112 to
Edmonds

Roshni Riar
Staff Writer

IVORKS

 

 

The woman in front of you

is sniffling, flecks of mascara
peppered around her watery eyes.
She's texting her daughter, telling her
no. You wonder what she’s denying.
Her throat bobs.

A man behind you mumbles something
into his damp tissue; he has a cough
that rattles in his chest like a kettle
fighting against steam. You look

back at him and he stares through

you, his focus somewhere miles away.

A block of texts pile up from your
mother, straining your coat with
the weight. Replying to her could
lll time—you know this—but
you don't. Just feel the shape

of her concern tug at you,

testing the stitches of your pocket.

The baby facing you keeps

trying to catch your eye, shining
curiosity scanning the slope of

your nose. Stare at your book hard,
rereading the same sentence until
your stop approaches. Avoid her gaze
at all costs. Don't let her see

where she could possibly end up.

 

 

Plant update: Yep,
they're still alive

Isabelle Orr
Entertainment Editor

 

Seen months ago I wrote a piece about caring for plants as a kind of
self-help. Well, though we faced some setbacks (did you know you have
to “tend” to plants? I sure didn’t) I’m happy to say that the three I have are
prospering (or, at the very least, are still alive). For those waiting with bated
breath to hear an in-depth analysis of each plant, look no further!

Big hanging one

I call this one “Biggie” because of the sheer size of it. I initially had it
hanging above my bed ona very thin, small hook until a friend pointed out
that if there was ever an earthquake, it would fall off and crush my skull
instantly. Although I always assumed I would die via earthquake so this was
fine by me, the plant wasn’t getting enough sun in my room and I prudently
moved it to the living room. I’ve wound the arms of it around the blinds and
it seems to be quite happy octopus-ing out in the corner. A happy boy!

Droopy jade one

This one is supposed to bea hanging jade plant, but I never got around to
hanging it up. It sits in a little flowerpot that I found in an alley and it kind
of does its own thing. It’s a type of succulent, which I found out the first
week when I nearly drowned it to death. It has these spongy, rubbery leaves
that I have been tempted to eat on multiple occasions whilst drunk. I will eat
almost any leaf for five dollars. This plant is just okay.

The OG.

The plant I bought in my aforementioned personal essay! This one is

nearly two feet high and growing strong. Sometimes I carry him around my
apartment as I think it is important for a father and son to bond. I still take
him in the shower (it’s okay, he’s still young) to give him a boost every now
and again. I love him very much and am excited to see what the future has in
store for us.