Rink Around the Rosie [SOLO]

Eisen stared straight ahead at a pair of brown, unblinking eyes. A small spout of air, smelling like fries and hot chocolate puffed into his face, causing him to blink. The five year old, with whom he initiated the staring contest with, cackled and rolled over in laughter on the booth in front of him.

“That’s not how you play.” Eisen stood up, and reached over the table to jab his hands into the kid’s sides until he shrieked and his laughter turned into a series of “no-oh-oh-hua-hua-hua’s”.

“Eisen, you’re going to make him puke. Great. Now you knocked over the salt-shaker.”

Eisen sat back into his seat and his older sister Aurelia, with her black hair tied back in a bun and the silver scarf he bought for her, rearranged the knocked over salt shaker. It had been a few months since he’d seen her, but her face remained as smooth as ever, as if the stresses of being a mother had no effect on her complexion. Every time he saw her, he imagined her biological mother to have been just as beautiful, but with more wrinkles, wherever in China she’d have been in right now. Her kid stuck out his tongue at him, and Eisen stuck his tongue back out at him.

“Hey, sport. If you don’t want bad luck, here’s what you do,” Eisen took a pinch of the salt he spilled and threw it over his shoulder.

His sister shook her head. “Please don’t teach him that.”

The kid giggled, picked up some salt and threw it at Eisen, aiming to shoot it over his shoulder. Salt scattered on his sleeve and their finished dishes.

“Over your shoulder, not mine, silly.” Eisen dusted the salt off his sleeve as the waitress came back with his credit card and receipt of purchase. Then he stood, and pointed toward the skating rink to his left, through the side windows of the Rock Center Cafe. The kid bolted off the booth and ran toward the windows to stick his face on the glass, watching the people skate around in circles.

“Quinn hasn’t been this excited since Christmas Eve.” His sister said, with a tinge of wistfulness. “Still can’t believe Chris couldn’t stay for New Years.”

“It’s only for a month, Lia.” Eisen responded, knowing that Aurelia, her husband Chris, and little Quinn used to travel everywhere together. He wasn’t one to pry, but it seemed as if distance wasn’t the only reason her sister was distressed about having her husband do business abroad.

Aurelia squeezed Eisen’s arm, which was the closest thing to a thank-you he’d receive from her.

“This is the first time you let us visit you in New York. Mind telling me what’s up, Ei?”

Eisen turned away from his sister’s gaze. Her straightforwardness was bittersweet. He missed it but could also only take it in doses. To lie to her, however, would not delay her from getting at the truth for too long.

“Xia died today, two years ago. Didn’t want to go through today alone.”

“Hmm.” She muttered, but did not move to comfort him. Instead, she peeled Quinn’s face off the glass and walked over to the skate-rental. The little kid cheerily followed. Eisen stayed back.

Eisen told his family very few things about why he moved to New York. Aurelia probably only knew a few things about Xia; that she was a huge reason why he moved, that she was a mutant, and that ever since he moved, he’d been different. Distant. For reasons he wished he could explain, but chose not to. It was better his family didn’t know.

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“Here are your skates.” The man behind the counter smiled as he held out Eisen’s size 11 blades and untied
laces. Aurelia was busy putting on her skates. Quinn giggled as he hobbled over to his uncle. The employee wasn’t done with Eisen yet, however.

“Would you like to donate some of your purchase today to support mutant equality?” The other man behind the
counter came up with two sets of gloves, one a bright shade of red the other a dull black. He was a splitting image of the other man, and Eisen put it together that they were twins. Their name tags read Deemus T. and Dumas T.

“For the final skate of the day, everyone normally gets wristbands, but for today, those who support mutant
equality get to wear these special gloves.” Eisen looked over at Aurelia and saw that she had on a wrist band, but little Quinn had on red gloves.

“Sure, I’ll donate.” Eisen flashed a quick smile and Dumas T. handed him the gloves. Deemus T. put a matching
red stripe on his skates as well.

“Enjoy the skate on Rockefeller Rink.” The two said in sync, almost eerily so.

“Yay, Uncle Eisy and I are matching!” Quinn said as he showed Eisen his red gloves.

Aurelia came over to Eisen as he tied up his skates and Quinn rode on his lap, tying his red curls in his red gloves.

“His favorite color is red. That’s all there is to it.” She said, as she folded her arms and turned to face the skating rink.