Petambi and the Moon

Drew Sherer

Description

Petambi and the Moon is a celebration of Gods faithfulness, as witnessed by the constant presence of the moon each night. It explores the fragile yet hilarious world of teenage life, which vacillates between independence and childhood, along with a budding awareness of sexuality. I rewrote my life to understand how Christ moved within. In the searching, stumbling heart of Petambi there are heroic and ridiculous battles with first love, the book of Genesis, alcoholism, and the shock of death. Petambis friend, Bear, is invisible to all but her. He is fashioned after a Franciscan Friar, who was a clown with me for nine years and who could make children laugh. I hope Petambi and the Moon brings you joy as well.

Informations

• Publié par: Inspiring Voices
• Date de parution: 22 mai 2014
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781462409068
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

Petambi and the Moon
 
 
 
By
Drew Sherer

 
Copyright © 2013 Drew Sherer.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
Inspiring Voices books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:
 
Inspiring Voices
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.inspiringvoices.com
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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
 
ISBN: 978-1-4624-0906-8 (e)
 
Inspiring Voices rev. date: 05/07/2014


Contents
Introduction
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Thanks
About The Author

Reviews of Petambi and the Moon
“It’s hard to resist this coming-of-age novel told with the poignancy of the first love it describes. Drew Sherer writes with a sharp eye for detail, a true comic touch, and a gift at times for poetry. The all-color illustrations which accompany this narrative are artworks themselves. This is a unique and rewarding book.”
—By Tom Tucker, author of Brainstorm (Farrar Straus) and Bolt of Faith (Public Affairs)
“She seems for the moment to be inspired by turning her images into books; I feel the results are going to be remarkable.”
—Matthew McEnnerney, President of North Carolina Arts Council, Inc.
“Diane’s work is highly original, full of spirit, movement and joy. The freedom and grace in her drawings is as exciting as any art I have ever seen. Diane’s stories are lively, fun, thoughtful and unique.”
—Jeremy Oberle, Watercolor Artist
“You have become a really fine artist, Diane, I am aware of the beginning of the fulfillment of the ability to ‘become the other,’ not to copy but to transform.”
—Sybil Shearer, dancer, Choreographer, and mentor

 
Diane Tucker Studios
143 South Ridgecrest St.
Rutherfordton, NC 28139
(828) 286 – 0846
(828) 755 – 4961
[e-mail]



Introduction
Petambi and the Moon is a celebration of the faithfulness of God as witnessed by the constant presence of the moon each night. It explores the fragile, yet hilarious world of teenage life which vacillates between independence and childhood along with a budding awareness of sexuality. I rewrote my life to understand how Christ moved within. In the searching, stumbling heart of Petambi there are heroic, ridiculous battles with first love, the book of Genesis in the Bible, alcoholism, and the shock of death. Petambi’s friend, Bear, is invisible to all but her. He is fashioned after a Franciscan Friar who was a clown with me for nine years, making children laugh. I hope Petambi and the Moon brings you joy as well.
 
Other Books by Drew Sherer
Darby Rumbles’ Dolls
Petambi’s Story
Petambi in China
Sam, the Turtle A Christmas Story
The Wall of Faces
The Ever Open Door
Darby and Poochie
Darby Rumbles’ Cell Phone
Darby and the Drapes
Mr Pons and Lillie
How Lillie Became a Fairy
Lillie and the Lute Mute
Henry Noble and the Great Kite Experiment
In my Rose Colored Dress: The Parables of Christ in relation to Tai Chi Ch’uan
Song of Cutting Back, A love Poem
The Great Get Away
The Cherry Tree, a Love Poem.

List of Illustrations A. Single Moon B. Wish Upon A Star C. Dad On Ice D. Carol E. The Kiss F. Judy and Naomi G. The Bottom of The Stairs H. On The Phone I. Restful Sun and Moon J. Angels Taking Her to Heaven K. Its Cold in Here L. Arms of Christ M. Hiding Song N. Delight in Creation O. Piece of Pie P. JOHN BAKER ASKED ME OUT Q. Stormy Moon R. Mary Have Mercy S. Blue Moon T. The Light From the Moon Flooded Her Chair U. Petambi Only Wanted to Die V. Peach Orchard W. Jagged Moon X. Sliver of The Moon



 
Psalms 89
 
I will not violate my covenant; the promise of my lips
I will not alter. Once, by my holiness, have I sworn;
I will not be false to David.
His prosperity will continue forever, and
his throne will be like the sun before me;
Like the moon, which remains forever a faithful witness in the sky.

