Columbus

“He found Mars?” Vaya asked, the spittle flying from the gap in her front tooth. “How’d he find mars on a boat?”

Heff let his weight sink into his chair. “The New World wasn’t Mars. At the time, it was America. He also wasn’t the first one. Many people hate him.”

“Why do they hate him?” Vaya tilted her head parallel with the floor, hanging half off her chair.

“He wasn’t a very nice man. He was mean to the people who lived in America.”

“What planet is America again?” Vaya had stopped reading from her textbook, now perplexed by the eraser on her pencil.

Heff’s chair let out a groan almost as loud as he did. “America isn’t a planet. It was once a place on Earth. Back in the time of Columbus, there was only one planet. Well, no, there was only one livable planet.” His voice was getting sore from repeating the lesson.

Vaya nodded but still wasn’t looking. “Have you been to planet America?” She stuck a finger in her mouth and played with the space in her teeth. “Is it hot or cold? Do they have gravity parks? I want to go to a gravity park like the one you and mommy took me.”

Heff stared at his daughter. Phobos’ light shone through the window, casting a red glow off the crimson field. Their reflections shimmered on the glass, as blurry as Vaya’s knowledge about ancient history. 

“When is your test again?” 

“In in three days.” She hopped to the stone floor and began following the cat. “Sheriff was from Earth, right?” She reached out to pet Sheriff’s pet gray fur. Heff could hear his purrs vibrate under the sound of their oxygen blowers.

“You’re lucky your mom isn’t home tonight. How about you go into your pajamas. If you’re fast enough, we can watch the meteors together.”

“Did Columbus watch meteors?” Vaya asked as she thumped across the kitchen to her room down the hall.

“I’m sure he did, sweetie. Everyone watches meteors.”