And since today is World Emoji Day, Here's a story I wrote using words and emoji
Author : Donald Barthelme
Title: The School From Sixty Stories
Donald Barthelme
The School
Well, ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ had all these ๐จโ๐ฉโ๐งโ๐ฆ out ๐ต ๐, ๐, because ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ figured that ... that was part of their ๐, to ๐ how, ๐ know, the root systems ... and also the sense of responsibility, taking care of ๐, ๐ ฑ๏ธ individually responsible. ๐ know ๐ฆ ๐ ๐. And the ๐ all died. ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ were ๐ ๐. ๐ donโt know why ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ died, ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ just died. Something wrong with the soil possibly or maybe the stuff ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ got from the nursery wasnโt the best. ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ complained about it. ๐ weโve got thirty kids there, each kid had ๐ or her own little ๐ to ๐ต and weโve got these thirty ๐ ๐. All these kids ๐ at these little ๐ด sticks, it was depressing.
It wouldnโt ๐ถ been ๐ ๐ except that just a ๐ฐ of weeks before the ๐ with the ๐, the ๐ all died. But ๐ ๐ค that the ๐ โ well, the reason that the ๐ kicked off was that ... ๐ remember, the boiler was shut off for 4๏ธโฃ days because of the strike, and that was explicable. It was something ๐ could explain to the kids because of the strike. ๐ ๐, none of their ๐ช would let them cross the picket ใฐ๏ธ and ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ knew there was a strike going ๐ and ๐ฆ it meant. ๐ when ๐ got started โ again and ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ found the ๐ ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ werenโt too disturbed.
With the ๐ฟ gardens it was probably a case of overwatering, and at least now ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ know not to overwater. The ๐จโ๐ฉโ๐งโ๐ฆ were very conscientious with the ๐ฟ gardens and some of them probably ... ๐ know, slipped them a little extra ๐ง when ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ werenโt ๐. Or maybe ... well, ๐ donโt ๐ to ๐ค about sabotage, although it did occur to us. ๐ ๐, it was something that crossed our minds. ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ were ๐ค that โ๏ธ probably because before that the gerbils had died, and the white mice had died, and the salamander ... well, now ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ know not to carry them around in plastic ๐.
Of course ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ expected the ๐ด ๐ to โฐ, that was ๐ฃ ๐ฎ. Those ๐ฏ, ๐ ๐ at them crooked and theyโre belly-up ๐ the surface. But the lesson plan called for a ๐ด ๐ โจ at that ๐ฏ, there was ๐ ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ could do, it happens every year, ๐ just ๐ถ to hurry past it.
๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ werenโt even supposed to ๐ถ a ๐ถ.
๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ werenโt even supposed to ๐ถ 1๏ธโฃ, it was just a ๐ถ the Murdoch ๐ถ found under a Gristedeโs ๐ 1๏ธโฃ day and ๐ was afraid the ๐ would run over it when the driver had finished ๐ฒ๐ฆ ๐ delivery, ๐ ๐ stuck it in her knapsack and brought it to the ๐ with her. ๐ ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ had this ๐ถ. As ๐ as ๐ saw the ๐ถ ๐ thought, Oh โช, ๐ ๐ฐ it will live for about โ weeks and then... And thatโs ๐ฆ it did. It wasnโt supposed to be in the ๐ at all, thereโs some kind of regulation about it, but ๐ canโt tell them ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ canโt ๐ถ a ๐ถ when the ๐ถ is already there, ๐ in front of them, ๐โโ๏ธ around ๐ the ๐คฃ and yap yap yapping. ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ named it Edgar โ that is, ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ named it after me. ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ had a lot of ๐ ๐โโ๏ธ after it and yelling, โHere, Edgar! Nice Edgar!โ Then theyโd ๐ ๐ hell. ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ enjoyed the ambiguity. ๐ enjoyed it myself. ๐ donโt mind ๐ ฑ๏ธ kidded. ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ made a little ๐ for it in the supply closet and all that. ๐ donโt know ๐ฆ it died of. Distemper, ๐ guess. It probably hadnโt had any ๐ฅ. ๐ got it out of there before the kids got to ๐. ๐ checked the supply closet each ๐, routinely, because ๐ knew ๐ฆ was going to happen. ๐ gave it to the custodian.
