Meetings Momma's Momma
Lin knows which window is hers. Even without the colorful pictures: tiger-dillo's, moose-lions, and of course a badgermole with its paws two sizes bigger than its head arranged on the windows. Lin would know that room was her homeroom. It's her compulsion to know which room her daughter is in. To know everywhere she will be throughout the school day. That today she had art and she'd be in the very center of the school were there were no windows. She will have plenty of pictures to show little penguin, Lin musses. Art was never the former chief of polices thing. Staring at pictures on the wall was boring. But Korra fawned over their daughters pictures more than enough to compensate for Lin's short comings. So Lin could get away with a simple 'it looks good.' Which was a very lame compliment in her book.
Playing with the buttons on her long gray trench coat as if the conversation she was thinking about in her head were actually happening in front of her. Soon, but hopefully not too soon, snow would fall. Her little penguins favorite kind of weather.
Lins hand rubbed the cloth it held. Inside was an empty lunch. It had been left over prunes from the night before. Plenty since only two members of the household seemed to enjoy them. She got to eat fire flakes for dinner. The easy go to meal for the child when mommy made something she didn't like.
Lin pulled her foot out of her shoe. Placing it on the ground. She gave it a tap to see into the building. Tiny ghosts, hundreds of them, sat in chairs and seemed very uninterested in what the teachers were talking about. Lin spied a pair who were exchanging notes. Another who was asleep; head hidden behind a book. She cringed at the boy picking his nose; then wiping it on his shirt. Yuck. But she reigned her sight in. Focusing particularly on a room on the third floor. She could picture that hair that her daughter had let grow longer since their trip. Now it reached past her shoulders. And the girl was still infatuated with keeping it groomed. Like a cat, Lin chuckled. The only other creature on this planet that groomed itself less than her daughter.
All the little ghosts soon scrambled at the sound of the bell. Lin tuned out and came back to herself. Opening her eyes. To see the school again; a lighter cherry red and less dreary than the surrounding ones. The court yard, all concrete which was to bad for the kids knees, was were the children begin pouring out like water bursting through a dam. They parted around Lin giving the women a wide berth. Going to their parents or walking home alone.
A women with thin glasses and hair in a bun found it easier to swim with the current of kids. Her blouse was dark and the collar of her shirt was buttoned up all the way out of modesty. "Hello, Mrs. Beifong." The women's lips moved cheerfully. And she bowed as children ran around her. Bumping into her without an apology.
Lin grumbled a hello. Teachers. She couldn't stand them. Mean things who tortured children with letters and numbers. Facts and figures. Who cared what happened when. What mattered to Lin was bending and being an officer. At the time when she was young and worshipped her mother. Never will stop, she supposed. The only thing she liked about school was that when she finally got out she could apply for the police force. No school wasn't fun for Lin. Then again neither was her sister. But she tolerated both to get to her goal in life.
Lin straightened when she noticed a red haired child coming her way. Only to pass Lin by. Lin sagged. She should of known better. That kids hair wasn't even a tenth as red as Yee-Li's; like it had been dyed. What kind of parent would allow a child to do that. Lin would never let Korra do such a thing to Yee-Li. No matter how she begged. No matter what she did to persuade...the visuals started to play out like a mover. One that was so clichéd Bolin would of been the star of such a romance. Korra was working on withering her resolve by dressing in...nothing but...but...oh spirits. Lin was trying to finish the thought but she feared she'd blush so much it'd be obvious to the adults what she was thinking.
A small hand gripped Lins wrist and tugged lightly.
Lin looked down. "Hel-lo...squirt." The little girl was eyeing her flushed cheeks.
"Were you thinking about mommy."
"No!" Lin shouted letting go of her daughter as if burned; catching the looks of several other parents plus that teacher who had said hello; watching them over the rims of her glasses.
"Your face is all red like when mommy whispers in your ear." She might not of known what Lin was thinking about but it didn't make it feel any less guilty for thinking about the girls mother in such a way around her.
So she did what any good police officer would do during an interrogation; when it wasn't going their way. Deflect. And Lin accomplished this by taking the girls hand and strolled away from the school. So as their feet strummed along the sidewalk Yee-Li naturally kept quiet as she usually did on the way home. Never to share her day unless they were at home sitting at the dinner table. All of them at home that is. With Korra making dinner wearing that apron with the furry fringe.
