Regan Huff

Alice's first strike gets a pat on the back, her second a cheer from Betty Woszinski who's just back from knee surgery.   Her third— "A turkey!" Molly calls out—raises everyone's eyes. They clap.   Teresa looks up from the bar. At the fourth the girls stop seeing their own pins wobble. They watch the little X's fill the row on Alice's screen— That's five.   That's six.   There's a holy space around her like a saint come down to bowl with the Tuesday Ladies in Thorp, Wisconsin. Teresa runs to get Al, and Fran calls Billy at the Exxon.   The bar crowds with silent men. No one's cheering.   No one's bowling now except Alice's team, rolling their balls to advance the screen around to Alice, who's stopped even her nervous laugh, her face blank and smooth with concentration.   It can't go on and then it does go on, the white bar reading "Silver Dollar Chicken" lowering and clearing nothing, then lowering and clearing nothing again.