Olivetti

Olivetti explains that humans tell typewriters their stories; he has “stored” all the stories that people have used him to type out. Olivetti introduces the members of the Brindle family by discussing their individual quirks as they type on his keyboard. He first describes Beatrice, the mother, who uses her “featherlike fingers” to write stories on Olivetti. He then introduces her four children: Ezra, whose touch is “clobbering”; Adalynn, who types sharply and rapidly; Ernest, who types in a hesitant, questioning way; and young Arlo, who is sloppy and “always misspelling” (5). Olivetti recalls that the children learned their letters on his keys years ago. He comments that human bodies are “full of flaws” and that growing up is the “worst” of them (6).

Olivetti recalls that books gradually crowded around him on Beatrice’s desk. Even worse was the day when Beatrice’s husband, Felix, bought her a laptop computer. Olivetti thinks that his own memory is much better than any computer’s file-based storage.

One day, seventh-grader Ernest heads to the roof to read the dictionary, a frequent habit of his. His older sister, Adalynn, tells him that he should socialize instead, but Ernest says nothing. The siblings and Felix disperse, so only Olivetti sees Beatrice take a phone call that upsets her, after which she rushes from the apartment.

The next morning, Olivetti is thrilled when Beatrice suddenly notices him. With no one else awake, he thinks that Beatrice will tell him poems and stories like she used to. Instead, Beatrice takes out Olivetti’s old carrying case and throws away the manuscripts that were stored in it: a collection of personal memories called Tapestries. Then, she places Olivetti in the case and shuts the lid.

Ernest’s elementary-aged brother, Arlo, fetches Ernest from the roof. Their father, Felix, is trying to negotiate who will take Ernest to a therapist appointment that day after school since Beatrice will be working late and Felix just found out that he himself must attend a meeting. Ezra has to go to weightlifting practice, and Adalynn has theater practice, so Felix decides that Ezra will take Ernest to the therapist. Felix looks Ernest in the eye and says that they will talk about the appointment afterward.

Ernest evades his father’s gaze and thinks of his mother’s last attempt to take him to a therapist; Ernest said nothing the entire time and told his mother afterward that he didn’t want to talk to the therapist or to her. After that, Ernest and his mother did not speak to each other for seven days. Now, Ernest plans to go a while longer without speaking to her since she has made this new appointment without telling him. Felix encourages Ernest to give the therapist a chance because of “everything that happened” (22).

Olivetti is shocked and dismayed when Beatrice sells him to a pawnbroker at Heartland Pawn Shop for $126. Beatrice cries before leaving Olivetti, making the pawnbroker feel awkward and prompting him to call his daughter, Quinn. Quinn wonders if they should go after Beatrice, but the pawnbroker, whom Quinn calls “Pop,” says that the situation is “out of [their] hands” (26). Olivetti feels the same way.

Ernest nervously awaits his English class. He listens to a student’s presentation on the iamb (a poetic term describing a pairing of one unstressed syllable and one stressed syllable), and then it is suddenly his turn to present. No one, not even Mrs. Fawn, understands his opening joke: “The history of the dictionary is made up of many defining moments” (30). Ernest is only a few sentences into his presentation when the principal comes to collect him. Ernest finds his father and siblings in the principal’s office and is shocked to learn that his mother is missing.

Olivetti thinks of pawns in chess and draws a parallel to the left-behind objects in the pawn shop; they are things that people do not mind losing. He confidently believes that he is in the wrong place. That night, he speaks to the only other typewriter through the usual typewriter language: banging the keys against an empty carriage roll. The typewriter’s name is Remi. Remi was recently used in a bookstore; patrons were allowed to type out their wishes on her. Her wish would have been to have legs or wings. Olivetti says that his wish would be for Beatrice to return for him. Remi scoffs at Olivetti wanting to waste a wish on a human.

The next morning, the siblings try to rest in the living room. The family spent the previous day putting up flyers and looking everywhere for Beatrice. The police call, and Felix goes away to talk on the phone privately. Everywhere in the house, Ernest notes signs of his mother’s absence. Adalynn slept in her makeup, Arlo has terrible blisters, and Ezra’s toast is badly burnt. Ernest flees and pins up a flyer blocks away. A girl sees it and recognizes his mother’s picture. It is Quinn. She tells Ernest that his mother sold the typewriter and cried when she left the pawn shop. Ernest realizes that his mother may have left on purpose.

Olivetti is excited to see Ernest in the pawn shop, especially when the boy is followed by the rest of the Brindles. He expects them to take him home, but they do not. Only Ernest looks back when they leave.

When Pop closes the shop early, Olivetti sits in frustration and decides to break the typewriter’s great unwritten rule and communicate with a human as soon as one will listen.

Ernest’s father tries to explain that there is nothing to do but wait. Ezra is angry that his mother would leave “after everything she put [them] through” (84), but Felix tells him to be quiet and then instructs all the siblings to go to school. Ernest feels guilty over the fact that the last thing he said to his mother was that he did not want to talk to her. He also feels guilty about his week-long silence toward her. He believes that his behavior may be the reason why his mother left. He runs to the pawn shop; although it is closed, the door is open, so Ernest goes inside.

Olivetti notices that Ernest is upset and crying. He waits while Ernest finds a blank page in a nearby book, rips it out, and rolls it into his carriage. Ernest types a note, writing, “I think it’s my fault you ran away” (55); Olivetti understands that the message is for Beatrice. He also notices how much bigger Ernest’s hands are after years of growing up. Olivetti types back, “Do not be alarmed” (59). Ernest panics and screams. He assumes that the magic message has come from his mother, but Olivetti corrects this idea and introduces himself.