20061017

Hawking Loogies

by Shonali Bhowmik

As I was picnicking on a sunny afternoon under a sprawling oak tree with my friends, a cute little grey squirrel scurried past us. When I got up to throw away the trash, the squirrel stopped directly in front of me and stood up on his hind legs. He was wearing a look of disgust and as he propped his claws on his hips, he leaned back and hawked a loogie straight on to the middle of my forehead. I was in shock, laughing nervously, hoping to make it clear that he was not to do it again. The squirrel was clear that I would be his muse and at every step he hawked loogie after loogie, making them all bulls' eyes. When I awoke I was relieved but now I am stuck on that rascal and can't seem to figure out whether he was my friend or my enemy.

6S

Shonali Bhowmik is the leader of the band Tigers and Monkeys and a member of the comedy group The Variety Shac. She pays her bills working as a temporary attorney.