Betty sat down on Bonnie’s bed. She continued to watch Bonnie patiently, ready to speak or act if it became necessary.
“You know it, right?” said Bonnie, “As Ms. Infinity, I’ve done some good stuff, but it’s reactive. I can do so much more. Why stop with this country? I can fly all over the world in seconds. Next to me, the world’s worst dictators don’t even have a chance! I can bring peace and justice to every corner of the world. Why shouldn’t I?”
Betty looked at Bonnie kindly. She knew there was no need to say anything.
“I mean, it could be the beginning of a new era. I could be everywhere at once, fixing everything the way it needs to be, and stopping anyone who gets in my way. Who needs to wait for approval? This world would be perfect, without problems, forever. How could it not be? I’d make sure of it. I could make everyone obey me. I have that power. You know I do…”
Bonnie finally stopped, and sat down on her bed. Her face turned suddenly from an expression of zeal to one of shock and horror. She began to cry, and threw herself into her mother’s arms.
“I’m sorry Mommy!” said Bonnie through her tears, “I’m really sorry! I can’t believe what I just said. You’re right. I’m not worthy of this superhero job.”
My word, thought Betty, I can’t handle another day of it, but she may have just proven better than ever that she is.
17. Rifts and Renewals
Rob Lin was working on the garden when he was distracted by his daughter, wandering this way and that, teeth clenched, talking to herself just above a whisper. Before long, he put down his shears and looked at her. “Lisa, did you want to ask me something?”
“Nothing!” said Lisa.
He tried to ignore her, but she kept pacing, and her whispering grew louder.
“You sure you alright?” said Rob.
“Whatever,” said Lisa.
Rob looked at his daughter thoughtfully. “By the way Lisa, I saw you came home alone today. Was Bonnie off…?”
“Don’t talk to me about Bonnie!”
“I noticed you were both a little tense when she picked you up the other day. Is something wrong between you two?”
“I said I don’t want to talk about it!”
Rob took off his gloves, stood up, and turned toward his daughter. Outwardly she might have been telling him to stop asking questions, but he wondered if her body language was telling another story somehow. The look on her face reminded him of her childhood when she wanted to be picked up after a fall.
“Alright Lisa, maybe I won’t get this right, but I can see you’re upset. Can you at least tell me what this is about?”
Lisa shook her head. “It’s…there’s just a secret.”
Rob’s eyes narrowed. “A secret?”
“Yeah dad,” said Lisa, “I can’t tell you any more than that.”
“Well I definitely know what to say about that. Lisa, you two are adults. You shouldn’t be letting something like that come between you.”
Lisa seemed to pay little mind to her father’s opinion. “Goddamn beautiful! Why does she have to be so beautiful?”
“There’s no reason you should be jealous either. You know you’re the loveliest girl around. You look just like mom, so of course…”
“What the hell happened to her? She can barely stand to go out in a bathing suit, and now she’s wearing that in public!”
“Oh I don’t know about…I mean, why should that be your concern…?”
“But sure, she’s perfect now! I mean, perfect hair and makeup too, just like that. And how can she possibly have the wind blowing on her in just the right way? I mean, how does she do that?”
“You’re losing me here,” said Rob
“And those boots!” said Lisa, “Those boots are just…Wow! Where the hell did she get them?”
“Couldn’t you just ask her?”
“Dad! Never mind.”
“Alright. You just seem…”
“Damnit!” shouted Lisa, storming around the yard in a rage, “It’s not fair! She has everything!”
Rob thought to himself for a moment. Lisa was obviously very upset about something, but it seemed there was no way to nail down exactly what it was. Be that as it may, he wondered if he might just have something to add this time.
“Lisa dear?” said Rob.
“What Dad?” said Lisa.
“Do you really, truly believe that Bonnie has everything?”
“Dad,” said Lisa, “you don’t know what…”
“Lisa,” said her father firmly, “look at me.”
