“I know, Dad. I promise.”
“Hal, there’s another thing that concerns me. “Are you dating anyone?”
“Not this moment. No.”
“Here’s the thing. We all heard how excited you were to meet that Ms. Infinity. And of course you were. Who wouldn’t be? I just hope you’re not thinking of that as a relationship.”
“Way to burst my bubble, Dad.”
“I had my crushes too, Hal. And of course she would be lucky as anyone to have you, but be realistic. You’ll probably never see her again. Look, this is the thing with fantasy crushes like this. All you know is the image. Even if you did somehow get close to her, what would you being getting yourself into? You don’t know what she’s really like. It makes much more sense to date someone you actually know.”
“I was kidding. I just wish I got her autograph.”
“So is there someone else you’re seeing? You know, a woman who you really know, presumably one who can’t fly, but still nice to talk to?”
“Well, there is one girl I think about at work, but I don’t know…”
“Here’s my other concern. I don’t want you to lose hope because of what happened to your parents. Lots of couples stay married for life. Please don’t let this discourage you.”
“I know Dad. I really want to be hopeful. It’s hard…”
“Hal, it’s important that you believe in something. There is more to life than an endless treadmill. If you have someone you can dedicate your life to, then that is what gives life meaning, that and some meaningful work. I also hope you are giving your future a hard look.”
“That’s another frustrating thing, Dad. I don’t know when my career is taking off.”
“Well, aspiring to TV reporting wasn’t exactly thinking practically, was it? The possibility exists that you might have to rethink things somewhere down the line. But I still believe you will figure this all out. You have a future, a bright one. Got it?”
“Got it, Dad. By the way, I do have time to stop at my apartment before work, so…”
Jerry laughed, “I know Hal, go to the pantry and do your shopping. I figured you’d be coming, so I bought double.”
“Bonnie,” said Betty the same morning, “I do hope you’ve been working on some kind of plan. You’re going to be fighting Misery again at any time.”
“I know, Mom,” said Bonnie, “I can beat her.”
Betty was sitting on a chair in Bonnie’s room while Bonnie worked at getting herself out of bed. The room was like many bedrooms of young adults living at home. There were vestiges of teenage life here and there, particularly the bright colors of the linen. Her desk had a few pictures of herself and friends, particularly Lisa. The wall had several superhero posters, with an especially large picture of Wonder Woman.
“You see Bonnie,” said Betty, “This is what I’m concerned about. I wouldn’t be too sure. This is not the time for overconfidence. It’s not like beating some street criminal. This is someone who might just be up to fighting you.”
“You didn’t see our battle yesterday. I bowled her over!”
Betty was barely holding her tongue. There were many things that were unsaid. She could not be sure whether it was time to bring them up. For now, all she could do was argue.
“Look Bonnie, you are beginning to get a little too used to winning, and it’s dangerous. Do not take it for granted that you’re always going to be the strongest person around. You never know if you’re going to meet someone tougher. You may not think much about what it’s like to be competing with her, someone who is similar to you in strength. It has been a while. But it is high time you remembered.”
“So, what kind of plan are you thinking of?”
“That’s just it, Bonnie. We have to think of one. We should begin by looking at her method of attack, and then considering where her weaknesses might be. I would also want to at least begin to guess her motives. It’s all speculation now, but it’s better than nothing at all.”
“Really? All this for someone who just sent a giant bowling ball across space? Look, I don’t remember her being the sharpest tool in the shed, and this doesn’t exactly change the equation.”
“Bonnie, listen! What she did was tremendously dangerous, and she came a great distance for that effort. I wouldn’t be too quick to underestimate her. There is definitely something more going on than just a reckless sport. You have to realize that too.”
“I was joking. I do know that. You know what? I’ll think about it. Okay?”
“By the way,” said Betty, “How is that spaceship? I haven’t been on it in some time now. Is it ready if you have to go any distance?”
“You know it, Mom! Starship Infinity is better than ever.”
“You had to call it that?”
“And what would you call it? The Boring Family Rocket?”
“Never mind. Starship Infinity it is.”
“You’d never recognize it, Mom. It’s awesome now. I have made this thing like no other ship anywhere. It’s first class in every possible way. So don’t tell me I’m not ready.”
Betty looked at Bonnie dubiously. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll be on the ready. I have personal time if I need to take it. I’ll even go with you if you need me to.”
“You really think that’s necessary?”
“Bonnie, my love,” said Betty, “I am your mother. I am here for you. You don’t always have to work alone. I want to say, ‘Don’t be afraid to ask,’ but that’s not enough. There are times when things are too big. Yes Bonnie. Too big even for you. And when that happens, you had better come to me. This is something that is big enough by far. Bonnie, when the time comes, I want to know that you will ask me.”
“Mom…”
“Bonnie, I want you to promise me.”
“What am I promising you?”
“Bonnie, you will promise me that when Misery does strike, you will let me know immediately. I don’t care what time of day it is. When it happens, you will not be concerned about interrupting anything, or asking too much, and most of all you will not be embarrassed about asking your mother for help. I will be there immediately without question. Is that understood?”
