Myra Bocca: A Short Story

By James Mulhern

Molly and Gabe have just moved to a gay community in Wilton Manors, Florida, where they meet Myra Bocca, the proprietor of a New Age Bookstore called Sacred Ashes. Myra takes an instant liking to the pair and invites them to dinner. Before that evening, Molly meets Mr. Michaelis, who warns her to be careful of Myra.

• Language: English
• Publisher: James Mulhern
• Release date: Feb 12, 2016
• ISBN: 9781523381180

James Mulhern

Mr. James Mulhern has been teaching for twenty-six years in a variety of settings--college, high school, middle school, at-risk, and alternative environments. He has taught English, Writing, Math, History, Science, and a job skills course. Mr. Mulhern also has editorial experience working for an educational publisher in Boston (textbooks and The American Heritage Dictionary, Third Edition). In addition, Mr. Mulhern performed editorial work for Ploughshares, a literary magazine, for a Teacher Test publisher in Amherst, Massachusetts, and for a law publishing house in New York City.He taught writing and literature at Emerson College in Boston. Currently, he is on staff as adjunct faculty at Broward College in Fort Lauderdale. Mr. Mulhern also works as a high school teacher in the Fort Lauderdale area.Mr. Mulhern is a consultant for the National Math and Science Initiative and a Reader for the Advanced Placement English Exam (College Board). He also works as a free-lance editor and writer. Mr. Mulhern has published fiction in several literary journals. One of his stories was published in The Library's Best, a collection of best short stories. In September of 2013, he was chosen as a finalist for the Tuscany Prize in Catholic Fiction. Mr. Mulhern was awarded a fellowship to study in the United Kingdom during the summer of 2015, where he participated in writing seminars at Oxford University's Exeter College. In September of 2015, two short stories received Honorable Mentions for the Short Story America Prize. Nine short stories/adaptions from his novel "Molly Bonamici," a dark comic mystery set in Boston and South Florida, have been accepted for publication by a variety of literary journals. Two of those short stories received awards. The Missouri Review, considered one of the premier literary magazines in the United States, wrote that his novelette, A Prayer for Home, "impressed the editorial staff with its well-written, complex characters, themes of the piece, and its fantastic voice." In March of 2016, Mr. Mulhern was shortlisted for the InkTears Annual Short Story Contest.Mr. Mulhern published a short story collection, a novel, a novelette, and four individual short stories on Amazon.com in January of 2016. He is also writing a teacher guide for the AP English Language and Composition class, and other curriculum materials. He publishes lesson and unit plans that are available on Amazon.com. One hundred percent of the proceeds Mr. Mulhern earns from advertising revenue on his education website, bestsite.us, as well as all earnings from curriculum materials that Mr. Mulhern publishes through Amazon.com, are donated to the scholarship fund that he established in his father's name or a charity.Mr. Mulhern can be contacted through [e-mail].

Book preview

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MYRA BOCCA,

A SHORT STORY

By James Mulhern

Copyright © 2016 by James Mulhern

All rights reserved.

ISBN-13: 978-1523381180

ISBN-10: 1523381183

Karma bides its time. You will always have to watch out. Karma is unforgiving and always gets payback.

—Benjamin Bayani

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

For the pen, which is mightier than the sword

Myra Bocca

Just before the Shoppes of Wilton Manors, where Espresso Boys was located, Gabe and I passed a New Age bookstore called Sacred Ashes. We paused and looked in the window at a display of crystals and gemstones, silver and pewter jewelry, chalices, glass skulls, and crystal balls.

Let's go in. Maybe they'll have some books on grieving, Gabe said. My aunt had just passed away. A male couple holding hands smiled at us as they passed. The warm breeze of the Florida evening felt good.

I'm not grieving. I didn't like her much, I said quietly.

Yes you are. He took my hand and pushed open the door. Enya was playing softly and there was an overpowering smell of sage. A woman wearing a bright pink muumuu embroidered with a design of blue, white, and orange tulips that rose from the hem like a garden, waved to us from the register at the back of the store. Come in. Come in. It's so good to get a little business.

We passed a case with a wide variety of incense sticks (I assumed this is why the store was called Sacred Ashes), books, tarot cards, essential oils, prayer flags, greeting cards, postcards, photo frames, and several other new-agey items. The woman came out from behind her counter as we reached her. I'm Myra. Myra Bocca. She had a large toothy smile, and her eyes—golden brown behind blue cat-eye glasses that were popular in the 50s and 60s—reminded me a bit of my Nonna's.

I'm Gabe, and this is Molly.

She looked us over. You're not a couple of course. He's too handsome to be straight. She waited for my response.

I'm not a lesbian, if that's what you're thinking.

Ya never know. A lot of lipstick lesbians in this town.

She pointed to the center of her forehead. I'm a bit psychic. Both of you could be, too, if you rub this area right here. She put her hand against my forehead. Feel the energy, Molly?

No.

Well, I'm activating your forehead chakra. It's the main switch for the universal force, the awakened spirit, the center of higher consciousness.

I laughed. I don't believe any of that.

Myra frowned. "You will,