Shambles — E.G. Fabricant

Here's my entry in Round Six of National Public Radio's Three Minute Fiction, concluded April 3. As usual, had to be 600 words or less; this round one character had to tell a joke and one character had to cry. From the selections, seems the screeners are most fond of self-conscious, first-person exposition--tell, don't show. Cheats the reader, I think; let 'em make up their own minds.