Bruce DeSilva - Cliff Walk

Before I knew it, the red-and-blue neon sign on the roof of the Tongue and Groove winked through the drops on my rain-splattered windshield. I pulled into the lot and parked. Joseph had been right. Word had gotten around. The lot was nearly full.

I pulled my wallet from my hip pocket and slid out the card for a complimentary trip around the world. It had been a long time since I’d gone on any kind of trip. I turned on the overhead light and studied Marical’s picture. Her tobacco-colored skin was flawless. Her small breasts were enticing. And no hair concealed the paradise between her legs.

The rain fell harder now. It pounded the roof, turning the Bronco’s passenger compartment into the inside of a drum. Yet somehow, I could still hear Marical’s musical voice.

I show you a good time, beebe. Eef you get wit me, I make you world go round like craysee.

I sat there and listened to her say the words over and over for a long, long time.

Susanna Einstein is more than a great agent; she is also a superb story doctor whose suggestions significantly improved this novel. My wife, Patricia Smith, one of our finest poets, edited every line on every page. And thank you, baby, for allowing me to excerpt your poem “Map Rappin’.” I also owe a debt of gratitude to the hardworking folks at Forge, including Eric Raab for his skillful edit of the manuscript.

Bruce DeSilva spent forty-one years as a journalist before writing Rogue Island, his first novel, which won the 2011 Edgar Award for Best First Novel and the 2011 Macavity Award for Best Debut. Formerly the Associated Press’s writing coach, responsible for training AP journalists worldwide, DeSilva is now a master’s thesis advisor at the Columbia University School of Journalism.

Bruce DeSilva and his wife, the poet Patricia Smith, live in Howell, New Jersey, with their granddaughter, Mikaila, and two enormous canines, a Bernese mountain dog named Brady and a mutt named Rondo. Find him online at www.brucedesilva.com