“I understand.”
“Do you promise?”
“I do.”
Bonnie considered her mother’s words, but took little action. For one thing, she had other matters on her mind. After the incident on the roof, she was concerned about Derrick. She had begun to feel sympathy for him since reading his mind.
Derrick’s parents had never been around, and he was raised primarily by his elderly grandmother. With little family around to look for him, he had fallen in with some dangerous crowds. This gang had found him in a fairly desperate state. They had given him a sense of security. He did not seem to understand that he was deliberately being used.
Bonnie realized that he had done wrong, nearly killing Hal. Yet she also believed that he was a case of a kid who had made a mistake rather than a hardened criminal. She felt that he should at least be given a fair chance at rehabilitation.
She visited the precinct house, and asked what was happening in the case. After a long wait, an officer reluctantly spoke to her. She was very alarmed to hear that both of the accomplices were let go. There was no evidence against them apart from Ms. Infinity’s word (based, as she knew, on the dubiously admissible grounds of a psychic reading.) Derrick had confessed, but would not say a word against them, probably because of fear of retaliation. There was a chance that he might be talked into testifying for a plea deal. Yet even under the best circumstances, he was almost certain to serve prison time.
She felt sad about the whole thing. There were many worse criminals who got away with much less punishment, or indeed none at all. She began to wonder what part she could play as a superhero that could change the world.
“I’m afraid your powers are not much use here,” said Betty, “As hard as it sounds, be glad there is a law here, flawed though it is. And I will cert
ainly not hear of breaking it.”
“Of course I know that,” said Bonnie, “But do you understand why it upsets me?”
Betty looked at her warmly. “I know that you empathize, and it makes you
special. But here you must always think about working within the law. Now do you understand why I want you to think about a career in the public interest? There are many people who do wonderful work with much lesser abilities than you. What they have in common with you is empathy. I am sure the personal stories of many such people would surprise you. You are not necessarily as unique as you may think.”
“That’s a comforting thought,” said Bonnie.
The next time Bonnie went to work, she nearly ran into a huge cardboard cutout of her alter ego just inside the entrance. Clearly the store was trying to capitalize on the heroine’s recent appearance, and the attention it had received, but in her eyes it was pretty unsettling.
The media coverage she had seen so far was none too encouraging. The reports seemed to focus heavily on her looks, with minimal concern for the feats she had performed, and the fact that she had saved a life.
Security at The Big Box had been stepped up considerably. Unfortunately, the effort was anything but even-handed. The guards were showing extra suspicion with African American customers, and even employees. Nadine was particularly upset when she had to prove to a new security guard that she worked there. It was an indignity that her coworkers did not have to face. Ironically, all three of the perpetrators had been white.
Betty shopped there that day, and spent a little time with Nadine during her break. The two discussed parenting, especially Nadine’s son, who was in Kindergarten.
“I am very sorry to hear that,” said Betty warmly, “At only five years old, nobody should be facing racism. It’s bad enough that it hits adults.”
“Richard is a very sweet boy,” said Nadine, “But he’s a kid and he acts like one. So he snatched a crayon from another kid, and suddenly the dean’s telling me to stop raising a gangster.”
“I can’t imagine a child who doesn’t act selfishly. Doesn’t exactly make you a mugger if you get rude.”
“So Bette, what do I say to him exactly? Not to anger the white kids? Is that it?”
“That is the thing. The same action is often taken different ways, depending on who does it. Girls learn the same lesson in a different way. What is ‘strong’ for boys is called ‘bossy’ for girls, and worse. It’s a hard lesson. Still, that doesn’t mean we have to accept it, does it?”
“What do you do about it?”
“Well, short of leaving the whole world behind, I think you have to speak up.”
“Easier said than done.”
Racism was not a thing on Bonnie and Betty’s native world. By no means was this world was any utopia. It was certainly no stranger to many forms of inequality, extreme sexism not least. While the people there had the same range of skin tones as human beings, they didn’t have the perceptions that came with these differences on Earth. It was just that the history that produced “race” as we know it on Earth had no equivalent there. People there simply didn’t think of skin color as something significant.
This caused a culture shock when the Borings arrived on Earth. While Bonnie and Betty greatly enjoyed the relatively liberal attitude toward gender, nonetheless they were not prepared for the disadvantage their relatively dark skin tone suddenly gave them. They were quite surprised that simply being “brown” skinned caused many people around them to make many different assumptions about them, and occasionally even view them with suspicion.
Despite Bonnie’s fear of being discovered, it was also her secret wish when it came to Hal. She had played out the drama in her mind many times. They were alone. She told him who she really was. He doubted her, but then she transformed in front of him. He was then amazed and awed, and nearly fell over telling her how much he idolized her. Then she took him on a trip around the world. At the end of the day, he told her he loved her. Finally, they did what came naturally. How could he resist?
One day, maybe she could make it happen. But reality was not looking much like her fantasy. That day did not seem to be convenient at first. To Bonnie’s chagrin, Hal was being recognized by people left and right for the events on the roof with Ms. Infinity. Customers and coworkers alike were asking him about the incident, and he was enjoying the attention.
