J M

To: Gerard Bello

Dear G, I wish we could talk vibrantly again about art, creating, creativity again. You and Thuy were one of the first people to see me, to truly see me and the things I brought to this world. You saw me as an individual, separate from student or kid or whatever label that did a disservice to my whole being. And therein lies the problem, you saw me as more than a…kid. A child, really. You met me at 10, and probed me at 15. Where the boundaries got so muddled in between, I’m not sure. Maybe you both always saw me as a potential add-on to your sexual deviances, or maybe when you saw my body begin to blossom at 14 that’s when it happened.