Full Cicada Moon

In “Room of Kings,” Mimi describes the pictures hanging on the walls of Papa’s study, including one of Jesus, one of President Kennedy, one of Dr. King, and one of young Papa with two friends. Mimi asks if Papa went to the March. Though Papa’s heart was in Birmingham and Selma, he had a wife, a little girl, and was studying for his PhD. Papa and his friends drove from Berkeley to Washington without stopping, eating food Mama packed and switching drivers. Papa says the air on that August day “felt thick with heat and determination” (210), and he shows Mimi a button that says March for Freedom and Jobs. Papa believes that slow and steady effort is better than harsh, instant pressure—“Even now, that day reminds me / that raindrops are stronger than hammers” (210). In “Remember This Night,” Mimi watches the moon landing. They wait for the first man to walk on the moon. Mama serves them food as they watch the fuzzy black-and-white streaming. Papa tells Mimi to remember this night, and Mama tells Mimi to tell her children. The Eagle’s hatch opens at almost eleven o’ clock. When Neil Armstrong steps into the dust of the brand-new world, he says his famous words: “One small step for man / One giant leap for mankind” (213). Papa tells Mimi that his words traveled the world. The astronauts hop around the moon, saying it has a stark beauty like the deserts in the United States. Though the surface looks beautiful, Mimi wonders if they ever saw winter in Vermont.

In “The Real Thing,” the astronauts return to the lunar module as Mimi heads outside to look at the moon in the sky. She sees Mr. Dell and Timothy huddled over the telescope in their yard and wonders if they can see the lunar module, the flag, and the Columbia orbiting the moon. Timothy waves to Mimi and points to the moon, and Pattress runs to the fence to bark hello. Mr. Dell yells at Pattress and Mimi to get back. Mimi’s heart hurts, and she knows she will never forget this night. In “The Answer,” it is time for the Oliver family to decide if they want to move to Texas. They sit at the picnic table under a full moon. Mimi knew this moment was coming and realizes she doesn’t want to move to Texas or stay here. She wants to move back to Berkeley, but she has a feeling everything will be different because she has changed. The three unanimously vote to stay, and Papa feels that good things are in store for them in Vermont.  

In “Good News and Sadness,” Timothy and Mimi share the good news with each other that they are both staying in Hillsborough. Though Mimi says it’s great news, Timothy doesn’t look very happy. Timothy tells Mimi about his life in New York and that he stays with his grumpy uncle because his parents are divorced. He doesn’t remember his father, and his mother thinks he needs a father figure and doesn’t like that Timothy wants to learn to cook. Timothy admits that he likes coming over and Mimi tells him to visit anytime. Though Timothy wishes he had Mimi’s family, she tells him that it’s not always easy. Mimi realizes that Timothy needs more than a smile and gives him a hug. He hugs her back as though he has wanted to forever, and Mimi is glad they are staying. In “Language,” Dr. Haseda and Baby Cake visit. Baby Cake has grown—she has teeth and walks without lurching. Mimi blows bubbles with her outside. Timothy comes over and gives Kate pony rides on his back. Kate wants to ride on Pattress, but they don’t let her. When Timothy has to leave, Mimi takes Kate inside where the mothers are drinking tea and eating cookies. Dr. Haseda is thinking of offering a class in the tea ceremony. When she learns that Mama is certified to teach osado, tea ceremony, Dr. Haseda asks if she would be interested in teaching the class. Mama tries to hide her glee and says she will talk to her husband first. Mimi knows she would not be able to explain the language behind their words to anyone.

In “Tilling,” Mama tells Papa about Dr. Haseda’s visit after dinner. She feels out the mood before telling him about her offer. Papa asks if she can handle teaching, and Mama leaves it up to him. Though he asks what she thinks, Mama stares at Papa expressionless. He smiles and says it is fine with him, carrying the burden of the decision with reverence. Mama can’t stop smiling and shares that Dr. Haseda asked if Mimi can babysit Kate on Saturday night. Mimi can’t stop squealing, much unlike her reserved mother. She and Mama got their first jobs on the same day. In “Babysitting Baby Cake,” Dr. Haseda shows Mimi the bottles and how to heat them up. Her husband, Rick, is a sculptor with long hair and a bushy beard. They don’t seem to fit at first, but Mimi realizes they are perfect for each other. After they leave, Kate sleeps soundly and Mimi watches TV in the living room. When Kate starts to cry, Mimi tries to calm her down with a bottle. Kate keeps crying louder until Mimi feels like she isn’t good at babysitting and wants to cry too. She tries to hold, feed, and rock Kate but to no avail. Mimi calls Mama and tells her what is happening. Shortly afterwards, Mama arrives, changes Kate’s diaper, and gives her the bottle. She leaves after Kate falls asleep so Kate’s mom and dad will see that everything went well.

