Page 15 of I Can’t Even Think Straight
Sunday: Take Your Pick—Mum’s Market Stall
“We need to talk
about your detention,” says Mum.
“What about it?
I’ve served my time already,” I say.
Mum shakes her head.
“I should ground you.”
She tickles me in my ribs.
I bat her hand away, laughing.
“Stop it, Mum,” I say.
“Anyway, you’re never home.
Whose house would you ground me at?
Granny’s? Yiayia and Bapou’s?
Theía Estélla’s?”
“Take your pick,” says Mum,
digging me in my ribs again.
“Promise you won’t
sneak out of school again.”
“I promise! I promise!
Please! No more tickling!”
Mum pulls me into a tight squeeze,
then she releases me,
cups my face with her hands,
and covers it with her kisses.
“Promise me,” Mum pleads,
“no more getting into trouble.”
“Yes, I promise!” I say.
Neither of us cares about potential customers
perusing Mum’s handmade jewelry,
candles, and compartments of gemstones.
Sunday on Mum’s market stall
is our only regular
mum-and-son quality time.
Two of the customers
standing and gawking
are Jenny and Obi from bouldering.
“Hey, Obi,” I say, even though
I’ve known Jenny far longer.
Obi is holding a loop of jade pendant,
which is one of Mum’s bestsellers.
She has dozens in a box under
the white sheet and trestle table,
but she only puts out two at a time.
“Hi, Kai,” says Obi. “You know Jenny?”
“Hi, Kai,” says Jenny. Unreadable.
I turn to Mum. “This is Jenny and Obi,
I know them both from bouldering.
This is my mum, Irína.”
“Shut up!” Jenny gasps at this revelation.
“You’re Kai’s mum? You look so young!”
“Well, I had him young,”
says Mum truthfully.
“Everything on your stall
is so beautiful,” says Obi.
A part of me thinks
he’s flirting with Mum.
A part of me thinks
he’s flirting with me.
“Thank you, sweetheart,” Mum says to him.
“And since you’re one of Kai’s friends,
you get the friends and family discount.”
She gestures to the pendant in his hand.
Obi nods and takes out his phone.
“Great! I’ll take it,” he says, without asking
how much the discount is.
“Something for you, too, darling?”
my multitasking mum says to Jenny,
while presenting Obi with the card reader.
“Fifty percent off—take your pick.”
While Mum and Jenny talk gemstones,
Obi turns to me. “Are you here every week?”
“Yes, every Sunday,” I say proudly.
“Great!” says Obi, grinning.
“We’ll bring some other friends.
Loads of Jenny’s pals
are into gemstones and crystals.
She’s just the tip of the iceberg.
We have a coven of witches, tarot readers,
and all sorts in our friend group.”
“So, are you and Jenny just friends?” I whisper.
“Best buds since prep school,” says Obi.
“Cool,” I say, smiling far too widely.
“How about you and...?” Obi hesitates.
“Shit! I’m sorry. I’m blanking on his name.
I want to say Mark?”
“It’s Matt. And we’re just friends, too.”
“Cool,” says Obi.
“I guess we’re friends now,
since I’m getting
the friends and family discount.”
“I guess so,” I say. “Unless it turns out
you’re one of my dad’s other kids
and we’re actually half brothers.”
Obi tilts his head
to process what I’ve just said.
I’ve let out my dark humor too soon.
Mum rarely laughs
at my dark humor.
She says I sometimes take a joke too far across the line.
I worry I’ve done that this time.
I’m relieved when Obi releases his suppressed laughter.
“My goodness, Kai! You’re a hoot!
You’re an absolute hoot!”