gallery of characters

--he doesn’t like rain, nor does he like umbrellas—he says they break fifteen seconds after he touches them—and he is shy, has a good sense of dry wit, and can never scream.
--she scratches the skin above her ear, makes faces at sparrows and children, deplores all forty-nine years she’s been on this planet while defending every decision she’s made, and enjoys tea in the morning
--she is physically ideal at 63, can lift packages better than any 21 year old, has strong muscles, likes clean humor, never curses, believes in traditional marriage, and adopted two children since she is barren. She once fought a man who was mugging her at night, and won.
--he rides the train studying Chinese, trades on his computer during the day, never leaves the house on Saturday after converting to Judaism, is over protective of his mother and had only one girlfriend, but broke up with her for he “bad habits” and “bad attitude” toward her own family.
--he is a man with a slouching belly, recognizes a fine cigar, plays chess with one of the masters at Harvard Square as a weekly ritual, has had many lovers and hates himself for failing them again and again, owns a chain of Starbucks, likes to play the lovable uncle angle.
--she had long black hair, black-rimmed glasses, a sloping chest, and talked incessantly of her coworkers not doing their job—her voice jumped from tenor through soprano, and reminded her roommate of a stuttering radiator.