I promised Daddy I would go to Brindleton Bay to visit Mom as soon as I could. It would have been nice to wait until the ranch was up and running and bringing in income before making the trip, but I miss her, so I decide to go today. Before I leave, I take a moment to make sure Finesse is doing well. Once she is happy and groomed, I walk over to find Juanita and see if she has everything covered while I am gone. She is in the garden again, this time near the beehives.
I step into the garden, avoiding the neatly planted mounds of dirt.
Tambara: How’s it going out here?
Juanita jumps as if I caught her doing something she doesn’t want me to see. She recovers quickly.
Juanita: Good morning. Everything is wonderful. I’m finally able to collect some honey and wax from the bees. The honey will give you a nice little profit.
I look down at the plants by my feet while Juanita returns to collecting.
Tambara: It’s crazy how quickly this stuff is growing. Wasn’t it just dirt yesterday?
Juanita: In the right conditions, it doesn’t take long for a seed to sprout. If you watch closely enough, it almost happens before your eyes.
I don’t doubt her. I stare at the plants for a moment longer, wondering what she has actually planted, then remind myself why I came over.
Tambara: I’m heading to Brindleton Bay for the day to visit my mother. I don’t know when I’ll be back, but I wanted to make sure you’re good here.
Juanita: Now that everything is planted, it’s smooth sailing for a while.
That is all I need to hear. As long as nothing blows up while I’m gone, the ranch should be in expert hands with Juanita.
Tambara: Okay, see you later.
I turn and hurry off, leaving her to her work.
A few hours later, I arrive in Brindleton Bay in the middle of a dreary rain shower. I remember Daddy once saying that the weather was one of the main reasons he wanted to leave this town. I can see why, but it is the salty, fishy sea air that stands out more. It makes me want to gag. Mom stands there perfectly at home in it.
But it is good to see her smiling face greeting me, and her hug feels like home. It has not been long since we parted ways; of course she looks the same, but she also looks very different at the same time. She is definitely in better shape, and there is a joy in her I have not seen before, at least not in the last few years we lived together. I dare say that being away from Daddy and me has done her some good.
I turn and inspect her tiny cottage before she leads me inside and directs me to take a seat.
Maia: You just don’t know how good it is to see you. I’ve missed you so much, Tadpole.
I sit and look around Mom’s cozy living room and the family pictures on the wall. The place is tiny, and I feel like it would give me claustrophobia, but somehow it is perfectly fitting for Mom.
Mom turns to me.
Maia: How’s life on the ranch?
This is the question I wanted to avoid, or at least have an impressive answer to. I cycle through several responses, all of them making me sound like I know exactly what I am doing. But this is Mom, and I know she’d see right through every one of them.
Tambara: Better now that I have some reliable help.
Maia: So, you’re doing okay? Is it too much for you?
I tell Mom all about Juanita, starting with how I found her sleeping in the loft in the attic. Her expression shifts from concern to something more relaxed as I explain how much help Juanita has been.
Maia: I’m proud of you for giving her a chance.
Tambara: At that point, I didn’t see myself as having much choice. My first farmhand was lazy, and Dad insisted I fire him. Now I cannot get this one to stop working.
Maia: Well, she sounds like a nice person. I’ll have to meet her. I can’t wait to see the ranch.
Tambara: Hopefully everything will be running smoothly by then.
Maia nods in agreement. I look around again, wondering what there is to do in this little town. Mom seems to read my mind.
Maia: The rain should stop soon. There are a few places I want to show you around town, starting with the house we lived in when you were born.
Seeing some places I have never visited in the town where I was born sounds intriguing.
The rain eventually stops, just as Mom predicted, but the sky is still overcast and cloudy. It is not the best backdrop for exploring, but we head outside and take to the street, walking through the quiet, sleepy neighborhoods of Brindleton Bay until Mom suddenly stops at an old building that looks more like a factory than anything else.
Maia: This is it. This is where you were born.
Tambara: Daddy’s first house?
It is pretty big for one person and quite a contrast from Mom’s tiny cottage.
Maia: Yes. It didn’t take long for us to decide to move in together. We couldn’t get enough of each other during those first years. Then you came along, and your dad decided we needed a bigger place. That’s how we ended up in San Sequoia.
Tambara: What was that like? Finding out you were pregnant?
Maia reflects for a moment, then releases a sigh.
