Ameriscopia

Fixative

22 Fixative My mom is a picture of health. Every inch a child where I used to be. We have a turtle that lives in the fridge. In the vegetable tray. In the bottom. Sometimes we feed it cabbage but mostly its life is there in the empty tray. A hard shell. A bald head. One day I come home and see that mom has cleaned my luggage like she said she would. I’d been away on a short trip. My 18-piece luggage made of thick wash-basin porcelain had accumulated dust. It is extremely heavy and awkward to maneuver, its bulk outweighing its purpose. But it protects unusual items that need protection. Upon my return, my mother saw the dust and the frustration on my face. She said, “I’ll fix it.” I came home. Each porcelain piece had been wallpapered with fake wood grain so that it would appear lighter. “Mom, how did you do that?” I marveled. “It’s only luggage,” she answered. My mom saw that I was hungry and said, “I’ll fix it.” I went to wash my face, came into the kitchen and there was mom, serving me green soup in the huge turtle shell. “Mom, why did you do that?” I asked. “It’s only a turtle,” she said. I had to leave for the airport and was running late. My mother saw that I was worried and said, “I’ll fix it.” She pulled the car to the front, my luggage strapped to the roof. “Get in,” she said. The radio playing, past the speed limit, a Brazilian song comes on with my mother’s voice, singing the chorus in Spanish, I was astonished. “Mom, when did you record this?” “It’s only music,” she said. On the airplane my mother calls me on my cellphone. “Did you get to the airport?” she asks. “Yes, you dropped me off,” I remind her. I keep her on the line and return to the crossword puzzle waiting on my seat. I ask her if she knows of a six-letter word for fixative. She hangs up. The stewardess notices my perplexed face and places an envelope with the word “now” on my lap. I open it. Inside is a note from my mother. I think to myself, how did she do that? I read the note. It says, “It’s only a puzzle.” ~~~ The stewardess notices my perplexed face and places an ice box on my lap. The word “now” etched in frost on the outside. I open it and there’s a note from my mother inside. I think to myself, mom how did you do that? I read the note. It says, “It’s only a puzzle.” ~~~ 23 The stewardess notices my perplexed face and places an ice box on my lap. I open it. Inside is an envelope, and a baby turtle eating cabbage. I open the envelope and eat the note. I think to myself, how did I do that? ~~~ The stewardess notices my perplexed face and places a baby turtle on my lap. I look at her and she walks away. I think to myself, mom? ~~~ The stewardess notices my perplexed face and removes her gloves. Her face comes closetomineassheleansin.Shestrokestheleftsideofmyfaceandwhispers,“mom.” ~~~ The stewardess notices my perplexed face and removes her gloves. Her face comes close to mine as she leans in. She strokes the left side of my face with her left hand. She places her right hand on my lap and unzips my suitcase. She gently prys my teeth apart with her tongue and pulls my turtle out of its shell. And I think, mom? ~~~ The stewardess notices my mom. ~~~ The mom. ...