Which had actually been Lins gift for...what was the occasion again? Her birthday? No. The holiday? Yes-that was it. It was avatar day. That was their first holiday after Korra had moved in. They hadn't bothered to attend the fancy party in Korras honor. Instead, they had a nice meal at home. Candles, to many of them actually. All over the apartment. The idea was to be romantic. It certainly was in theory; but to Lin it was a fire hazard. The brown on the apron in the low lit room matched the bare skin beneath it perfectly. Lin had almost thought that korra had been rolling around naked with Naga before she'd come into the kitchen. She bounced towards her on her toes. Wiggled her hips to a fro. Talking about how she was going to cook something hot; Lin hadn't been paying much attention to what Korra was talking about. Instead she was focused on those full lips. With just the right amount of lipstick; Asami had obviously helped Korra there. Otherwise she might of looked like a clown. Tripping over the pillow near the table hadn't been to graceful either. Still...I had fun catching her.
And Korra wore that apron every time she cooked. Still no matter how much time had passed. It never failed to stir her insides up. Lin looked down at Yee-Li who was showing a knowing smile. Spirits, she looks like Korra when she does that. With the way her nose flared. Eyebrows rose hallway up and the little flash of teeth at the edge of her mouth.
Yee-Li was tapping the ground with the end of her umbrella like a cane.
A few clouds had floated so close to the city that if someone just reached outside of their building they could scoop some up in a cup. They didn't look like they'd shed any water. Yet Korra could smell rain coming better than anyone. So it was best not to take their time getting home.
As they walked Yee-Li held Lin's hand. Albeit moving a bit slower today. Usually she would be eager to get home. So she could see her mommy and talk about her day. Growing up surrounded by the white lotus and devoting your life to becoming the avatar. Korra couldn't help but listen with rapt attention to the daily activities that her daughter talked about.
Them and the others students leaving school blended into the populace of republic city. Who were coming home from work in dirty overalls, suits and briefcases, or heading to the night shift wearing the same thing. A little girl stood beside her mother each in a sun dress showing off flowers from their cart. Shoving the sweet smelling things into people faces. Yee-Li had slowed down even more when they passed. The sunflower had caught her in its yellow gaze; the black pit surrounded by its petals looked like an eye watching Lin. Plants didn't hold much interest for Lin either. People, Korra-and Yee-Li specifically, were more interesting. Still not everyone had Lin's views. As Yee-Li reached out to touch the petals of the plant. She took a whiff and her shoulders unhinged as she sighed gratefully.
Lin handed the money over to the little girl who made it disappear as soon as the yauns landed in her palm.
Yee-Li held the flower by its long stem above her head like it were a balloon. The plant swayed with her movements. Yet the flower did nothing to hasten her pace. She seemed to of retreated into her own head. That bottom lip she'd use to get her way with Korra was pinched in her teeth. Rolled between them like the thoughts rolling in her head.
They had almost missed their ride. As Asami's people carrier, going by the sleeker name bus, nearly passed the corner they usually got picked up on. Lin waved the bus down with her daughters small umbrella like a stick clenched in her hand.
The drivers fat hand closed the door behind them as they boarded. Hygiene had become a major issue with Asami's buses. The seats had all manner of gum and boogers hiding beneath them. Ill words that Lin had to lie to her daughter about the definition were written, or scratched onto the backs of seats.
Much like those rich words; the people who rode the bus were the same. Gruff old men with white beards who hogged whole rows for their bags. Or the homeless man sleeping in one with a folded up newspaper for a blanket. A young teen who would of ended up in a cell for a night or two, if Lin was still on the beat, for the triple threat tattoo. The three sided triangle each with its own color: green, red, and blue. Flashed everyone from the back of his wrist. The fool. Taking pride in extorting people. Hurting them. Lin wished she had on her metal bending uniform. So she could wipe that leer aimed at the women in front of him. Curly black hai. A modest skirt. But the buttons on her shirt were one less done up. Showing off tanned skin that only came from sitting out for hours. The triple threat 'boy' was ogling her cleavage with a drooling tongue.
Lin moved forward as she saw his hand dangle around the back of her neck. But she stopped. Meeting the small and innocent face of her daughter who was looking back at her.
The women screeched as the hand tickled her neck. She sent her elbow behind her. It connected with the teens cheek. He bounced off the window. Then proceeded to ground out curses at the women. Who gave it back tenfold. Then wacked him a couple more times.
