The Cake is a Lie

Despite the title, this week's story is a total fiction. Any resemblance to actual people--living, dead, or named Tsutomu Yamaguchi--is entirely coincidental.

I wrote this piece seven years ago, way back in 2002 (it's actually more about 9/11 than WWII). That first draft was 650 words long, and couldn't get arrested in any professional market, so into the trunk it went.

After I saw Wednesday's BBC News article about Mr. Yamaguchi, I decided to dig out the manuscript and share my little moment of serendipity. Though the BBC article was light on personal details, I sincerely hope that Mr. Yamaguchi has lived a more pleasant and fulfilling life than my hypothetical, imagined, unreal character.