Cupcakes: Part 2
From the Gotham Gazette Online - Monday, June 01, 2009 (4pm)
At 3:45 pm: Mayor Garcia released the following statement in response to today’s explosion:
“Like all citizens of Gotham, I was shocked to learn of the explosion in the Entertainment Mile Complex. I pray for those involved in the accident, and have full confidence in the emergency crews that have responded to the scene. Right now, my staff and I are working quickly to gather more information and determine where the government might be of assistance in this matter.
Sarah and I send our thoughts and prayers to everyone whose lives are affected by this disaster. Gotham City has some of the most capable emergency responders in the country, and I appreciate their hard work and dedication. I am following this story closely as we sort through the questions, and my staff and I are standing by to help any way we can.”
Cupcakes: Part Two
“This city,” Christine says - and she laughs. The sound of sirens can be heard even from the inside of Cupcakes Indoor Playground.
“This city,” Christine says. “This city is just getting worse by the minute. I said to David that we should just pack up and move to Metropolis - the city of the future - our parents are there, we grew up there - sure it has a few crazies of its own -”
Christine laughs and Kara laughs too.
Kara feels guilty. Her laughter feels like a lie, worse, a betrayal. But she laughs. She’s learning to pass, you see, learning the price of admission if you want to fit in. They’re laughing at those crazies, those freaking whack-job freaks, they’re laughing at them together.
“Sure they do,” Christine is saying. “But compared to Gotham it’s nothing - compared to Gotham these days Metropolis is the Garden of fucking Eden --- ”
“With better shopping.” Kara drains her coffee. This is her second secret coffee that she doesn’t plan on telling Harry about. She wonders if she’ll have a third super secret one. Such a cruel joke to be so tired all the time and be told to cut down the caffeine. “I have it on good authority the soul boutique in Eden only sold apples - and they charged through the teeth for them, too.”
“… And compared to Gotham and all the freaks here - Metropolis is a utopia of law and order. I mean, let’s face it, we all know that the inmates are running the asylum in this city. Besides my mother is always complaining she doesn’t see the kids enough.”
And here is the Christine that Kara loves the most, the Christine that talks about the parents and the in-laws. Kara likes to live vicariously through these experiences, she’s attentive to every word, she imagines herself having the same conversations, she fantasises about the same dilemmas. So, mundane, and yet so… perfect.
“Your mom can’t come visit?”
“Well, of course she can, Kara - but she’s not getting any younger, is she? She’s getting older and everything is getting harder and she hates Gotham, she says it’s so violent - she says she doesn’t know why we ever moved here and lately the way things are - I don’t know why we did either - ”.
Later Kara will try to remember when they had this conversation. Was it the day it happened? There had been so many of these trips by then. Had it been the day it happened or had it been on some other cupcakes expedition? She’ll try to remember every single detail as if it were somehow significant. What had Christine been wearing? A cream sweater - yes, definitely a cream coloured sweater, it had been starting to pill, little balls appearing near the arms and the sides, any place that invited friction - and so Kara had noticed it. Beige pants that were tight, they accentuated long slim legs and a firm growing baby bump. Elephant bracelets that moved with her every gesture, elephants dancing up and down her arms.
No. Not the bracelets. The bracelets had not been Christine’s. Not the bracelets.
“Now we have the third one coming,” Christine was saying, stroking the baby bump. “And I’m not getting younger either - you don’t understand, Kara, you’re so… well…”
“I’m not that young.” Kara tells her. “I’m almost twenty.”
And Christine had laughed.
“And you’re not that old.” Kara had told her.
That old. Christine had laughed again.
“I’m old enough. Too old for this. My gallery is just… the economy is in the crap-hole… and people aren’t throwing money around like they were before or if they are they’re not doing it at my place that’s for sure and David works on commission so he’s in a foul mood 24/7 and with both our businesses going down the toilet neither of us are sure what’s keeping us here, anymore - I mean, when you’re younger its kind of fun? But I’m too old for this city - I just - you get tired of seeing… the poverty… the ugliness on every corner? I’m getting too old for this. You don’t understand, you can’t, when I was your age, Kara I thought I could do anything - what a difference ten years makes. Maybe this city isn’t worse, maybe it’s just me - what a difference ten years makes.”
“Ten years ago I was ten.” Kara replies. She’s not sure what else to say.
The sirens can be heard again. More of them, building together to a crescendo, they’re the soundtrack to Gotham City 2009.