Flash Nonfiction
Personal Essay, Memoir, or Vignette
Janelle Cordero
BROKEN
I should’ve taught you how to fix shit, my dad says. We’re under the hood of his 1986 Toyota Tercel, and he’s using a 2×4 to wedge the alternator back in place so he can tighten a bolt. This from the man who taught me how to mow the lawn, how to change the oil in my 1995 Toyota Celica, how to swap out the bindings on my snowboard, how to strip a roof, how to rip out dingy carpet and lift staples from the subfloor with a flathead screwdriver, the difference between a Philips and a flathead screwdriver. He taught me how to pour concrete, how to replace an electrical outlet, how to drive a stick shift, how to survive on a diet of TV dinners, cereal and ham sandwiches with Wonder bread. He taught me how to swing a bat, how to shoot a basketball, how to swim, how to do laundry, how to clean a toilet, how to play Golden Eye 007 on Nintendo 64, how to keep from crying by biting my bottom lip as hard as I could, how to stop hiccupping by eating a spoonful of sugar, how to pretend I’m invisible when I ask him a question and he doesn’t respond. But he never taught me how to ask for help, or how to need anyone, or how to fix anything that’s not made of wood or metal. What do you want me to fix, I ask him now, our hands red from the cold and smeared with grease. Go start the car, he says, and the engine turns over. He wipes his palms on his jeans and shuts the hood, already thinking, maybe, of what else is broken.
About the writer:
Janelle Cordero is a poet, artist, and educator living in Spokane, Washington. Her writing has appeared in dozens of literary journals, including Driftwood Press, Jet Fuel Review and Hobart, while her paintings have been featured in venues throughout the Pacific Northwest. Janelle is the author of five books of poetry, including Talk Louder (Papeachu Press, April 2024). As a fifth-generation resident of eastern Washington, Janelle has a deep love for cedar groves, lilacs, and small towns with one main street.
Image: Jalopy by O:JA&L staff creative. AI-assisted digital image. Proprietary image. 2025.
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