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Author’s note: I wrote this piece just recently and left the original version open-ended on purpose. I still haven’t ‘closed it’ but I’ve added some more detail. Enjoy!
Today I am five years old. I’m getting my first power dot. A tiny, dark brown speck just below my left eye, but not quite on my cheek, it helps me to store energy.
I have the power of rain.
Not storms, or water, just rain. I can make it rain anywhere for a very long time. Not everyone appreciates it, but Mama says I’ll just have to live with that. She heard from Julius, the newscaster in town square, that power dots are the new way to go.
Go where, I’d like to know. I like to know where I’m going. A power dot is supposed to keep me from raining all over the place, most of the time I can’t help it.
But Mama’s sure tired of mopping up after me. Otherwise I don’t think I’d be here. Everything’s tall and white. I feel like I’m in a giant gift box. And someone’s going to open it any minute and get a big surprise! I like surprises. This is a good surprise, getting a power dot. Mama woke me up this morning and said to get ready to go. So we’re here. She keeps crying a lot though. I don’t know why. She said she was really sorry for doing this. I understand what she means. Mama didn’t do anything. Maybe she’s upset, ‘cause I raining all over the house this morning. There’s mud everywhere and the landlord yelled again.
He’s mean. I don’t like him.
But I don’t think he made Mama cry. It must be me.
“I sowwy, Mama.”
“What for, baby?”
“You sad?”
“Yes…Mama’s sad. But it’s not your fault, okay?”
Mama’s still crying. I still don’t know why. This doesn’t look like a hospital. Everything feels funny here. A bad wrong kind of funny.
“Mama, is cold.” I snuggled up to her arm.
Her arms scoop me up and I am warm. “That better?” Mama is trying to smile, but she is still crying. She won’t look at me.
I have a nice lady for a nurse, but she doesn’t look like a nurse. She’s wearing a suit and she has real red hair. It’s very pretty, but very short. I wonder why. Her name is Janelle.
She wants to stick a needle in my hand. She says it’ll make everything better and it’ll all be over.
“What over, Mama?”
“Shhh! It’s okay, baby…ma’am, don’t you have any-”
I think Mama’s getting mad. Maybe I made her mad. But I don’t like needles. I don’t like here either. It’s scary now.
“Mama!”
“Meeka! Sh! That’s enough!”
“Mama?”
Ugh. Hate needles. But Mama says I need to take these shots. They’ll make me sleepy so the
dots won’t hurt much. I thought I was just getting one dot. Maybe I’m going to get two, in case one doesn’t work.
I feel sleepy. I don’t want to sleep through my power dot. How am I going to see where it came from?
Mama’s crying again. I wish Mama was happy. She should be happy. I’m so tired. My neck hurts. I hurt. Hurt all over.
Mama…..
“I sweepy, Mama.”
“It’s okay baby…just close your eyes…Mama’s here.”
“s’okay?”
“Yes…don’t worry. It’s okay. Go to sleep.”
“ni’ ni’Mama.”
“I’m so sorry, Meeka.”
Copyright 2008 Sara Harricharan