Luyện nghe bài hát The Gift

Waldo jeffers had reached his limit. it was now mid-august which meant that he had been separated from marsha for more than two months. two months, and all he had to show was three let
And two expensive long distance phone calls. when school had ended and she'd returned to wisconsin, and he to locust, pennsylvania. she had sworn to maintain a certain fidelity, she would d
Ccasionally, but merely as amusement. she would faithfull.

But lately waldo had begun to worry. he had trouble sleeping at night and when he did, he had horrible dreams. he lay awake at night, tossing and turning his pleated quilt protector,
Welling in his eyes. as he pictured marsha, her sworn vows overcome by and the smooth soothing of some neanderthal, finally submitting to the final caresses of sexual oblivion. it was mo
An the human could bear.

Visions of marsha's faithlessness haunted him. daytime fantasies of sexual abandon permeated his thoughts. and the thing was they wouldn't understand how she really was. he, waldo, alone,
Rstood this. he had intuitively grasped nook and cranny of her psyche. he had made her smile, and she needed him, and he wasn't there. (ahhh....)

The idea came to him on the thursday the mummers' parade was scheduled to appear. he had just finished mowing and etching the edelsons lawn for a dollar fifty and had checked the mailbox
E if there was at least a from marsha. there was nothing more than a circular from the amalgamated aluminum company of america inquiring into his zoning needs. at least they cared enough to
E. it was a new york company. you could go in the mail.

Then it struck him, he didn't have enough money to go to wisconsin in the accepted fashion, true, but why not mail himself? it was absurdly simple. he would ship himself parcel post deli
The next day waldo went to the to purchase the necessary equipment. he bought masking tape, a staple gun and a medium sized box, just right for a person of his built. he judged that
A minimum of jostling he could ride quite comfortably. a few airholes, some water, of course, midnight and it would probably be as good as going tourist.

By friday afternoon, waldo was set. he was packed and the office had agreed to pick him up at three o'clock. he'd marked the package "fragile", and as he sat curled up inside, res
The foam rubber cushioning he'd thoughtfully included, he tried to picture the of awe and happiness on marshas face as she opened the door, saw the package, tipped the deliverer, and then o
It to see her waldo there in person. she would kiss him, then, maybe they could see a movie. if he'd only thought of this before. suddenly rough hands gripped his package and he felt hi
Barne up. he landed with a thud in a truck and he was off.

Marsha bronson had just finished setting her hair. it had been a very rough weekend. she had to remember not to drink like that. bill had been nice about it though. it was over he'd said t
E still respected her and, after all, it was certainly the way of nature, and even though, no he didn't love her, he did feel an affection for her. and, all, they were grown adults. oh, wh
Lly could teach waldo - but seemed like years ago.

Sheila klein, her very, very best walked in through the porch screen door and into the kitchen.

"oh god, it's maudlin outside."

"i know what you mean, I feel all icky!" marsha tightened her cotton robe with the silk outer edge. sheila ran her over some salt grains on the kitchen table, licked her fingers
a face.

"i'm supposed to take salt pills," but she wrinkled her nose, "they make me feel like throwing up." marsha started to pat herself under the chin, an exercise she'd seen
Elevision. "god, don't even talk about that." she got up from the table and went to the sink where she picked up a of pink and blue vitamins. "want one? supposed to be bett
An steak." and attempted to her knees.

"i don't think I'll ever touch a daiquiri again." she gave up and sat down, this nearer the table that supported the telephone. "maybe bill will call." she said to sheil
Lance. nibbled on a cuticle.

"after last night, I maybe you'd be through with him."

"i know what you mean, my god, he was like an octopus. hands all over the place." she gestured, raising her upwards in defense. "the thing is after a while, you get tired of
Ing with him, you know, and all he didn't really do anything friday and saturday so I kind of owed it to him, you know what I mean." she started to scratch.

Sheila was giggling with her hand over her mouth. "i'll tell you, I feel the same way, and even after a while," here she forward in a whisper, wanted to," and now she was lau
loudly.

It was at this point that mr. jameison of the clarence darrow post office rang the door bell of the colored stucco frame house. when marsha bronson opened the door, he helped her carry the
Age in. he had his yellow and green slips of paper signed and left with a fifteen cent tip marsha had gotten out of her mothers small beige pocketbook in the den.

"what do you think it is? " asked.

Marsha stood with her arms folded behind her back. she stared at the brown cardboard carton that sat in the middle of the room: "i don't know."

Inside the package waldo quivered with excitement as he listened to the muffled voices. ran her fingernail over the masking tape that ran down the center of the carton. "why don't yo
K at the return address and see who it is "

Waldo felt his heart beating. he could the vibrating footsteps. it would be soon.

Marsha walked the carton and read the ink-scratched label. "god, it's from waldo."

"that schmuck!" sheila.

Waldo with expectation.

"you might as well open it," said sheila. of them tried to flip the stable flap.

"ah," said marsha groaning. "he must nailed it shut." they tagged at the flap again. "my god, you need a power drill to get this thing opened." they pulled aga
Quot;you can't get a grip!" they both stood still, breathing heavily. "why don't you get the scissors," said sheila. marsha ran into the kitchen, but all she could find was a
Wing scissors. then she remembered her father kept a collection of tools in the basement. she ran downstairs and when she came back, she had a large metal cutter in her hand. "this is
Est I could find." she was out of breath. "here, you do it. I'm gonna die." she sank into a large fluffy couch and exhaled noisily. sheila to make a slit between the masking
And the end of the cardboard, but the blade was too big and there was not room. "g-damn this thing!" she said feeling very exaspe- rated. then, smiling "i got an idea.&quo
Uot;what? " said marsha. "just watch," said touching her finger to her head.

Inside the package, waldo was transfixed excitement that he could hardly breathe. his skin felt prickly from the heat and he could feel his heart beating in his throat. it would be soon.

stood quite upright and walked around to the other side of the package. then she sank down to her knees, grasped the cutter by both hands, took a deep breath and plunged the long blade th
The middle of the package, through the middle of the masking tape, through the card-board through the and right through the center of waldo jeffers head, which split slightly and cau
Ittle rhythmic arcs of red to gently in the morning sun.