PM
Connor McKinley has a conversation with his little sister after returning from Uganda. Set in the same 'verse as "Sanctuary."
Rated: Fiction K - English - Family - Elder McKinley - Words: 601 - Published: 08-12-12 - Status: Complete - id: 8422766
Connor McKinley
had been home a week and a half from Uganda. Really, it was almost as if
he had never left: his father was still as gruff and austere as ever,
and his mother still used him as a sounding board for her rants against
abortion, immigrants, and homosexuals as he dutifully helped her prepare
the pies for the church bake sale.
But his sister was a different matter. Lillian McKinley had just been a little girl when he had left, on the edge of puberty. And now she had blossomed into a young woman, all awkwardness faded away into repose and elegance, and with aspirations as bright and gleaming as her blue eyes.
Lillian was going to play Ophelia in her school's annual Shakespeare production, and Connor was helping her to get ready for tonight's dress rehearsal.
"See, I finally learned how to braid my hair by myself," she said with a shake of her fair head. "I don't do it half as well as you do, though."
"It looks very lovely," Connor said admiringly. "I always wanted blond hair. It goes so much better with pink."
"I like your hair. It reminds me of autumn and apples and maple leaves."
"Thanks. I'll have to remember that next time somebody calls me a ginger."
She giggled. "You still haven't told me much about your mission, big brother. Did you make lots and lots of friends?"
"Many friends, and quite a few enemies. It's a very exciting story."
"I'll bet it is. You seem so different ever since you came back. Not in a bad way, just...different." She scrutinized him closely, as if trying to deduce the answer somehow from his carefully sedate demeanor.
"Let's just say I realized some important things about myself. Things that I'd been trying to run away from my entire life. But I can't run away from them any longer."
"What kind of things?"
"It's...not easy to explain."
"Did you fall in love?" she asked slyly.
Connor smiled. "Well, that's certainly part of it."
"Ooh, this does sound exciting. A tale of passion, drama, and romance, set along the backdrop of Africa. They should make a play about it, with me as a star of course."
"There was no romance, Lillian," Connor said, laughing. "And I'm afraid it wasn't very dramatic, either."
"But there was passion involved?"
"At least from my end, yes."
"Why then, that's all that matters. A great story can exist without drama or romance, but it can't if there's not someone wanting something."
"You sound very old and wise, for someone who just recently turned fourteen."
"Well, if I am going to be an actress, I am required to play many parts that are much older than I. Anyway, you haven't told me anything about this mystery love of yours. Is she smart? Beautiful? Funny?"
"All those things, except one."
"Now you're being deliberately cryptic. But I guess looks never did matter that much to you."
"Little sis, one day I will tell you the whole story, but for now you are going to stand still so I can finish hemming up your dress."
She obliged, humming tunelessly to herself as Connor put in the rest of the pins. Then she swayed and fell into his open arms.
"I missed you so much when you were away, big brother. Please say you'll never leave us for that long again."
"I don't plan on it," he said, very quietly.
But his sister was a different matter. Lillian McKinley had just been a little girl when he had left, on the edge of puberty. And now she had blossomed into a young woman, all awkwardness faded away into repose and elegance, and with aspirations as bright and gleaming as her blue eyes.
Lillian was going to play Ophelia in her school's annual Shakespeare production, and Connor was helping her to get ready for tonight's dress rehearsal.
"See, I finally learned how to braid my hair by myself," she said with a shake of her fair head. "I don't do it half as well as you do, though."
"It looks very lovely," Connor said admiringly. "I always wanted blond hair. It goes so much better with pink."
"I like your hair. It reminds me of autumn and apples and maple leaves."
"Thanks. I'll have to remember that next time somebody calls me a ginger."
She giggled. "You still haven't told me much about your mission, big brother. Did you make lots and lots of friends?"
"Many friends, and quite a few enemies. It's a very exciting story."
"I'll bet it is. You seem so different ever since you came back. Not in a bad way, just...different." She scrutinized him closely, as if trying to deduce the answer somehow from his carefully sedate demeanor.
"Let's just say I realized some important things about myself. Things that I'd been trying to run away from my entire life. But I can't run away from them any longer."
"What kind of things?"
"It's...not easy to explain."
"Did you fall in love?" she asked slyly.
Connor smiled. "Well, that's certainly part of it."
"Ooh, this does sound exciting. A tale of passion, drama, and romance, set along the backdrop of Africa. They should make a play about it, with me as a star of course."
"There was no romance, Lillian," Connor said, laughing. "And I'm afraid it wasn't very dramatic, either."
"But there was passion involved?"
"At least from my end, yes."
"Why then, that's all that matters. A great story can exist without drama or romance, but it can't if there's not someone wanting something."
"You sound very old and wise, for someone who just recently turned fourteen."
"Well, if I am going to be an actress, I am required to play many parts that are much older than I. Anyway, you haven't told me anything about this mystery love of yours. Is she smart? Beautiful? Funny?"
"All those things, except one."
"Now you're being deliberately cryptic. But I guess looks never did matter that much to you."
"Little sis, one day I will tell you the whole story, but for now you are going to stand still so I can finish hemming up your dress."
She obliged, humming tunelessly to herself as Connor put in the rest of the pins. Then she swayed and fell into his open arms.
"I missed you so much when you were away, big brother. Please say you'll never leave us for that long again."
"I don't plan on it," he said, very quietly.
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar