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“Oof.” Staph grimaces with sympathy. “I totally relate to that. My uncles were arguing over who’s overpacked and needs to leave stuff behind.”
Somehow, that makes me feel slightly better, and again, I feel a wave of gratitude toward Staphanie for being here.
When we get back with the trolleys, our two families are chatting amiably with each other. No signs of Ma almost going nuclear just minutes ago; she’s now laughing politely at something Staphanie’s Third Uncle is saying. Only the tiniest little sharp glances occasionally thrown at Fourth Aunt betray Ma’s true feelings. She’s not going to let this one go so easily.
“Looks like your mom’s over it,” Staph says.
I snort. “Nah, she’s just waiting for the right moment to get back at Fourth Aunt. Is it the same with your uncles? Tell me they snipe at each other just as much.”
“Hmm, there’s definitely a lot of infighting, and they need to prove to each other that they’re the manliest of men all the freaking time. Watch.” She nods to me as we get back to the group with the trolleys. As if on cue, her three uncles leap into action, pouncing on the bags and yanking them quickly to the trolleys.
“Let me do! You so old, later you hurt your back!”
“Hah, I old? I still stronger than you!”
“You’re going to break the wheel! Why don’t you just wheel it like a normal person?”
My family and I watch openmouthed as the three men grapple with the luggage, creating far more work for themselves than necessary with all the arm flaps and exaggeratedmaneuvers. Finally, all of the bags are piled on top of the trolleys and the men step back, chests heaving. As one, they look at Ama expectantly.
Ama nods and says, “Very good, you all good boys.”
The uncles’ smiles are blinding.
Is this what it’s like to have a grandmother still alive in the family? I guess it’s sort of like how Big Aunt is with us. There’s such a large age gap between Big Aunt and the rest of her sisters that they all look up to her as if she’s their mother. Except for Second Aunt, of course. Even as I think that, Big Aunt links arms with Ama, and together, the two gray-haired women totter into the airport. Staphanie and I each grab a trolley and push.
“Are Nathan and your friends excited about the trip?”
“Yep! My best friends Selena and Seb will be flying out tomorrow. Nathan will be here in an hour or so. There’s some last-minute work stuff he needed to take care of.”
“Well, weareinexplicably four hours early.”
“It’s not inexplicable. I blame it on Big Aunt.”
“I blame it on Ama.” We grin at each other.
Inside the terminal, we find seats for our elders and betters, gather everyone’s passports, and go to the check-in counter. As we go over our seats, the woman at the counter points to a piece of paper and says, “Just as a reminder, these items are prohibited on the flight.”
I nod automatically, skimming through the list. Gun, nope. Knife, nope. Aerosol spray, nope. Power pack, nope. Of course I didn’t bring any of these things to the airport, I—
Taser.
My hand flies to my handbag, where my trusty Taser lies. The thought of having to leave it here and go to a whole new country without it is sickening. It reminds me of the first and only time I’ve had to use it. The way it had made Ah Guan’sbody jerk like a doll. The car crash. And every horrible, gruesome thing that had happened afterward.
“Everything okay, Meddy?” Staph says.
I nod wordlessly, then shake my head. “Uh. I need to—uh. I’ll be right back.” I grab the stash of passports, but my hands are so sweaty that I almost drop them. I hold on tightly and wander off from the counter, unsure where to go. Maybe I can slip the Taser into my check-in luggage? Would that be okay or would that be breaking the law?
“What’s going on?” Staph says, catching up with me. Her face creases with concern when she sees my expression. “Let’s go to the restroom.” She takes the passports from me and leads me away without waiting for an answer.
Inside, she grabs a piece of tissue, wets it under the tap and hands it to me. “Wipe your face. It’ll help.”
I press the cold, damp tissue against my forehead and close my eyes. I take a deep breath. Exhale. After a while, I open my eyes and look at Staph’s reflection. “Sorry. I’m fine.”
“Wanna talk about it?”
I turn the tap on and splash water onto my cheeks. “It’s stupid.” I open my bag and take out the Taser. The weight of it in my hand makes my heart rate double. I hate the thing, but I also can’t be without it. “It’s—I just realized I won’t be able to take this with me.”
“Is that a Taser?” Staph holds out her hand.