Summary
The short story “Zolo” by S. Bhattacharya-Woodward begins with a ten-year-old boy named Zolo walking on a rooftop. He tries to steady himself so as not to fall and thinks about his fear of heights. We learn that other young people sometimes walk the wall, and Zolo believes that they must be either crazy or trying to show off. He recalls walking near the edge of the roof the first time, as other children his age often did, and vomiting out of fear.
This time, Zolo is alone and does not steady himself by touching the side of the wall. Although he feels dizzy, he pushes himself not to look down, but he is disoriented by a pigeon flying close to his face. The pigeon makes Zolo remember that Zakky, his baby step-brother, used to chase pigeons in the past. Now...