I read "Apollo" sitting in the Weinberg Center at Johns Hopkins University. It was in the "New Yorker", sitting on a regular coffee table in the waiting area and I only noticed it after skimming through the magazine.
I was supposed to read six books this summer by request of my English Professor A.J Verdelle. I only read two- one being Balm by Dolen Perkins-Valdez and the other being a book on screenwriting. But I've been all into short-fiction, rereading classic authors like Vonnegut and Bradbury, teasing the science-fiction part of my mind. But "Apollo" was a very captivating story. It was short and sweet and a reminder that not all stories had to be bizarre or carry a large scope.
"Apollo" is a brief glimpse into a young man's relationship with his houseboy. An interest in kung fu created ___. The two grow close, and things start to change for the both of them, until Raphael, the houseboy, catches a disease called Apollo. The narrator, Okenwa's, parents split the two until Raphael can get better, but Okenwa, not having any of it, breaks the rules and gives Raphael his medicine. Once Okenwa catches the disease, things get even more complicated and emotions turn towards malice. "He spoke as though I were a child, as though we had not sat together in his dim room." In an act of frustration, Okenwa does something unthinkable.
Apollo is a great story from start to finish. It doesn't go right into the story, but takes us outside of it starting with introducing the parents and his growing up. The characterization of the parents makes them human, and all too real. They're strict, they don't take any mess, and they're full of love and concern - much like the African parents in the memes. If you don't know, check out the Twitter hashtag #GrowingUpAfrican.
From the language to the storytelling, Apollo is a very nice ten minute read. The strong characterization, without knowing too much about setting or time, creates enough of a story for us to attach ourselves to the characters. Apollo creates a story using people and action moreso than background noise. She writes with a rhythm that's easy to follow; sentences have this smooth flow and the words she uses seem to be chosen wisely. It's an easy read. The information isn't an overload and action keeps the story flowing.
Have you read it? What do you think? Let's discuss below!