Chapter One
Petambi went to the bathroom and sat on the radiator. It was cold outside and cold in the house, so she often sat on the warm radiator in the winter, hugging herself, letting the heat penetrate her bottom through her skirt. She looked out the window to see snow everywhere, on the trees, covering the backyard, on top of the garages, and piled high on the cars in the driveway. The sun was setting, the sky was pink, a faded light pink, and the sun was a full orange ball behind the black trees. It cast its glowing shadow across the yard, across the cars, the garages, and the hockey rink her dad had created to play with her two brothers. The light fell through the bare trees, over the piles of snow, up the hill, and came almost to the house.
Petambi thought how solemn and somber it was, how rigid and still. There was nothing more romantic, more divinely melancholy, more profoundly introspective than a winter’s day at dusk, and she loved it. The whiteness of the snow, its pure, clear shapes, seemed a cover upon cover upon cover of all kinds of hidden secrets, of unspoken, half sensed truths. The ice, as it shone on the naked trees, made a fairyland of shimmering, delicate forms. She wrote poems about how deeply this affected her spirit. The deadness, the lack of color, the bleak and stark cold, it called to her and lifted her.
But more than this was something else about winter, something she could not even put into words. There was something, something deeply disturbing, something terrible. She often got pneumonia at this time, and often had to stay home.
Petambi stood up and shivered, wanting to think of something else. She went to her closet and got a huge, red sweater that was very warm and old. Putting it on, she returned to the bathroom and sat back down by the window. It had been a good day. After school they had rehearsal for Oklahoma , the musical comedy to be given that year. Petambi was given the part of “pigtails,” a dancing girl with a lot of enthusiasm. Her good friend, Carol, was “fall down,” her buddy that kept falling as she tried to keep up with her. They were supposed to flirt with Ado Annie’s beau, Will Parker, who’d just returned from Kansas City. John Baker played the part of Will, and when he sang “Everything’s up to date in Kansas City,” Petambi about died. He had a beautiful voice, a confident swagger, and a round face with full lips and light blue eyes.
John Baker was a senior, short, not really very smart, but friendly, popular, and on the football team. John Baker was a good dancer, a really good singer, and incredibly good looking. She loved his eyes, the fun in them, and his capacity for goofing around. He always seemed so easy, so sure of himself, so much in control. Just that afternoon he actually kissed her in the lobby. He kissed her and then Carol several times as they practiced part of the dance in Oklahoma ! They each danced up to him and then he kissed them on the mouth during the chorus.
Petambi had never really been kissed before, except by her art teacher, Moby, who tasted of cigarettes. Sure, she went steady with Stan Abrams in the eighth grade, but he had braces and she honestly never wanted to kiss him.
She was not prepared for this kiss. It was so full, so sweet, so gentle, and so good. John had beckoned to Carol and her to follow him to the lobby, and all of the sudden, this kiss. Since she had it she was in some kind of a trance. Petambi swooned a little inside.
“What you doin? Gramma?” Fanny came into the bathroom. She was a very large black woman with a round face, smiling. Fanny was the cook.
“Nothing,” said Petambi, jumping off the radiator. She left the bathroom and went into her room. The smell of Fannie’s hair dressing filled the hall. It was heavy and sweet, oily. Petambi was used to it. It was exotic to her, speaking of another world, another culture.
“What’s for dinner?” she asked Fanny as she went to her room.
“Meat loaf, mashed potatoes, and peas,” answered Fanny.
“Good, it’s better the second night,” Petambi said as she entered her room.
Her room had an alcove with a slanted roof, and that was where her desk was.
She worked there late into the night to get all of her homework done. Next to the desk was a window with a seat below it. She went there, to continue to look at the sun on the snow. I wonder if we’ll practice again tomorrow she thought.
Petambi was a sophomore in high school. She had geometry with Mrs. Critchett, a spindly mouse-like creature with a small voice. Next came English with Mrs. Yelton who was pregnant. They were studying Genesis, the creation of the world, as literature, and watching Mrs. Yelton’s belly grow. English was 2 nd period. Petambi liked the rhythm of Genesis, the repetition in it. “Notice h