Congeries (con’ger-eez): Piling up words of differing meaning but for a similar emotional effect [(akin to climax)].
“Ow! No! Wait! Damn! Help!” I was running for my life. I had made the mistake of cutting through my neighbor’s back yard on my way home school. Hopping the fence was easy, but outrunning his dog Blister was tough. I carried a hot dog just in case. He bit my hand when I fed it to him. A minor wound, A minor price to pay to get home in time for “Jerky Ed,” my favorite TV show. I never missed an episode.
I outran Blister and hopped the fence on the other side of the yard. For inspiration, I yelled “Help!” as I vaulted over. I landed in the sandbox on the other side, it had become the neighborhood kitty litter-box. I missed one big poop by an inch —I was lucky.
I still had ten minutes before The Jerky Ed Show. I had enough time to bandage my hand and mix up a Chocolate Rhumba milk. Chocolate Rhumba was Ed’s sponsor. It came from the mountains of Brazil, picked by hand by Aztec workers, it was guaranteed to make you “smarter, and wiser, and strong.” I was yet to become smarter wiser and strong, but I loved the flavor and it made me hyperactive, helping me do my homework, which I got done, but my English teacher Ms. Bleacher said was incoherent.
I flipped the tube on just in time. Jerky Ed was sitting in a tree playing his accordion and singing a song about clams and goats riding in boats down by the bay. He sang this every day at the beginning and end of the show. When he finished he said “Hiney hoo boys and girls! Today, we’re going to the bank so I can try to take out a loan to cover my back alimony payments to that cheating bitch . . .
The screen went blank.
I was feeling antsy anyway from my Chocolate Rhumba drink. I went outside and ran around the house five times and then got to work on my homework. I was writing as story about my imaginary friend Chuckles, who lived in my head and made think bad things.
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