The Bureau of Dreams to be Continued by Edward Drobinski - HTML preview
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The Bureau of Dreams to be Continued
Page 397
her a small envelope. Inside was a crisp five-dollar bill. “For comics,” she said. “And maybe a pretzel if you’re feeling wild.”
The ferry ride was its own kind of magic. Lila stood at the rail, wind whipping her hair into a frenzy, watching the Statue of Liberty grow larger like a promise. She imagined Superman flying past her, cape snapping, nodding solemnly as if to say, “Good luck at the dentist, kid.”
In the city, everything was louder. The dentist’s office was on the 12th floor of a building that smelled like old paper and lemon polish. Dr. Feldman had a mustache like a walrus and told jokes that made her mother roll her eyes. Lila endured the cleaning like a champ, even when the hygienist accidentally sprayed water up her nose.
Afterward, they walked to the newsstand. It was wedged between a shoeshine stall and a hot dog cart, its metal shelves gleaming with pulp dreams. Lila scanned the rows until she saw it; Superman #162. The one where he splits into two versions of himself; Red and Blue, to solve all the world’s problems. She clutched it like treasure.
On the ferry ride home, Lila read the comic aloud to her mother, who pretended not to be interested but kept asking questions. The sun dipped low over the harbor, casting golden light across