Dragons in a Bag

Trouble leads the way to another of the park’s guardhouses and picks the lock on the door. He suspects that the malfunctioning transporter read the dragons’ intentions rather than Ma’s and brought them to the prehistoric supercontinent of Gondwana because it contained what is now Madagascar. Trouble tells Jaxon that magic, like humans themselves, originated in Africa. When the boy asks about what has happened to magic since then, Trouble sighs wearily and says that he’ll tell his grandson about that another time. Inside the guardhouse, Trouble rests his hands on Jaxon’s shoulders to help his grandson keep his balance and tells him to focus on Ma. Jaxon pictures Ma standing valiantly in the prehistoric jungle and thinks, “We’re coming back for you” (110).

When the transporter lands in another dimension, Jaxon realizes that he’s nervous but unafraid. The travelers emerge into a magical realm with a shimmering lavender sky, turquoise grass, and towering trees that grow upside down. Jaxon is immediately enamored by the mystical, peaceful world. Trouble explains that some of their world’s beautiful features are reflected in the realm of magic. For example, their current location resembles the Avenue of the Baobabs in Madagascar. Their conversation turns to L. Roy Jenkins, and Trouble explains that some members of the magical community, including Jenkins, want the realms to merge, while others, like Ma, think they should remain separate. Trouble doesn’t fully agree with either side: “People fear what they don’t know, and when you’re separated from folks just ’cause you’re different…well, our people know what that feels like” (116). His words remind Jaxon of segregation, which can still be seen in the de facto segregation of public schools. Jaxon suggests building a bridge between the worlds, and Trouble enthusiastically endorses the idea of creating a middle ground.

Jaxon sees Ma, a stern-faced woman, and a bald man in an orange tent. He joyfully dashes down the path to her, and Ma says that she knew the clever boy would find her. The man is Professor L. Roy Jenkins, and Ma introduces the woman as Sis. Jaxon wants to hug Ma, but he feels as though he’s rooted in place. Everyone is shocked and concerned when Ma finds only two dragons in her purse. Ma is deeply disappointed with Jaxon, and he tears up when she asks if he tried to keep a dragon for himself. Sis blames the professor for the disappearance of one of her dragons, but he boasts, “Magic will find its way back into our world no matter how hard you try to keep it out” (125). Trouble realizes that Kavita must have taken the dragon. Jaxon offers to retrieve the missing reptile, but Jenkins gleefully explains that it will have already bonded with the girl.

Ma worries that the other two dragons won’t thrive without their sibling, and she knows that she will have to make a difficult decision. Ma tells Jaxon that it’s time for the two of them to return to their world. Trouble decides to stay in the magical realm. He hugs his grandson goodbye, commends him on his courage, and promises that they’ll see each other again. The professor tells Jaxon that magic will find him as long as he believes in it. Sis whisks away the tent with her magic and leaves to make preparations for Ma and Jaxon’s journey home. He wants to promise the stern woman that he’ll bring her missing dragon back to her, but she disappears before he finds his courage.

Jaxon hugs Ma tight and expresses his relief that he found her safe and sound. He still resents her decision to send him away in the transporter when danger arose, but she tells him, “You did exactly what I needed you to do, and that helped a lot” (131). This gives the boy hope that she might still want him to become her apprentice.

Ma tells Jaxon what happened after the transporter took him back to Brooklyn. A dinosaur attacked her, but she used the quartz crystal he found to enchant the dinosaur and ride it toward the volcano. Channeling the eruption’s energy, she transported herself forward in time to the 21st century and contacted Sis.

Sis meets Jaxon and Ma at the guardhouse and urges them to restore the missing dragon to her and its siblings. She doesn’t trust Jaxon despite Ma’s efforts to defend his character, and she sends a red butterfly to accompany them to Brooklyn. Sis reminds Ma that she promised to retire to the magical realm upon her return, and Ma nods and hugs Sis close. Jaxon is alarmed by this revelation and wonders how he can become Ma’s apprentice if her retirement is imminent. Jaxon promises Sis that he won’t disappoint her again, and she begins to respect him. Ma and Jaxon use the guardhouse to return to Brooklyn.

By the time Ma and Jaxon arrive outside Prospect Park, night is falling. Ma decides that they’ll get Jaxon to his mother and then decide what to do about the dragon tomorrow. Jaxon worries that he and his mother may no longer have a home depending on the outcome of the court case. Alicia, who has been anxiously pacing in front of Ma’s apartment building, hugs her son tightly and asks where they’ve been. Ma apologizes and simply says that their day didn’t go to plan.

Alicia and her lawyer secured a stay, meaning that the landlord can’t proceed with the eviction, but she has to return to court the following week. Jaxon wants to help his mother and Ma reconcile, so he holds their hands and suggests that he and Alicia stay with Ma. At first, Alicia rejects this idea, but Ma sincerely welcomes them to stay with her when she learns that their landlord has shut off their water and gas in an effort to drive them out. Ma tells Alicia that she’ll always be family to her. This reminds Jaxon of Trouble, and Alicia is furious with Ma when she learns that the boy met his grandfather that day. Ma argues that Alicia should be more honest with her son and says that things will change now that Alicia decided to involve her in Jaxon’s life. With “a mixture of fear and pride” (146), the boy tells his mother that he’s decided to become her apprentice.

Ma goes inside to prepare dinner and encourages Jaxon and Alicia to join her whenever they’re ready. Alicia listens to Jaxon describe the adventures he had that day. Then, she hugs her son and tells him that other worlds don’t matter and that magic can’t bring his father back. Jaxon tearfully agrees that sometimes bad things happen that are out of anyone’s control, but he tells her that he has an opportunity to make the world better by bringing a baby dragon home. Alicia embraces Jaxon and invites him to tell her more about his experience in the magical realm over dinner. Hand in hand, Jaxon and his mother head upstairs to Ma’s apartment.