In “Going Home,” Papa’s older sister Fiona dies of a heart attack. Fiona earned the nickname Phoenix because she survived after burning in a fire when she was 14. She was the only person from Papa’s family that kept in touch after Papa and Mama got married. Papa leaves for her funeral alone. Mimi and Mama don’t go because Papa’s family disowned him when he married Mama. In “Jitter Legs,” Mimi rides in the school bus for her first day of eighth grade. She walks to the bus stop alone and waits for Timothy, who said he’d meet her down the street. Mimi tells herself everything will be okay. Neither Timothy nor the bus are at the bus stop. The fear returns to Mimi, making it hard to breathe. She wonders who her teachers will be, how the kids will treat her, and if she will make more friends. Mimi takes big steps in a circle like the astronauts did on the moon. She thinks they must have been more afraid than she is now but still did what they had to do. Timothy finally arrives and apologizes for being late. Mimi describes jitter legs as standing at the bus stop scared that eighth grade will be just like seventh, but still doing what you have to do.

In “One Small Step,” Mimi describes loneliness as watching Earth from the moon, leaving your cousins, being abandoned by your family, visiting your favorite sister after she dies, and waiting at the bus stop alone. She describes fear as standing on the ladder of a spaceship before stepping onto the moon and lining up on a gangplank in Los Angeles before taking the first step into a new country with your new husband knowing you can’t go back home. She also describes fear as gathering with thousands of people to step for freedom and equality no matter the cost, and watching the door open for the first day of eighth grade. Mimi then describes courage as “taking that one small step / anyway” (241). In “Eighth Grade,” Mimi lists the pros and cons of the new school year. The bus route is long, there’s more homework, a new boy looks like her, everyone thinks she should have a crush on him, and girls still can’t take shop. However, the good things are that she has Mrs. Stanton for science again, they are studying the space program, she likes cooking better than sewing, and she eats lunch with both Stacey and Timothy. In “New Boy,” a new boy named Victor has started eighth grade. He is in the class with the geniuses, is taller than most boys, and stands out because he is the only Black male student in the school. He sits by himself at lunch and reads.

In “We’re Having Mr. Pease for Lunch,” Mimi’s home economics class has to make lunch for a teacher. They decide to make lunch for Mr. Pease because he isn’t married. Stacey will make the invitation because of her pretty penmanship and stationery. They make a balanced menu with an appetizer, main course, and dessert. The students call out their ideas before deciding on salad, corn bread, oyster stew, and pudding parfaits. The class will make the lunch with four kitchens, where one girl will plan the ingredients, do the shopping, and supervise the cooking. Mimi volunteers for her kitchen to make the cornbread because she makes it at home all the time. Mimi can’t tell if the girls in her kitchen are happy to make cornbread, or because they aren’t in charge. In “How to Make Corn Bread,” Mimi lists the ingredients and procedure to make cornbread the way Papa does. The girls in her kitchen are surprised that Mimi is adding buttermilk and baking it in a frying pan in the oven. They usually make corn bread in a brownie pan and tell her that it’s all lumpy. The girls ask Mimi if she is making Japanese cornbread, saying they won’t eat it because it isn’t real cornbread. She tells them to taste it, and that it is really good.

In “Victor,” Mimi stops at Victor’s table at lunch as he reads The Autobiography of Malcolm X to ask him if he wants to sit with them. He shrugs and thanks her but doesn’t close his book. Mimi tells him that he should only carry the books he needs and keep the rest in his locker, smiling to show him she is only trying to help. In “Crush,” Stacey, Timothy, and Mimi sit at the table next to Victor. He turns to them but keeps his book open. Stacey tells him that they don’t bite. Mimi asks where Victor is from, and he says Rhode Island. When Mimi takes the lid off her obento, no one laughs or gags. Timothy asks to have a kappamaki sushi roll and Victor asks what it is. Mimi wonders why she ate so many cafeteria lunches last year when she could have eaten Mama’s good food instead. Victor also takes a piece of sushi and explains that his father works in the admissions office at the college. When the bell rings and they say goodbye, Stacey whispers to Mimi that Victor is “so cool” (256). Though girls tease Mimi for wanting to kiss Victor, they don’t understand that someone might want to kiss him regardless of his skin color—and that person is Stacey.