Nonetheless, Hal had clearly not forgotten Bonnie. When a man she knew from high school came in and talked with her, Hal seemed unable to take his eyes off them. After it was over, she whispered to her friend Julia, who was with her at the customer service counter, “Look! Somebody’s a little ‘peanut butter and jealous.’”
Julia looked back at her wide eyed and laughed, “Not that you noticed.”
At the end of her shift, she finally caught his eye for a moment. Bonnie finally asked Hal out. It was an awkward moment. She was about to leave, and he was working a line. But he graciously accepted. “Bonnie,” he answered, “I would love to go out with you.”
Bonnie and Hal settled on a day date, since both of them had to work throughout the next few evenings. They visited a nearby carnival. It was a small venue, situated in the parking lot of a church, boxed in by buildings and traffic. They ate ice cream and talked on the Ferris wheel. From their vantage above the small fairground, they could see much of Queens, and beyond it the city’s bridges, the Manhattan skyline, and more. It was quiet apart from one teenage boy, climbing around in another car in an attempt to show off to his girlfriend. The two talked and listened quite a bit; they were eager to get to know each other.
“I never cared for my name,” said Hal, “It sounds like an old man. And well it is. I’m named after my great grandfather, who died in the Holocaust. It’s a Jewish tradition, naming after a dead relative, although usually that’s confined to the Hebrew name. I got that also. My Hebrew name is Chaim. That means ‘Life.’ But lucky me, I got the English name too.”
“I think it’s a nice name,” said Bonnie, “I also think it’s a lovely tradition. I wonder if there’s more meaning, considering the tragedy in this case. I mean, it’s after someone you never knew, so I can understand why you wouldn’t feel too much attachment. Still I guess your grandparents must have appreciated it. One of them lost him under horrible circumstances.”
“He was my grandmother’s father, on my dad’s side. My grandparents did talk about him from time to time,” said Hal.
“…And it’s also good that you knew them.”
“Good point. You know what? Bonnie’s a really nice name. Any story there?”
“My mom liked it?”
“I guess that’s as good a reason as any,”
“So how is your family life?” asked Bonnie
“My parents are divorced,” said Hal, “Well, divorcing. It’s the reason I moved out. It’s hard to be around either of them without hearing about their arguments. I know my mom has a boyfriend now, and I never go to her house anymore. It’s been a long time since I’ve even talked to her. Ugh! It’s enough. Too depressing.”
“That really is a shame. It’s hard hearing about families falling apart.”
“So what’s your family like?” asked Hal.
“I live with my mother,” said Bonnie
“Do you get along?”
“Well, she does helicopter a lot, and I giver her a lot of attitude, but it could be worse.”
“That’s cool.”
For the most part, Hal asked little besides what Bonnie volunteered. In a way she was relieved. There were many questions she did not want to answer. Yet she could not be sure whether this was due to good manners or a lack of interest. But then the inevitable question of family background came up.
“So Bonnie,” asked Hal, “Where does your family come from?”
“Oh,” said Bonnie, “A lot of places…”
“I was going to guess you might be Indian, or maybe Hispanic. But then with the last name Boring, there must be some
English in there.”
“Yeah. I’m kind of dark. Umm. This is really not my favorite topic.”
“Oh. Well listen. I hope you’re not afraid or something. I know there’s a lot of prejudice out there. You know, being Jewish, sometimes I’ve been afraid of saying so myself. The worst thing I could do is judge someone else…”
“Oh Hal. It’s nothing like that. I just have some issues of my own. Could we just drop it?”
Suddenly the teenage boy from the neighboring car began to slip and fall. Bonnie could ignore the situation no longer. She took the risk for the sake of a life. Seeing that Hal was distracted by the spectacle, Bonnie nervously turned into Ms. Infinity. She had to think the words “Infinite Power” instead of saying them, and skip the smoke cloud.
She then flew to the scene so fast she seemed to appear out of thin air. Happily his foot had momentarily gotten stuck in the railing for just long enough. She caught the boy just as he fell. He looked at his rescuer, surprised and relieved.
“You have to be careful!” she said, “You don’t get another chance.”
“Ms. Infinity!” cried the boy.
Hal was clearly surprised and captivated by the sight of the heroine suddenly in his sight. His eyes were glued, so much so that he did not notice that his date had disappeared.
Ms. Infinity flew the boy safely onto the ground, to a predictable round of applause. “Thank you,” she said, trying not to look tense. She flew away, again fast enough to seem to disappear.
“Wow!” cried Hal, “That was magic!” He didn’t notice the other “magic” right behind him, Ms. Infinity quietly transforming into Bonnie Boring.
“I know Hal,” said Bonnie in an annoyed tone, “Please remember that I’m right here. It’s not especially good manners to talk about another woman when you’re on a date.”
“Oh! I’m sorry Bonnie.”
“It’s alright,” said Bonnie. She felt the sting of a no-win situation. It was a relief that her secret identity was still safe. Yet how bad was it that her date didn’t even notice she was missing.
Ms. Infinity (Book 1): Earth's Greatest Hero Page 6
