A Trip to the Mall, Part II

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 July 11th, 2012


He doesn’t say much just points in the distance. I look in the general direction and cringe when I see Nico in the fountain. He must be making a wish or dedicating himself to the mall God. It‘s okay I did my pre-game psych up so I was ready, just not for a swim in the food courts water fountain...


I made a mad scramble to the fountain, leaving Christopher and the food behind. I got there just in time to grab Nico’s feet, while his head and torso were able to find their way to the water, pooling inside the concrete fountain, as it cascades down from the upper statue spouting water. I pulled him up in the air by his legs, like a tea bag, swung him forward, and carried him in my arms, on our long walk back to the table, where the stroller was, I just smiled at everyone and whispered at the gawkers’ who sat and stared.

“Olympic trails, kids. They gotta dream”, shrugging my shoulders.

Thankfully, I learned to keep extra clothes in the diaper bag. It was a simple clean up. Just a quick change of his shirt. I couldn’t help but smirk as I used napkins to wipe his face. I was ready to go and I felt bad that all that pizza was going to waste. But they weren’t interested anymore, so I decided to go to the playground that the mall had indoors.

I figured this is the spot that they could run around and I could sit in one place and enjoy the little time I would have to contemplate about my life and my search for a nanny. Just a quick mental break, as my boys would run and play and make friends among the dozens of other kids that were already inside the play areas fake landscape.

It looks like fun for them, a fake boat with oars, a bridge that you could slide down, a stairway to nowhere, where they could climb and jump down. A giant big wheel molded to the ground but with handles and pedals even know the wheels wouldn’t go round. I loved the ground as you walked on it, it was like a soft trampoline, It brought out the kid in me as I softly bounced on it.

I enjoyed watching them play. They would stumble and interact with the other boys and girls at play.  The hard part is watching one then searching for the other. As time went on I lost sight of Nico. I walked to the middle of the playground where the kids were running around me, like schools of fish, as I stood in the middle of their habitat.

“Nico”, I shout. I didn’t care if everyone looked at me, I had to find my kid and I knew he was there, out there, somewhere. I looked up by the stairs, that leads to the second floor, the playgrounds entrance sits right next door. Nico had escaped and was standing on the middle landing, smiling at me, egging me on to go get him. I grind my teeth and softly speak.

“Get down here. Now.”, pointing to the ground.

Why am I whispering of all times now? I yelled at him to come down. Like I was on center stage everyone stopped to gaze at the crazy daddy yelling to the sky. I looked around at the crowd and muttered, “My son”, and pointed at him as he grinned mischievously.


So I bent down and scooped up Christopher and wandered to the top of the stairs. Nico ran away from me as if we were in the middle of playing. I reach out and grab his collar. He tumbled to the ground and laughed so loud everyone heard his hoot and holler.

I picked him up and walked back down the stairs to the stroller where I strapped them both in. We had to go to the Apple Store so I could fix my iPhone‘s, tempered screen. Nico dropped it on the tile floor a few days before, on my birthday, shattering the screen.

I stroll into the store and towards the back, hoping to get in to have the repair done without an appointment. The store was jammed packed and I had to weave, in and out, finally taking a route, closest to the wall by the accessories. Bad mistake by me, both my boys placed their hand out and all I heard scatter about was the sound of boxes hitting the floor.

“Whack, bang, boom.”

My stroller goes haywire as the boxes get in tangled under the wheels.

“I’m sorry, my bad”, is all I can squeal. “Pardon me, excuse me, let me through", I say, trying to fit the stroller sideways, by the door away from everyone and everything.

I look at all the pretty iPads laying on the tables, for those who want to investigate the tablet, so many adults just playing around more like kids, playing more than mine, this time. I am approached by a clerk who is ready to fix my phone. But out of the blue a loud screech sound fills the room!

“Weep, weep, weep” the sound is piercing to the nerves, everyone places their hands over their ears to try and tamper the sound. I look round and I found Nico sitting near an Ipad on the ground. He had taken off the lock, sounding the alarm.

“Excuse me, sorry” , is all I can muster out, screaming out loud over the siren, the patrons scattering about.

As the workers scurry to fix the alarm. A lady with her daughter gives me a look that sent chills down my spine. She didn’t seem kind. I think if she could she would’ve slapped me a few times.

I looked at Nico and shook my head. And stared back at the lady who had my phone, asking me questions that I couldn’t concentrate on. So I grabbed my phone and told her I’ll be back again. “There was no problems”, I said. “I’ll be back again.”

I walked past the lady who didn’t grin, my head held high, I didn’t even bother to look her way, I just walked out the door. I’ll be back again once more with or without them. I just had to get away I'll fix the phone some other day. But I was proud of myself for getting out, enjoying the mall, on this, day out.


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Christopher Fusaro. The author of Captain Imperfecto.

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