. green things rising . excerpt of a novel-in-progress .
My period was a secret, a shame. Eine schade. I pull whatever runs between my legs into a curtain, a veil. I'm not a woman, but a girl. I'm not a girl but a sexless thing, an animal, a robot, a nothing, a wisp, a ghost.
At the end of class on Friday, Tina and I are the last ones in the room, putting up the chairs. Tina is my best friend - we chatter about everything. It's raining outside, sometimes heavy enough to be a visitor, rattling and knocking the window, streaking it.
Tina - "I've got a secret...."
"What?" I'm excited, sure it will be about some new crush or yummy gossip.
"I got my period last night."
I shrugged.
"Did you get yours?"
"Yeah, a few months ago."
"Why didn't
you tell me?," she wanted to know, shocked, as if I had breached her trust.
I didn't have a ready answer, was too mute to explain myself. I didn't know
it was something a girl could look forward to, brag about....I never even think
of telling her about my period. I assume everyone is as ashamed about it as
me.
.
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