Every Happy Family by Dede Crane

Author:Dede Crane
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: families, mothers, daughters, sons, fathers, relationships, cancer, Alzheimer's, Canadian, celebrations, alcoholism, Tibet, adoption, rugby, short stories
Publisher: Coteau Books
Published: 2013-02-01T05:00:00+00:00

Two giant metal cylinders covered in what looks like Tibetan Braille stand in the entrance to the Thangka Room. A staff woman, short with cloudy grey hair, is encouraging everyone to “Have a go.”

“Spinning the prayer wheel accumulates merit and virtuous karma,” she broadcasts, “ensuring a favored birth in your next life.”

“What about this life?” Pema whispers.

Les puts a finger to his lips.

Pema steps up and gives the dirty-grey cylinder a hard whirl. Expecting the metal to be cold to the touch, she’s grossed out to find it warm.

“Clockwise,” corrects the woman.

“What?”

“You’re supposed to spin it clockwise.”

“Or what happens?” she asks.

The woman’s eyes cross before she looks away and encourages the next person in line.

“I have to use the washroom,” Pema tells Les. “‘Cause how many jabillion hands have touched that wheel thing over the centuries?”

Les gently pushes the back of her head in the direction of the washrooms. “Hurry up.”

Her parents blame her germ phobia on the unsanitary conditions of the refugee camp where she was raised, where washing hands was a religion. Or so she was told. She has zero memories of her birth mother or of Nepal, as if it truly was another lifetime. Jill had made a photo album of her adoption trip and every photo of the refugee camp is slightly hazy as though the camera lens was covered in grime. In contrast, all the pictures on the plane and of Pema’s “homecoming” are bright and clear, the world suddenly come into focus. There was only one photo of her birth mother because apparently she’d refused to have her picture taken, something about it stealing her soul. Though Pema doesn’t remember doing it, apparently she tore that picture up and flushed it down the toilet.

She angles her hand underneath the soap dispenser to make it auto-pump soft pink foam, and again for a double helping. Inhales its watermelon scent. The pictures taken on the airplane show her on Les’s lap, wailing, and asleep in her seat with her mouth slung open. Most of the pictures are of her arrival.

Her first memory – not just a picture memory – is of seeing her new home, towering green trees hiding a white two-storey palace with yellow window boxes spilling the most beautiful red flowers. There are pictures of Auntie Annie wearing a tie-dyed turban, of Quinn, seven, smiling dutifully for the camera, and Beau, three, scowling. Another shows Grammy Nan, making a sad face as she sits in a chair and holds crying Pema’s hands in both of hers. In one picture a beautiful cake covered in snow-white icing and edible orange and yellow flowers is in front of her, her face scrunched and crying. Her favourite picture is of Beau pushing cake into her wailing mouth to get her to shut up already. Beau was the only one who wasn’t cautious around her, who didn’t pretend to love her. She trusted him instantly.

Pema finds Les in front of a painting of a naked white woman with

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