rock puppets

by chris.

most people thought he was either stupid or crazy. they'd watch him for
a few seconds, then shake their heads and walk away, choosing one of
these words to describe him. children weren't even entertained by him.
most stood watching with a face completely void of anything close to
interest. they too, eventually, walked away, bored and sometimes weeping.

he kept the plays going, though. audience or no audience, the plays had
to be performed. to get ready, he'd join his thumb with his four fingers,
as you would in a sock puppet, then, he'd carefully place a fist sized
rock on top of his hand. he'd stand there balancing it for a while until
he was comfortable, then begin his play. when his rock puppet spoke, his
fingers would move up and down causing the rock to tumble off and clatter
to the ground. every time this happened he'd scurry after it, pick it up,
return to his spot, and re-place the stone upon his hand. it would fall
off after every dialogue, and he'd pick it up and put it back on every time
it fell. he never laughed at these mistakes but instead assured anyone
around him that he was practicing and only a beginner, that a rock puppeteer
needed many years to train, not just the short decade that he'd had, until
they eventually became a master.

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