<USS Banshee> Dinner at Maria's: A Sister's Memories
- From: Victor Andros <victor_andros@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: ussbanshee@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 24 Apr 2003 17:19:05 -0700 (PDT)
As Joe followed his sister into her room, he couldn't fail to notice that she
had several pictures of him hanging in her room. There were pictures of them
together before he left home, but the one that stood out to him was a picture
of him at his graduation from Starfleet Academy. Although he wondered how she
managed to get that picture, he couldn't help but muse to himself about how
photogenic he was. Thinking his father wouldn't have come if invited, as well
as not let his wife or daughter attend the ceremony, Joe had not even bothered
to invite his family. He would have loved for them to be there, but the chances
of that happening were slim to none. Then again, his little sister had always
been into whatever fad interested her big brother at the moment, like when he
had been interested in computers for a time, it was a fascination to her, but
it was a hobby she had never dropped. For a computer whiz like her, it wasn't
out of the realm of possibilities that she could gain access to the kind of
data that wasn't exactly classified information.
While all this was running trough Joe's head, Natalia had entered the bathroom
to change into something more comfortable than her business attire. As she came
out of the bathroom, he couldn't fail but notice that his "little sister" had
grown up a lot since he had left for Starfleet. It wasn't the first time he
regretted not having come home in five years. He had missed 4 years of his
sister's maturation process, and seeing as how women mature faster then men,
his little sister, just like him, was beginning the process into adulthood.
With all those feelings bubbling to the surface, he walked up to her and gave
his sister another big hug, nearly knocking the wind out of her. He hoped that
pinning her arms would keep her from tickling her, like she used to do.
"Hey, what's that for big bro?" Natalia asked her big brother as he nearly
squeezed the air out of her. Though Joe had always been an affectionate kid
growing up, he had never really hugged her much after her 9th birthday, when
she became his self-appointed tormenter. He was 4 years older and, though she
hadn't realized it at the time, it must have been a drag for him to be
constantly pestered and followed around by "a big brat" as he had always called
her. Looking back, Joe could tell that she loved him very much, and, judging by
the pictures on wall, still admired him a good deal.
"Nothing. It's just that I didn't realize how much I had missed you, you big
brat," he responded. He released the embrace and stuck out his tongue at her.
"Musta been fun for you, though, to have dad all to yourself and not in a foul
mood 'cause of me half the time."
Natalia winced at that. Their father had always been extremely loving with her
and had given everything within in reason she had ever wanted, including the
love and attention that he neglected his son. She knew her brother had some
reason to be upset because their father had been very "cold" and stern with
him. "Actually, believe it or not, he was still in a foul mood half the time
when you left. I don't know what you said to him that night after the wrestling
match, but you guys never talked much after that. And then when you left, he
was even angrier 'cause he said he had wanted you to continue the business when
he got older..."she trailed off at the end.
They both sat there for a while silently thinking. Joe understood that his
sister had definitely spent more time with their father than he ever had, and
she probably had more insight into how he thought than himself. Joe had never
really considered his father's point of view. He just assumed that he was a
hateful person who only cared about himself. Joe had taken the easy way out by
just leaving and having minimal contact with his family ever since, but now he
realized that the simple way out hadn't been the best solution. He and his
family had missed out on sharing some of the most impoortant years of his and
his sister's lives because he had just run away.
"He's not as bad as you think Joe, I mean he changed after you left. I guess he
had time to think about whatever it was you said to him and he changed. Whether
you believe it or not, he cares about you a lot, and it hurt him that you just
left and didn't even write or call or anything. You say that he was a selfish
egocentric man, but how selfish is what you did. You basically abandoned us."
Joe could hear her lashing out at him for things she had thought about for 5
long years. Things that she had never gotten to say to him. Joe was so stung by
her words that he barely even noticed the tears streaming down her face.
Joe walked over to her and held her close, feeling a few tears run down his
cheeks. "I know Nat. I know. I was too stubborn and full of pride to apologize.
I took the coward?s way out and I just ran away. But I'm back now and I know I
can't give you guys back the five years we've all lost, but I'm here now and I
want to make things all better. I want to patch things up with dad." He kissed
her on the cheek and let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Maybe this
will work out, he though to himself. "So, is he really helping out other
people, like donating food to famine victims?" he inquired as he started wiping
the tears off her face.
She beamed a smile at her brother. "Uh-huh. He even told me that he was proud
of you. He thinks that what you did in space was very important and that he's
glad that you value life so much. I guess that's why he started his
philanthropy." She paused and look at him, "And you know what? He's been very
happy, although nervous, about you coming over for dinner." She let go of her
brother and walked over to the door but stopped short of it. "You know he, uh,
he even suggested to me that I should go to Starfleet and follow in your
footsteps."
He chuckled at his sister in disbelief that his father would suggest such a
thing "No kidding. You would be a great addition to the Federation, sis. What
did you tell him?"
"I told him that it was a good idea but that one Castillo is all space can
handle, besides I'd rather follow in his footsteps and be able to feed people
in worlds suffering from famine," she responded and turned for the door. "C'mon
dinner should almost be ready, and I think we've let your cute friend out with
the wolves too long."
Joe stood there for a second after his sister exited the room, truly regretting
he had missed seeing the beautiful person both physically and spiritually his
sister had grown up to be, but he was quite proud of her. "This night might not
turn out so bad after all."
Commander Victor Andros
Executive Officer, USS Banshee
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