people are the thing on the phone. Night night. The doubling is the thing he does with words he likes — the repeat that is the emphasis and the emphasis is the thing that is the meaning. Night night is not just night. Night night is the thing that says the night is the thing that is coming and the coming is the thing that is the sleep and the sleep is the thing that is the together.

Samuel says something and the something is low and the low is the thing that is the voice and the voice is the thing that is rough.

"Goodnight, Kimo." Janet says goodnight too and the goodnight is the thing that is wet and the wet is the thing that is the same as before. The call ends and the ending is the thing that is the dark screen and the dark screen is the thing that is the phone in Lena's hand and the hand is the thing that puts the phone in the harness pocket.

Lena lifts Kimo onto her hip and the lifting is 150 pounds and the 150 is the thing her arms hold without adjusting. She walks to the truck and the walking is bare feet on concrete and the concrete is the thing that is the pad and the pad is the thing that is the site and the site is the thing she is leaving. The truck is the thing she drives and the driving is the thing that is the five miles to the apartment and the five miles is the thing that is the dark road and the dark road is the thing Kimo sleeps on. His head is against her shoulder and the shoulder is the thing that is the tattooed skin and the tattooed skin is the thing that is warm and the warm is the thing he sleeps on.

The apartment is dark and the dark is the thing that is the inside and the inside is the thing Lena walks through without stopping. The balcony is the thing she is going to and the going is the thing that is the sliding door and the sliding door is the thing that opens to the night and the night is the thing that is the air. The air is warm and the warm is the thing that is Florida and the Florida is the thing that is the always. The balcony floor is concrete and the concrete is the thing she sleeps on and the sleeping is the thing she does without a bed and the bed is the thing she sold and the sold is the thing that is the months and the months are the thing that is the habit.

Lena sets Kimo down on the concrete and the setting is the thing that is gentle and the gentle is the thing her arms do with 150 pounds of sleeping boy. He stirs and the stirring is the thing that is the finding of the surface and the surface is the thing that is the concrete and the concrete is the thing that is cool and the cool is the thing that is the night. She lies down beside him and the lying is 730 pounds on concrete and the concrete is the thing that holds and the holding is the thing that is the balcony and the balcony is the thing that is the floor and the floor is the thing that is the sky above. The sky is the thing that is the dark and the dark is the thing that is the stars and the stars are the thing she does not look at because looking at stars is not the thing she does. She puts her arm around Kimo and the arm is the thing that is the circle and the circle is the thing that is the boy against the mother and the mother is the thing that is the wall and the wall is the thing that is the body and the body is the thing that is 730 pounds of warm and the warm is the thing that is the sleep.

Kimo's belly makes a sound and the sound is the thing that is the fart and the fart is the thing that is the long and the long is the thing that rumbles on the concrete and the concrete is the thing that carries it. Lena feels it against her side and the feeling is the thing that is the vibration and the vibration is the thing that is the boy and the boy is the thing that is the sleeping and the sleeping is the thing that does not break for the fart. She farts too and the too is the thing that is the same and the same is the thing that is the them and the them is the thing that is the balcony and the balcony is the thing that is the night.