And then there was this Korean orphan that the class adopted through the ๐ the ๐จโ๐ฉโ๐งโ๐ฆ ๐บ, all the kids brought in a quarter a ๐ท๏ธ, that was the ๐ก. It was an unfortunate ๐, the kidโs name was Kim and maybe ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ adopted him too ๐ or something. The ๐ of โฐ was not stated in the โ๏ธ ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ got, ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ suggested ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ adopt another ๐ถ instead and sent us some interesting case histories, but ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ didnโt ๐ถ the ๐. The class took it pretty hard, ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ began (๐ ๐ค, nobody ever said anything to me directly) to feel that maybe there was something wrong with the ๐. But ๐ donโt ๐ค thereโs anything wrong with the ๐, particularly, Iโve seen better and Iโve seen worse. It was just a run of ๐ ๐. ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ had an extraordinary ๐ฏ of ๐ช ๐ฏ away, for instance. There were ๐ ๐ค โ ๐ ๐ and โ suicides, 1๏ธโฃ drowning, and 4๏ธโฃ killed together in a ๐ accident. 1๏ธโฃ stroke. And ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ had the usual heavy mortality rate among the grandparents, or maybe it was heavier this year, it seemed ๐. And finally the tragedy.
The tragedy occurred when Matthew Wein and Tony Mavrogordo were ๐ฝ over where theyโre excavating for the ๐ federal ๐ข ๐ทโโ๏ธ. There were all these big wooden beams stacked, ๐ know, at the edge of the excavation. Thereโs a ๐ฉโโ๏ธ case ๐จ๐ด out of that, the ๐ช ๐ claiming that the beams were poorly stacked. ๐ donโt know whatโs true and whatโs not. Itโs been a strange year.
๐ forgot to mention Billy Brandtโs ๐จ who was knifed fatally when ๐โโ๏ธ grappled with a masked intruder in ๐ ๐ช.
1๏ธโฃ day, ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ had a discussion in class. ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ asked me, where did ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ go? The ๐, the salamander, the ๐ด ๐, Edgar, the poppas and mommas, Matthew and Tony, where did ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ go? And ๐ said, ๐ donโt know, ๐ donโt know. And ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ said, who knows? and ๐ said, nobody knows. And ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ said, is โฐ that which gives ๐ to life? And ๐ said ๐ฃ, life is that which gives ๐ to life. Then ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ said, but isnโt โฐ, considered as a fundamental datum, the ๐ by which the taken-for-granted mundanity of the everyday may be transcended in the โ of โ
๐ said, ๐, maybe.
๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ said, ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ donโt ๐ it.
๐ said, thatโs ๐.
๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ said, itโs a shame!
๐ said, it is.
๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ said, will ๐ make ๐ now with Helen (our ๐ซ assistant) ๐ that ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ can ๐ how it is done? ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ know ๐ ๐ Helen.
๐ do ๐ Helen but ๐ said that ๐ would not.
Weโve heard ๐ much about it, ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ said, but weโve never seen it.
๐ said ๐ would be fired and that it was never, or almost never, done as a demonstration. Helen looked out the window.
๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ said, ๐, ๐ make ๐ with Helen, ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ require an assertion of value, ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ ๐ frightened.
๐ said that ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ shouldnโt be frightened (although ๐ ๐ often frightened) and that there was value everywhere. Helen came and embraced me. ๐ kissed her a few โ ๐ the brow. ๐ฉโ๐ฉโ๐ฆโ๐ฆ held each other. The ๐จโ๐ฉโ๐งโ๐ฆ were excited. Then there was a knock ๐ the ๐, ๐ opened the ๐, and the ๐ gerbil walked in. The ๐จโ๐ฉโ๐งโ๐ฆ cheered wildly.