Mirror Me

16: Grandmothers Know Everything- MAGGIE

"What do you mean you can't look for her?" cried Barbara into the telephone.

"I am sorry, Mrs. Martinez, but are you sure your daughter is not out hanging with friends or something and forgot to phone call home," said the police officer over the receiver. "You Mexicans do tend to party hard, and besides she is close to eighteen. She is basically a legal adult. That is if you are legal of course."

"What is wrong with you," screamed Barbara. "My daughter is an American citizen, not some illegal alien. She is missing I tell you. This is not a joke. And...and she is sixteen."

"There is no need to scream into the phone, ma'am. I can hear you clearly."

"But you are not listening."

"Ma'am, I have seen this happen many times to know that it is probably nothing. Usually kids are hanging out at their friend's houses and lose track of time."

"That is absurd! I know my daughter. The one friend she has was here looking for her. She is missing I tell you."

"Alright, ma'am, I'll file a missing person's report on your daughter. What is her name and a brief description?"

"Her name is Hope Martinez, that is spelled H O P E M A R T I N E Z. She has long brown hair, keeps it mostly in a ponytail. She has thick red glasses and tends to wear baggy clothes. She was last wearing her yellow school coat with the words Preston High Chameleons in white letters."

"And when did you last see or hear from your daughter?"

"I last saw her yesterday morning when she left for school, but there are people who say they saw her yesterday afternoon leaving campus."

"Alright, ma'am, I will get this filed and see what I can do."

"That is it? No search party? No news coverage? My daughter could be in danger."

"I am afraid, Mrs. Martinez, as important your daughter is to you, she hasn't been missing for more than a few hours. It has not become serious enough for us to bother with right now."

"Not serious enough! But what if something happened to her? If she was a white girl you would be up in arms searching."

"I am sorry, ma'am, but it will have to wait. You are not the only person missing someone in this county. Call us back tomorrow if your daughter hasn't shown up and then we will see what we can do as far as a search party goes."

"Alright, thank you." Barbara hung up the phone and looked at Maggie who was helping little Laura pack her backpack. "Those bastards."

Maggie quickly covered Laura's ears. "And you think Spanish is a bad language to speak around your children."

"I don't need your nagging today, mother. Now is not the time."

"It is never the time with you it seems." Grandmother Maggie handed Laura a slice of buttered toast and scooted her out the room. "Why don't you watch some cartoons, deary, before the bus arrives. And don't get crumbs on the sofa. Here, take a napkin." Laura merrily skipped out the room and turned on the television.

"Mother, I can't lose her," said Barbara cupping her face in her hands. "And these dim-witted racist cops sure don't seem eager enough to help. Can you believe they had the gull to suspect us to be illegal aliens."

"We will find Hope, not you worry," said Maggie as she sat at the small, round dining table. "But I do feel, the police will not be much help or anyone in the state of Texas for that matter."

"We must do something, I can't just sit here and wait for her to come back."

"I hate to say it, Barbara, but I believe that you must. Hope is not missing. She is lost."

Barbara glared at her mother. "What?"

"You heard what I said," said Grandmother Maggie making herself some toast. "Hope is not missing. She is lost. She is not in our world anymore. Your daughter has found her way to Tartarus."

"Oh mother, please be serious. This is not the time to be joking around, telling stories."

"I am being serious," declared Grandmother Maggie. "Grandmothers know these things."

"Tartarus was that made up place you would tell me about to help me sleep at night." Barbara rubbed her temples with her fingers. "That is nothing more than a kids story. Fairies, and dragons, and magic mirrors. Completely absurd."

"It's real, mom." Barbara turned around to see her younger daughter, Laura, standing in the doorway chomping away at her toast. "Grandma Maggie is right. I saw Hope there. She had to eat a rat and sleep in an old church."

"Have you been filling her head with that nonsense?" cried Barbara to her mother.

"Of course not," said Maggie. "Both your daughters have a very special gift. The gift you refused to accept when you were young."

"That's enough," said Barbara holding up her hands. "I have heard enough."

"But mom, Hope is there in that place."

"I said enough, Laura!" screamed Barbara. Laura retracted in fear. "Oh no, I shouldn't have raised my voice. I'm sorry, baby." Barbara knelt down and held her daughter's hands. "I'm sorry if I scared you. Mommy is just going through a lot of bad things right now. But what I need you to do right now is help mommy. I need you to forget about that place grandma told you about and focus on school. Ok?"

"Yes.... ma'am," responded Laura apprehensively.

"Good," said Barbara. "Now get your booksack and let's go wait for the bus. I don't want any more talk about this other place."

"But, mom, I am old enough to wait for the bus by myself," whined Laura.

"Not after your sister has disappeared. I will see to it that I escort you on that bus and be there when you leave it. Ok?"

"Yes, mom," said Laura folding her arms.

"You know, Barbara," said Maggie looking down at her aged hands, "the most truth one ever hears in life comes from the youngest minds and the oldest lips. Do not ever doubt what you cannot believe."

Barbara rolled her eyes saying nothing. She grabbed Laura's hand, and the two exited the front door.

Grandmother Maggie slowly stood up from the table and walked into the hallway. Her cat slippers scooted across the hardwood floor to her bedroom at the far end. Entering, Grandmother Maggie proceeded to the side table near the door. She opened the top drawer and pulled out a small hand mirror. It was nothing special, just a plain, simple, cheap hand mirror with no discernible marks or features, but Grandmother Maggie held it like it were all the world's treasures wrapped up in one small item. Gently she rubbed her wrinkled fingers over the glossy surface. "Grandmothers know their children," she whispered. "Grandmothers know everything." With a smile on her lips, Grandmother Maggie watched as her reflection in the mirror swirled and changed. In its place sat a young girl crying under a tree. "I heard you, Hope," she whispered. "Estoy aquí para ti."