The Schwa Was Here

Antsy is angry with Mr. Schwa when the man cannot tell him where Calvin is. The Schwa is home, however, blending in. The Schwa quit working for Mr. Crawley and tells Antsy he is also finished with their friendship. The Schwa thinks Antsy was pretending to be friends because he feels sorry for him. The Schwa tells him to leave, but Antsy refuses. The Schwa finally describes his last memory of his mother.

When the Schwa was five, his mom took him to the supermarket. There, he sat in the cart and named all the foods he knew. She left him alone briefly when she forgot an item. For an instant, the Schwa forgot her as he was naming foods. She did not return. He cried and asked for help, but the shoppers and employees did not notice him. He believes that because he did not remember his mom for a moment, she disappeared. The Schwa thinks that when no one remembers him, he will also vanish. Antsy is affected by this story, but says that the Schwa was noticed, and someone did help him.

The Schwa remembers being in the police station with his dad. The Schwa took the paperclip from the policeman’s missing person’s report to show he was there.