"In a Quiet Corner of the Galley Waiting for the Coffee to Perk " by Mat Twassel (Mmtwassel@aol.com). Mat Twassel's stories are archived at http://members.aol.com/Mmtwassel/index.html.

This is a really difficult story to try to explain. The best I can do is to say that it reminded me of a D.H. Lawrence story with a piano replacing a rocking horse - and different motivations for the child's behavior.

A woman is describing to another person over coffee her "first time." This event occurred when she was twelve years old in early summer in the context of piano lessons from Mr. Trombley. That's all I am going to tell you, except to say that this is a very good story.

If you are looking for some mind-blowing pedophilia or for some other form of hot sex, you will be disappointed with this story. Instead of hot sex, the story gives us an insight into the mind of a young girl who has been abruptly exposed to sex for the first time. Likewise, if you found "The Rocking Horse Winner" to be a real drag, you should probably skip this one. I'm not sure whether the author will be flattered or annoyed by my comparison to Lawrence; and I may even be way off base with the comparison. Take a look and see what you think.