Maia: I was terrified. I never thought I would become a mother, and I honestly didn’t think it was what I wanted when I first found out.
Tambara: What changed?
Maia: Your father’s reassurances, and then you. When I first saw you, I could not imagine my life going any other way. You’re my everything.
I can’t recall Mom and me ever having this conversation before. She considers knocking on the door so I can see inside. She says one of our cousins now owns the place, but she decides against it at the last minute.
Maia: There’s still more to see.
Our second stop is a museum on what Mom calls Deadgrass Island. We catch a ferry to get there, which is a little unsettling. The bouncing of the small boat and the sight of nothing but endless water make me want to vomit over the side. Somehow, I hold it together. Once my feet are back on solid ground, my stomach settles, and my head clears.
We go inside. The place is not very big. There is a gift shop, a room that documents the history of the island, an upstairs cafe, and, most surprisingly, a small aquarium. This is where Mom leads us.
We look around at the few fish tanks up front, but when we turn the corner, I see a row of frogs. I look up, and there is a large picture of Mom smiling proudly.
Tambara: That’s you.
Maia: It is.
Mom admires the picture as if she is seeing it for the first time. She looks just as happy now as she does in the photo. She has told me about this exhibit and her mission to collect all the rare frog species hundreds of times, but I barely paid attention. Seeing that it actually exists feels completely different.
I read the plaque above our heads.
The Maia Tilley Rare Frog Exhibit
Once a personal passion project, Maia’s collection of rare frog species now finds its permanent home here. Her dedication to documenting, studying, and preserving these remarkable creatures has enriched the museum’s mission and deepened our understanding of the natural world.
My respect for my mother grows tenfold.
Tambara: That’s amazing.
Mom does not respond, but the look on her face says everything. No wonder she wanted to move back here. She has built a legacy in this town, something that will last forever.
Mom and I explore the rest of the museum before arriving at what she says is our last stop.
Maia: This is the Brindleton Bay Skills Academy, and the reason I started collecting frogs.
We walk across the campus as Mom tells me about the pond beautification committee she was part of.
Maia: This pond was nothing, but a dug out hole with water in the beginning. There were a few ducks, but no trees or anything to make it look like a place you would want to spend time. My job was to help fill the pond with as many frog species as possible. When I first started, I never thought it would lead to my having a museum exhibit.
I look around, trying to imagine what she described. The pond has obviously changed a lot since those days. Next to us is a frog fountain sitting on a stone. There is a plaque on it listing the names of everyone involved in the committee, and at the bottom is my mom’s name.
Mom sits down next to the water, and I lower myself to sit beside her.
Maia: This place holds a ton of memories for me. It’s also where I first met your father.
Tambara: Really?
Maia: Yes. I was working at the furniture fabricator behind us when he suddenly came running up. He liked to jog around the pond, but one beautiful day, I was here, and he approached me. It took me a moment to realize he was even talking to me, because he was so different from any guy I had ever met.
I listen while Mom describes what those early days were like. It sounds like they were happy in the beginning.
Once she finishes her history lesson, she turns to me.
Maia: So, have you met anyone special?
Tambara: Daddy already told you about Udom, didn’t he?
Maia: *confesses* He did.
Tambara: I’m so embarrassed. Can you believe I actually flew him out here? It was stupid.
Maia: It’s not unusual to do foolish things when you care about someone.
Tambara: Yes, but then I tried to make him stay, and I ruined everything.
Maia: He was your first, right?
Tambara: Yes.
Maia: I understand. Your first relationship is meaningful and difficult to move past. I should have told you that sooner.
Mom continues.
Maia: Do you love him?
Tambara: Not really. It just felt good being around him, even though I could already see it would not work out between us.
Maia: One day you’ll find a special guy, and it’ll work out. Despite what people say, a good relationship should be easy, like what your Pop‑Pop and Grandma Me‑Me had, not a constant battle.
Tambara: But is that possible nowadays?
Maia: I guess you will have to find out for yourself.
I think about it for a moment as we sit and stare out over the pond. After some time, Mom breaks the silence.
Maia: I think I’m going to sit here for a while, but I showed you everything I had planned. Feel free to explore on your own. I’ll meet you back at the house.
Exploring sounds good. I get up and leave Mom sitting with her thoughts and memories.
Maia’s Frog Scenario Side Story
(Generation 5 Chapter Summaries)
