How Lucky by Will Leitch

Author:Will Leitch
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harper
Published: 2021-03-12T00:00:00+00:00

28.

Yes, yes, I can get him on the FaceTime. Hang on one moment, Angela.”

We’re back home, and I’m tired, and everybody’s tired, and man, what a day, but once she heard about all that went down today, I can hardly blame Mom wanting to check in.

It occurs to me that I have no idea where my mother is right now. When I talk to Mom, I sit in my chair and look at the computer screen so she can see me through FaceTime and then talk with her through Gchat. I don’t entirely understand why this is satisfying for her, considering all she’s watching me do is move my joystick in response to whatever she is saying, but I guess she likes to see me, crammed into my chair and all dolled up in my pajamas like a six-year-old. (I hate these pajamas.) Plus, it’s an hour earlier in Illinois, so maybe she’s not as drained as the rest of us.

She’s not at her house now, anyway. I feel like I see a pool behind her. A beach? There’s a shadowy figure moving in and out of the background, a male figure, some sort of droning noise, maybe drying his hair or something, I can’t really tell. Who is that guy? Where is she?

“You look awful.”

( . . . )

( . . . )

( . . . )

Thank you. That’s very nice, Mom.

“Marjani told me about all of it. Don’t blame her for what happened. That used to happen to me too. I know it should be easy to remember that tank, but it just isn’t. I tried to keep it in the chair all the time so I didn’t have to think about it.”

( . . . )

( . . . )

( . . . )

I do not blame her. Where are you?

“I’m in Jamaica! I’m at a resort here with a . . . friend of mine. From work! School hasn’t gotten back from break yet, so I wanted to sneak in one last trip before all the students return.”

I am curious who that “friend from work” in the background is, but again, it has been a long day. She can tell me later if she wants to.

( . . . )

( . . . )

( . . . )

I hope you are having a good day. I am very tired, Mom.

“I understand, I understand! I just wanted to check in on you. It has been a while since you had one of those.”

She looks worried, but unflustered. I’m sure Marjani minimized the seriousness of what happened, and it’s not like she can really tell much over FaceTime anyway. She seems . . . light and silly. I am happy for her. And I am not going to break her reverie.

She begins to giggle at something she sees just off-screen, and now I am no longer curious and do not want to know any more. “Stop, stop!” she says to whoever, some hulking dude probably dripping with coconut oil, in a Speedo, balancing some sort of fruit on his genitals, who knows, good for her, I guess.

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