Child

Nirmal

Effervescent Cordial waves at you as you come down the stairs. You wave back. "Hey, um..." Effervescent begins. "What's your name? I need to write down the names of all my guests."

"My legal name?"

"Any name."

"The Rabbit." you tell her. "I'm The Rabbit." Effervescent Cordial accepts that name which you don't expect her to do.

"I don't want someone to find me here." you tell her.

Effervescent Cordial nods and steps out from behind the counter. There are no other people in the hotel. "Would you like anything to drink?" she asks you.

"Chocolate milk?" you ask.

She laughs. "Oh, boy. In my whole time working here, I have never ever ever served someone chocolate milk. They always want some sort of alcohol."

She whips you up some chocolate milk and asks you if you want it heated. It's cold outside so you say yes. She heats it and you go and sit down in a restaurant booth. You look out the window, half expecting to see one of your friends standing there, but you don't.

Your hot chocolate arrives and Effervescent Cordial sits across from you with a bottle of something smelly and dark. "Running from your parents?" she asks. This takes you by surprise.

"Actually I've been trying to find my Mama. I'm running away from other adults."

Cordial nods. "I hope you find her. I would give anything to have a parent who wants to see me again."

"I'm not sure if she even does want to see me again."

"Complicated relationship? Boy would I understand those."

"I mean, I haven't seen her since I was like ten and I don't remember what she looks like."

"Oof, I remember what mine looks like, beating the shit out of me when I was ten."

"I'm not sure who or where she is..."

"I hope nobody I knew as a kid knows where I am."

"I hope she knows I never got her messages."

"I hope my dad never finds out I'm a transmasculine drag queen."

"I hope she isn't upset."

"Not that he was there much anyway..."

"I hope she's still looking for me like I'm looking for her..."

"Are you even listening to me?"

"Huh?"

Effervescent takes off her wig, to reveal buzzed black hair. She takes off her nails and eyelashes and then pours the rest of her alcohol on her face to clean off the makeup.

"I really shouldn't be drinking any more of this." she laughs. "You can call me Nirmal if you want."

Nirmal.

"What's wrong? Did you think my real name was Effervescent Cordial?"

"No, it's just... I used to know someone called Nirmal."

"Welp. Now you know someone called Nirmal again." he smiles.

"Yeah, I guess." You look down at your fingers.

Despite saying he's had enough to drink, Nirmal gets another bottle of the same stuff out. "To families!" he says, lifting the bottle. "An impossible enigma of comforts and horrors." you raise what's left of your hot chocolate and drink together.

"Hey, uh, Nirmal." you say. "Could I get a bottle of that too?"

Nirmal points at the bottle and raises his eyebrows. "Really? It's strong."