| No
Wonder
Did he have any nicknames when he was young?
Yes, he had a few growing up. What were they?
Tîe Tóu, Dà Tóu, Zhang Pàng, Nán
Guài.1 No wonder?
One day, he was dribbling a ball with a group
of boys. The ball was accidentally thrown
at his head. He received a bruise and, a name.
• • • •
Come on, Da Tao. Let's play some ball.
Try to keep up. You're lagging behind.
Pant, pant. Ruff, ruff. Haw, haw. Come on.
Come on, Da Tao. Here catch this —miss!
Leave him alone. (What did we do?)
If he wants to leave, he can go.
He tagged along. (Let him go home.)
Enough, he looks upset. (Go home.)
Da Tao, catch this. Ha, ha. (Sorry.)
No wonder his head's so big. (home. . .)
His mother probably . . . Enough!. . .
. . . dribbled him on the ground . . . (I'll go. . .)
• • • •
Home —I'm safe. I tagged you before
you touched home base. Did not. Did too.
Did not —Girls, be quiet. (did too. . .)
Your Dad is trying to rest. Go.
Don't bother him. (what did we do?)
(always needs to be left alone)
(yeah, always to be left alone)
(always 'resting') (yeah) (no wonder
always so crabby; he's always
waking up) (yeah, no wonder) Girls!
Call your father. Ba ba2, dinner!
Come on, Ba ba. Come on. Wake up.
• • • •
What else might he have received besides this name?
distrust isolation despair?
Perhaps, he had those already. But silence?
Silence, too?
-Tsai
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