Tenth of December

This story takes the form of a series of diary entries written in stilted, ungrammatical style for “future generations.” The writer has recently turned 40 and purchased the diary with the intention of writing one page a day beginning on September 3rd, but immediately misses a day because the bumper fell off of his car while picking up his three children from school. The kids—Eva, Lilly, and Thomas—are upset about the bumper as it reveals they are poor. The narrator is sad and wonders when he will live in luxury, as he has “always had a feeling that this and other good things will happen for us!” (112).

The next day, the family goes to a birthday party for Leslie Torrini, a friend of Lilly’s. The house is an extravagant mansion filled with things like plasma TVs, expensive cars, and a “bridge flown in from China” (112). In the yard is an arrangement of Semplica Girls (called SGs), who are living yard decorations that are suspended from microline and often hail from impoverished nations. The young women have the microline surgically threaded through their brains so they can strung on the line like ornaments. Lilly wants to see them, but Eva declines. Throughout the evening, the narrator feels pitiable in comparison to the other rich guests. Back home, Lilly mentions her birthday party in two weeks. He considers that rich people “make us poor people feel dopey and inadequate” (116).

In the next entry, the narrator takes back his thoughts about the rich, as he would like to be rich someday. He recounts a conversation with Eva, who thinks the Semplica Girls are sad; he explains to her that it does not hurt, that they are compensated, and that they chose to do it.

While walking through a rich neighborhood, the narrator stops and regards a display of SGs and feels envious of what others have; he does not want his kids “scarred by how far behind we are” (119). In the next entry several days later, the narrator worries about the expensive figurines Lilly wants for her birthday. She says she does not want a party, and when she breaks down crying over how embarrassing their yard and home are, the narrator resolves to buy her one of the more expensive figurines. That becomes complicated when he realizes he’s reached his credit limit an embarrassing moment when he must go to an ATM to pay for the family’s meal at a restaurant. He redirects his embarrassment to worry about not being able to provide the life of largesse for his children that he thinks they deserve. He thinks of his father, who was laid off and ended his life with a job “almost as good as original job he had lost” (127).

Several days later, the narrator wins $10,000 from a lottery ticket and is elated. He and his wife Pam decide to use the money to refurbish the yard with all new greenery and an arrangement of four SGs so Lilly can have a surprise party.

He arranges to have the work done in one day while the kids are at school and have the party that afternoon. The SGs are installed by the Greenway company under doctor supervision. Lilly is thrilled by the party, and the narrator buys her the figurines she wanted, plus another to “prove largesse.” Though the party is a hit with Lilly, Eva storms off because she does not like the way SGs are treated. The family argues that the SGs chose this, and the narrator shares the personal statement from the SG that feels least sad; he worries that Eva is too sensitive.

The narrator feels proud of his lottery win at work and splurges on some new shirts for himself (he always avoided doing so to provide for Pam and the kids), then is recognized at the gas station where he bought the ticket. At home, he sees that Lilly has invited Leslie over. Leslie is jealous that their SGs hang over a pond and demands one from her mother, which the narrator sees as a victory.

Eva acts out at school and has been drawing SGs in pain. The narrator drives Eva around and shows her how many nice houses have SG arrangements and how happy the SGs look. Over ice cream, he explains the Semplica Pathway to her, which he describes as a harmless brain surgery that threads the microline through their skulls. He implores Eva to think of Lilly’s status as a nascent high schooler, and he tells her about a job he had at a fast food restaurant that others might have viewed as miserable, arguing that “everything relative” [sic]. He considers his own mother’s affair and parents’ divorce and how shame affected him.

A colleague dies suddenly, and the narrator goes to the funeral. Thinking about his own mortality, he later exhorts his children to live in the moment: “Must dare, strive, be brave” (148).

The next morning, the Semplica Girls are gone. The police tell the narrator that they were likely taken by activists; the representative from Greenway arrives and says that if they are not found in three weeks, the narrator will be responsible for the full value of their contracts, which is over $8000. The cops admit they rarely find emancipated SGs, and the representative says the company will sue the family if they cannot pay.

After they leave and the family is arguing, Eva begins crying and reveals she used a stepladder to release the SGs. The narrator is outraged, which surprises Eva, who felt she was following his advice to “be brave.” He thinks that his other children knew. After stewing in the garage, the narrator forgives his children; Pam suggests calling her father, Farmer Rich, for the money, but the narrator is hesitant, as her father thinks SGs are a “show-offy move.” Unable to find another solution, Pam insists on involving her father.

Farmer Rich denies their request with an email that lectures them on wasting their money. Pam and the narrator consider confessing to Greenway, but releasing SGs is a felony, and they worry it will set Eva on the wrong path. Pam suggests that the narrator destroy his diary, which he considers.

The next day, a detective, Jerry, comes to investigate. Jerry claims he is on their side. Jerry is disdainful of anti-SG activists and goes on a racist rant about his former career as a teacher, where he adopted the idea that people should have a “firm hand” with kids. Jerry’s wife has recently died, so he has time to dedicate to the case, and he believes something doesn’t add up.

Jerry stays in their yard smoking until late at night, but there is nothing the narrator can do that won’t raise suspicion. He checks on his kids while they sleep and considers waking Eva to tell her she is just “young + confused.” In Lilly’s room, the narrator sees the results of a school project in which she interviewed each SG, learning about their tragic backstories and their real names. He cannot understand why they would come so far from their homes with a desire to provide for their families and then ruin it by running away. He resolves to call Greenway and have them take the SG rack away.