Fight Night

Swiv is anxious about the trip to Fresno. Nevertheless, she and Grandma set out to the airport in a cab. As Swiv tells it, Grandma makes friends with everyone she meets, including the driver. When they reach the airport, Grandma needs the restroom immediately, so Swiv tries to get her a wheelchair. She is told that they do not have the authority to take one, but Swiv takes one anyway and runs, wheeling Grandma away toward the bathroom—which turns out to be the men’s restroom.

They make it onto the plane, but the plane sits on the tarmac due to mechanical issues. Swiv becomes even more anxious, though Grandma seems to relish the period of rest. Swiv asks Grandma to tell her the truth about Mom.

Grandma narrates this chapter through the filter of Swiv, telling the story of how Mom became the way she is. Both Mom’s father and sister, Momo, died by suicide. After Momo’s death, Mom was not the same. She worked on a film in Albania, where she was deprived of food and comfort. Her passport was confiscated, and she was essentially a prisoner.