As this went on Yee-Li gave her momma's hand a tug. Pulling her down onto her knees. Lin was eye level with her daughter on the dirty floor of the bus.
"Momma?" She asked.
"Yes?" Lin shifted closer to hear over the commotion. Glad to have her daughters attention. As a loud curse ripped through the bus. But the women had shoved it back down the triple threats throat with another hard slap.
"Today in school," she had thought this through about what she was going to say but still it didn't do much when it came time to actually ask, "we had history today and-I-could we-visit her?" Lin stopped Yee-Li before she could pluck a petal from her flower.
Lin held her daughters hand asking, "Visit who Yee-Li?"
"Grandma!" Getting a little wound up. The word carried in the silent bus. As the Teen had chosen to move away. The bruise on his head staring to color. "We were learning about the end of the hundred years war today. And-I wanted to see her." Yee-Li mumbled, Lin didn't stop her this time as she plucked a petal.
"Oh...ok." This was a...reasonable request. Of course she'd be curious about her grandmother. It was kind of surprising she didn't ask sooner. Did teachers really wait this long to tell kids about how courageous her mother and her friends were? How important the history of the hundreds years war and how it finally ended was? That should of been covered in kindergarten.
Lin hadn't been out to see her mother since before...Lin pulled on the string and a little ding sent everyone lurching as the driver applied the brakes.
"Momma?" Yee-Li asked as they exited the bus. Worried that she had said something wrong as the older women didn't respond.
Lin was looking around. Noting were they were. It would take them an hour to get there on foot. two by bus because they would have to switch several lines. The spirits must of been on her side as she saw a bright yellow car, a less lack luster color than Yee-Lis sunflower. She hailed the cab with the umbrella again and the two got inside.
They had to make one quick stop first. The shop was very busy. Inside the smell clipped Yee-Li's nose. She recalled it before only having smelled it twice on her mother's breath. One she could not remember after all she must have been very young. And the other was during their trip. Her Momma had come back with a brown paper bag that morning after they had found Yee-Li. The bottle inside like the others in the shop were stocked to bursting on the shelves. A clear dark amber liquid inside. Which after a few sips made her momma's tongue loosen and she got more affectionate; suffocating the little girl as her momma clung to her. The bottle her mother had chosen was small. With a rock squishing a person's gut on the label. The eyeballs shooting from its cartoonish face in different directions.
In and out in a short amount of time the two were back in the cab and on the move. Where Yee-Li was curious to find out where to.
"Where are we going?" She asked, holding her sunflower with both hands and looking at that black fuzzy center staring back.
"To see grandma." Lin answered. The brown paper bag that held the bottle was slipped into her coat pocket.
"We don't have to see her now." She wrung the flowers stem. Twisting the end of it a little. Then frowned at her own mistreatment when she realized what she had done. "We can go another time can't we?" She added. Unable to twist the end of the stem back into its original shape.
"No," Lin said with no anger, nor was she upset at her daughters change of mind, "I have not seen her in a long time. And I should of brought you to see her sooner." The clouds had started to move in from the harbor. Dark and thicker. They covered up the sky. And when the cabbie had come to a stop they were overtop of them. Seeming to set the dreary mood for the place they were visiting.
Lin slipped the cabbie a few extra yuans to idle in front of the cemetery. He was eager to comply; when she flashed the bills he flashed her a yellow toothed smile.
Mother and daughter got out of the car.
Yee-Li froze in front of the massive gates. The old stone of the archway had moss growing over it. The gate was high and rustic. This place of unearthliness was the first built in the beginning of republic city. Surrounded by buildings on either side. Really it was weird for a graveyard to be in the middle of residential neighborhoods. With no defining nameplate in case any lost stranger should wonder in. Then again who in their right mind would think this was a place to get shopping done anyway.
From where she stood Yee-Li could see fresh soil in front of a grave marker through the archway. It made her shiver.
Lin was patient. Standing beside her daughter as the little girl gathered her courage. Beifongs don't get scared they laugh in its face Lin repeated to herself. But it didn't sound like her voice in her own head; it was familiar though. And her daughter was the one to give a shaky laugh under her breath. Before reaching out to take Lins hand and bravely lead her mother inside.
Lin squeezed her hand to comfort the both of them.