“What Dad? What do you…”
“Lisa, look at me! Does Bonnie really have everything?”
“Look Dad, I don’t think you know…”
“Lisa, once again, look at me!”
“Why?”
“Well, I like to think I’m not chopped liver!”
“So?”
“Okay,” said Rob, “Once again. Look at me.”
“I’m looking at you. Fine.”
“Now. Do you really think Bonnie has everything? Think about it now.”
Lisa looked reluctantly at her father. Then suddenly her eyes widened, finally understanding her father’s meaning. Her face turned from angry to sad, then grateful. A tear came to her eye.
“Whatever this is,” said Rob, “remember that you are the most special person in the world to me and your mother, and you always will be. Just don’t forget that.”
“I won’t,” said Lisa.
Betty was walking home from the grocery store, pushing her shopping cart, when out of nowhere a little girl ran into her and fell over. Betty stopped and helped her up. She soon discovered that the girl was wearing a Ms. Infinity costume. A teenage boy ran up behind the girl. “I’m sorry, miss. Jamie never looks where she’s going.”
“Quite alright,” said Betty. Then turning to the little girl, she said, “Are you alright, dear?”
“I’m Ms. Infinity!” said the girl, “I’m very strong!”
“I think I’d be careful with that talk!” said Betty, “Play all you want, but I hope you stay safe.”
The girl turned away sadly.
“Oh I’m sorry,” said Betty, “I’m just in a strange mood. You play superhero all you want. Little girls need that.”
“Not just little girls,” said the teenager, “I really look up to her too.”
“I know,” said Betty, “Boys see her differently though.”
The boy looked down nervously. “Not…always…I mean, I…don’t know if…”
“Oh no!” said Betty, “I’m sorry. I’m ‘Oh for Two’ today. Listen, I should not assume anything. Listen, my name is Betty. I’m pleased to meet you.”
“I’m Bill,” said the boy, “I have my reasons why I need Ms. Infinity right now. I just came out to my parents.”
“Oh! My goodness. I’m way off. I’m really sorry, dear.”
“That’s alright. You see, Ms. Infinity had a lot to do with it. Her tag line helps, ‘Never Forget the Power You Have Inside You,’ but you know what? What really grabs me is her courage, just admitting who she is. I mean, think about it. Who’s more different that her? She sticks out like a sore thumb. And she’s taken a lot of flack for it. I’ve heard the interviewers give her hell. I’ve also heard people say the worst things about her, especially that Johnny Gunn. And yet, she stays strong. I really admire her for that. That’s what it took for me to come out. I don’t think I could have done it without her.”
Betty looked at Bill in wonder. A rush of emotions came to her. The many things she kept hidden, even from her daughter, were a burden that was with her every day, and were now suddenly confronting her. She was not sure she had as much courage as Bill herself.
“Listen,” said Bill, “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m telling you so much. It’s been a strange week.”
Betty shook herself into awareness and looked at Bill. “That’s quite alright, dear. Thank you for telling me that. Really, thank you very much
!”
Betty returned home and walked nervously but surely into Bonnie’s room. Bonnie was lounging on her bed, reading her gossip magazines. She looked up at her mother as she approached. “Bonnie,” said Betty, “We have to talk.”
“Now what have I done?” said Bonnie.
“Everything!” said Betty, “Oh, honey, I’m sorry if I’ve doubted you. I’m your mother, and I fear for your safety, and I’ve had the scare of my life. But you do need to do this. I see it now.”
“Really? You’re telling me that? That’s a new one on me.”
Betty sat down on Bonnie’s bed and smiled warmly at her daughter. “Yes my love. I am telling you. You have my blessing again. More than my blessing. You can even consider me your fan, your biggest fan.”
“Really? Wow. I don’t know, Mom. I just don’t think I want to do this anymore.”
“What? Bonnie, why?”
“You know what? You were right. I’ve been thinking of what I’m capable of, and I don’t know. I’m even scared of myself. Ugh.”
