Ephraim had an overbite that cropped his jaw like a hole-puncher. He worked for the postal services and raised hamsters in an apple crate with shredded newsprint. He was late that morning because his shoes wouldn’t tie themselves. He was late that morning because his feet were festering and raw with pumice scrub. He was late that morning because his shoes wouldn’t tie themselves and his feet were festering and raw with pumice scrub. He was late that morning because one of his hamsters, Frederic, had escaped. He was late that morning because his shoes wouldn’t tie themselves and his feet were festering and raw from pumice scrub and his hamster, Frederic, had escaped. He was late that morning because his hamster, Frederic, who had escaped, had pilfered his pumice stone, the one he used to scrub his feet raw and festering. Ephraim was late that morning because he lived in a solipsistic world and never wore the same shoes twice, tied or untied.