As they walked near the first row of graves Yee-Li inched closer. And tried to close her nose off to the earthy smell. A mix of moss and bugs; living and dead. Different than the pleasant odor her mother had when she finished practicing her bending. But just because she liked the smell didn't mean she wanted her momma to try to give her a hug while covered in sweat.
The graves became less polished. Less pleasing to the eye. The writing was beginning to be scratched away by the wind. Some were worse having crumbled to dust leaving just puzzle pieces behind. Weeds grew carelessly on the plots were the dead lay. Vases stood as empty centurions. The wildlife showed disrespect too. Crows were sitting on the grave markers.
By this time Yee-Li had gotten into Lins arms. Having enough when she'd seen the mausoleum with its fierce granite dragons with their mouths open and ready to shoot fire at anyone who might dare consider intruding upon their dead master.
But Lin had to set her daughter down. Yee-Li bit her cheek to stifle the whine deep in her throat. Lin gave her daughter her umbrella back and set her lunch in the overgrown grass.
Yee-Li stayed back as her mother approached.
Certainly larger than any marker in the cemetery. It even dwarfed the seven mausoleums. With angles and edges. Both blunted and sharp. A loud statement. As imposing as the women whose name was engraved. Lin traced the fading letters, it had been so long. The rock was cool against her forehead. A nice feeling. Comfortable. It was almost like her mother were there. And it wasn't the wind, picking up and bringing the rain clouds closer, that ruffled her hair. But a calloused hand; which no matter how much her mother scrubbed always seemed to leave dirt in Lins hair.
"Hello mother."
Lin fell onto her butt and crossed her legs. Looking up at the looming boulder. And there she was a child once more looking at her mother in such awe. Tall and proud in her metal bending uniform. A women to be reckoned with. Not to be treated like some helpless blind women. She was a blind bandit. With her hands in her lap Lin smiled at the carved words. Mother would of said the boulder spoke for itself. But Lin needed them there. The brown bag found its way back out. Lin pulled the bottle out and twisted off the cap. She contemplated whether to take a swig of encouragement. Before pouring the whole bottle on the boulder. Courage doesn't come from a bottle.
Yee-Li found her own courage and quietly came up beside her mother. Holding her umbrella in one hand and the sunflower in the other. Even with Lin sitting her daughter was only an inch or so taller. Lin reached behind Yee-Li and rested a hand on the back of her hair. Ruffling it like her mother had done for her. Yee-Li didn't object to having her hair set askew; this time.
"Mother," Lin began, and she gulped visibly, "this is my daughter, Yee-Li." She turned just a bit to show her daughter her shimmering eyes. Her daughter looked back at her mother waiting. "Yee-Li," she turned back to the grave, "this is my mother, Toph Beifong. Your grandmother." Her voice cracked loud and echoed off the stones. Why had she waited to so long to introduce them?
Because you were too busy not being the stick up the butt you used to be, and having fun for once, badgermole. Someone else laughed in Lins head. That she was sure of it this time.
Red hair splashed forward as Yee-Li gave the stone a light bow. A tear escaped and slid down Lins cheek till it dripped onto her thigh. Making a small wet dot on the fabric of her pants. Then another joined it. Another more. Popping up in places nowhere within the firing range of Lins cheeks. The grass began to droop. As more drops fell from the sky. A low rumbling out over the harbor was not preceded by a flash of lightning. Simply an idle threat to those still outside to abandon what they were doing and seek shelter.
Yee-Li opened her umbrella.
Lin was undisturbed by lit downpour. Only staring at the boulder and letting her tears mix with the rain. Till it stopped and all she could feel were her own tears dripping. The small red umbrella was overtop her head. Yee-Li huddled close to keep herself dry as well. So Lin brought her into her lap and wrapped her in her trench coat to keep her warm. Having taken the umbrella to hold above the both of them so Yee-Li could hug her sunflower and look at her grandmother.
They stayed there until Lins butt had gone numb and soggy. Lin handed the umbrella back to her daughter and pulled her coat tighter around her neck. Then one last time, before they made their way back to the waiting cab, she reached out to touch her mother's name. Running a finger lovingly over the fading words. Making them come alive and clear up till they shown like they had just been freshly carved. Because Lin would make sure no one would forget her mother's name.
The black pit of the sunflower watched them leave from where it lay against the boulder. The petals waved in the wind as if to say goodbye.