Betty ran her hand warmly through Bonnie’s hair. “Oh Bonnie, dear. I never wanted you to think that! You are wonderful the way you are. Honey, you are the one who said never to forget the power you have inside you.”
“Actually you said it originally.”
“We can both take credit, but there is great wisdom in it. Sure, you have to be careful not to abuse your powers. But it is also wrong not to use them when they’re needed. It’s part of adulthood, dear. You may have some unique circumstances, but all of us have to trust to wisdom.”
“Is every mother as wordy as you? Look Mom, in my heart I want to be her again. But I’m dreading it too. I don’t know. It’s too much. You know what kind of decisions I have to make out there?”
“You are starting to mature. I like that. Honey, it hard. That’s where the responsibility comes in…”
“…No!” cried Bonnie, standing up abruptly in alarm, “Whatever you do, please don’t give me the Uncle Ben speech!”
“What?” asked Betty.
“Spider Man’s uncle. He didn’t live long after that talk.”
“I get the reference, but really now! Are all superheroes superstitious like that?”
“Probably. Ugh. You know what else? The next time I have to do an interview. I hate those!”
“Well dear,” said Betty, “I can understand why you might dread them. But if anything, I think they might even be your most important responsibility. If you don’t talk, you cede the discussion to others and their assumptions. You really don’t want to let Johnny Gunn define you. I think it’s up to you to set the record straight.”
“I guess if I gotta. Ugh. You know, some of the details they would want to know make me cringe, like the name of our native world. I mean, ‘Center,’ really? Do I have to tell them we’re from a planet that believes it’s the center of the universe? That makes us like the most backward aliens since Melmac!”
“Since what?”
“You know, the planet on ALF. They never do explain why everyone there speaks English, or at least if they did, I didn’t catch it. I also wonder why the Tanners call him ‘Alf’ if his name is just Gordon Shumway. I mean, how hard is Gordon anyway?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I don’t have quite the appetite for old TV that you do.”
“I almost wish our native planet was called Melmac. Even that would be better than ‘Center.’”
“You know what, dear? It’s more than that. It’s about you. You have already made a tremendous statement. You have shown that there is something that sets you apart from others.”
“Well yeah. Don’t you think I know that? I just took two nukes to the face for it!”
“But honey, there is something else I want you to see. Believe it or not, you’re not alone. Think of those in the LGBTQ community. These are people who take a big risk in just being honest about themselves. Bonnie, do you understand why this is important? Now you need to take the next step. You need to be loud and clear that you are not ashamed of who you are. This means a lot to your public.” Betty now spoke more tentatively, “In fact, Bonnie, honey…I want you to hear something. This also means a lot to me…”
“Well that’s very sweet of you, Mom! I’m glad that you’ve finally come around to supporting me here. You know what? I’m not ashamed of my powers, and I shouldn’t be. You’re right.”
“Oh,” said Betty haltingly, Well…Sure. It’s just…It’s also…Listen, honey…”
“You know what? It’s hard to admit this, but it has been scary admitting how different I am. Being out there. I don’t know if you could understand what I’ve been through here.”
“Maybe I have some concept. I’m not sure if you understand where I’m…”
“Mom, thank you for being with me here every step of the way.”
Betty paused, closed her eyes briefly and shook her head in a gesture of quiet resignation. “Baby, I hope you know, I’m always proud of you. Just remember I’m behind you all the time, okay?”
“I do know that, Mom. Hey if nothing else, at least we’re taller than those people from Kaplutis.”
“What’s that?”
“The planet from Bobby’s dream on The Brady Bunch.”
“Honey, I’m pretty sure I know why you struggled in high school.”
The next morning, Lisa was just out of bed when Bonnie called.
“Hi Bonnie,” said Lisa blankly.
“Lis! We’re both off!” said Bonnie, “Let’s do something.”
“Oh,” said Lisa, doing her best to prevent her tone of voice from reflecting the look on her face, “Really? You’re not too busy for me these days?”
“What do you mean? Why would I…?”
“…Never mind.”
“Lisa! I don’t know what you think! I miss you like crazy. Whatever I’ve done, I want to make it better. C’mon, you’re my best friend! Better than my best friend. You’re my sister!”
“Yeah?”
“C’mon, Lis. Please? You can call me ‘Stinkita’ all you want!”
Lisa was silent. She now struggled even more to prevent herself from showing her emotions. On the one hand she was still angry—it was amazing to her that Bonnie still seemed to have no idea why—but it was getting harder than ever to hold on to her stance. In her heart, she still loved Bonnie. She was incredible, impossible, profoundly different, completely ridiculous. She stunk. And she also missed her like crazy. She would break down in tears if she let herself. She hated herself for it, but she had to drop her anger. The only thing left to do now was make their plans.
“You know what? Sure, Bonnie. I would love to. I’m like out of clothes, and I think I’ve seen The Big Box enough for ten lifetimes.”
“Yeah, who needs them. I mean, we do live in New York City. We could do much better.”
“What do you say? Let’s do some real shopping. Let’s go to Manhattan. We’ll go all over town. Check out the thrift shops.”
“There’s also the big comic shop in Times Square,” said Bonnie.
“Maybe,” said Lisa, “if we also do MoMA.”
“Oh, alright. You know what else? Want to go to Macy’s? There’s nothing like the big one in Herald Square.”
“Awesome idea! Let’s do it!”
It seemed that neither Lisa nor Bonnie made an essential connection at that moment. It was Wednesday, and Johnny Gunn was set to make his grand announcement at his headquarters in Herald Square, right across from Macy’s.
Lisa put away her phone and prepared to leave. She was starting out the door when her mother blocked the way.
“Lisa!” said Tracy, “Look at you! Off for another aimless day!”
“Mom!” snapped Lisa, “Enough already!”
“My dear girl, this is what we do, keep those lines of communication open. Or I would have thought it would be, but no, at this point I have to pull teeth just to find out when you play Sadie Hawkins!”
“Ugh, mom! You’re still on
that?”
“Listen Lisa. You’re living a very different life than I did, even if we’re only a few subway stops from where I grew up. I never got to go to college at all. Growing up in Flushing, I lived a traditional Chinese life...”
“…Yes. I know,” said Lisa, shaking her head, “And you’re better off for it. How lucky you are not to be cursed by American culture.”
“You need to listen more and talk less. I don’t think that at all. The opposite! I was lucky even to be there. We immigrated when I was a newborn. I never had a father, and I never knew why. My mother would not discuss him, though her few words about him were not kind. I got the impression that he might have been a danger to us. She said little about her life in China, and even less about our immigration, but I think I put things together. The family had some connections at the military level, and some of them must have pulled some strings. I’m pretty sure she saved my life. That was during Mao’s cultural revolution. I suppose things had gotten very unsafe…”
“I’m sorry, Mom, but this story…I know it’s awful, but it’s not a blank check to control my life!”
“Lin Xiofan, you look at me now and listen! I want to give you everything, but you have to want it too. Don’t you forget even for a minute how lucky you are that you have a chance to better yourself. I did not have such an opportunity.
“You should have both eyes and ears open to this story, dear! When you see a figure like Johnny Gunn on the rise, it’s a reminder. You may be taking your privileges for granted, just like most middle-class Americans. But times like these, the times of peace and prosperity, they cannot always be counted on. Things can turn on a dime. It’s time to be thinking about grabbing whatever advantages you can while you still can. Not that I think we should be standing idly by and letting our country fall to a totalitarian.”
“Alright Mom,” said Lisa, “I see where you are going. Just please understand, it’s not that easy for me.”
“Not easy for you?” said Tracy, “Try being in my shoes!”
As Lisa left, Rob walked up quietly next to Tracy.
“Can I please say something?” said Rob.
Ms. Infinity (Book 2): Where Infinity Begins Page 19
